Boys (Smeltzer)

Off-limits. That's what Jude is to me. My older brother doesn't trust me with his player of a best friend, which is totally fine, because I'm not interested. As Jude and I reluctantly become friends, I start to see that there's more to him than others notice. But I still won't go there, not when I have a crush on someone else. But Jude's the perfect person to help show me the ropes when it comes to the opposite sex, besides it's not like he'll get attached to me. Except he does. And the thing about broken boys? They're way too easy to fall for.

I've heard the whispers on campus of what a player Teddy McCallister is. Most girls on campus are vying to be the one, but guys like him don't settle down. When he overhears that my tuition has been pulled and I'm going to basically be a college reject, he makes me an offer I can't refuse: be his fake girlfriend until graduation so he can get his inheritance. It seems simple enough; I need the money, and he needs someone to make him look committed. If one thing is certain, it's that I won't be falling for him. But no one warned me about what happens when my fake boyfriend starts to fall for me....

Mascen Wade, star pitcher of the Aldridge University baseball team, is a lot of things. Rich. Hotter than sin. The campus' reigning bad boy. We knew each other once upon a time, but even if I'm named after a princess, it doesn't mean my life is a fairy tale. My plan is to keep my head down, get my degree, and leave this town. But the moment Mascen Wade recognizes me, all my carefully laid plans come crumbling down. He's decided he wants to make my life a living hell, but I'm not so easy to push around. I won't put up with his bully playground antics. It's just too bad that I've never been able to resist him.

Once upon a time, Daire Hendricks was my childhood crush. He was always there, saving me from his annoying brothers. He was my rock, my safe place from my overbearing family. Until he wasn't. Imagine my annoyance when we end up at the same university, and I have to see his smug, too-handsome-for-his-own-good face all over campus. Every time we cross paths, we spew hateful words at each other, so imagine my surprise when he seeks me out and utters the most surprising question. "Marry me?" He needs my help, and his solution is marriage. It's a pretty big ask, but somehow, I find myself saying yes. We might hate each other now, but the benefits of this arrangement are worth it. Neither of us expects it when playing house starts to feel a little too real. Falling for each other was never part of the plan, but you know what they say about the best-laid plans? They often go awry.

When I agreed to be his roommate, I had no way of knowing that Cole Anderson was one of my father's star players. Having transferred to Aldridge University for my junior year, I wasn't familiar with anyone on campus. If there's one rule I've always been supposed to follow, it's don't date a basketball player. Cole is different, though, and I don't want to stay away. But when he finds out I'm the coach's daughter, I might not have any say in the matter.

I've been nothing but a failure to my parents my entire life. I know I'll never live up to their level of perfection, but it doesn't matter. Especially when I'm about to fail the same class twice. It seems like I'm doomed until my professor tells me he knows the perfect guy to tutor me-if he'll agree. Cree Madison is the star player on the hockey team, bound for NHL superstardom, and my last hope. I'm willing to do almost anything for his help. When I meet up with him, his eyes light up and he says, "I've been looking for you." Only I don't know him, and I've never met him before now. I'm willing to pretend to be whoever he wants me to be if it means I pass this class. But lies have a way of getting out of hand, and neither one of us is prepared for the fallout when everything comes to light.

When my Christmas plans go up in flames, the last thing I expect is Luke Covey to sweep in and save the day. Spending the holiday with him and his mom might make this my favorite Christmas I've ever had. Too bad for me, there's one unexpected gift that's going to last long past the holiday season. Ready or not, Luke and I are going to be parents. This novella will lead into Bertie and Luke's full-length novel. It's recommended to listen to this novella first.