Carolina Connections

Mark Beckett is the most annoying, patronizing, arrogant jerk on the face of the earth. So, naturally, I can't get the damn man out of my head. Fiona: Like the old saying goes, I'm a jill of all trades but a master of none. What I lack in skill, however, I make up for in enthusiasm - something certain people (ahem) find irritating. But I have my reasons for living my life the way I do, for diving into one project after another and trying to make a difference. And if Mark Beckett doesn't like it, he knows where to find the door. I don't need his approval...or his panty-melting kisses. Mark: I enjoy the simple things in life: a job well done, a cold beer, a hot woman...you get the idea. But there's nothing simple about the mess I just found myself in. The last thing I need is a pint-size princess sticking her nose in my business and pushing every damn one of my buttons like it's her job. But Fiona Pierce may be the only one with the tools to solve my problems - and the power to change everything. Winner of the 2017 National Indie Excellence Award for Romantic Comedy Winner of the 2017 Readers' Favorite Silver Medal for Romantic Comedy

Luck is no lady...in fact, she can be a downright bitch. Jake: Coming home was supposed to be my shot at redemption. Instead, I'm finding myself chasing after an irresistible blonde whose mercurial behavior could give Jekyll and Hyde a run for their money. I've got too much on my plate to get tied up in knots over a girl who wants nothing to do with me. But Bailey Murphy may hold the key to my redemption, and I'm not giving up on either without a fight. "Irish" might play with a poker face, but I'm about to call her bluff...and I hope like hell I've got luck on my side. Bailey: Let's get one thing straight. I am not your typical girl. Sure, I've got all the parts, but I've been a stubborn, irreverent tomboy since the womb. Which makes it particularly ironic that my heart is so damn girly. It falls in love at the drop of a hat and leaves me to deal with the aftermath. But no more! If Jake Beckett thinks spending one night together gives him some claim on me, he's got another thing coming - even if the mere thought of that night leaves me panting like a damn Labrador. I'm not about to open the door and let Jake in, but that choice may be taken from both our hands.

They say opposites attract. Someone needs to tell that to Emerson Scott. Gavin All I ever wanted was to play ball. When an act of sheer stupidity took that dream away, I thought I'd never bounce back. But now, I have the opportunity to coach an up-and-coming phenom, and I'm giving it all I've got. The fact that I've been lusting after his smoking-hot sister only sweetens the deal. Emerson may be buttoned up like a school librarian, but I play my best when I'm under pressure...and I always bring the heat. Emerson Never lose focus. Never lose control. Those are the first two rules in my carefully calculated plan for success. Finding myself thrown into the role of guardian for my little brother was not part of that plan. But I can adjust for Jay's sake. I'm not about to let one change make me lose sight of my goals. Too bad Jay's hot young baseball coach doesn't seem to give a fig about my plans. He has one of his own - and it includes me. Gavin Monroe may play like a pro, but that boy will never win this game.

"They say nice guys always finish last. I say the only place that should apply is in the bedroom - it's just good manners, after all." (Brett MacKinnon, nice guy and frequent resident of the friend zone) LIV: There are really only three things I need in life: sex, baseball, and winning. My hot boyfriend and season tickets take care of the first two, while I always do my best to cover the last. So developing an unexpected crush on a new friend is more than a little inconvenient. I don't have anything but friendship to offer Brett, but with the way he looks at me, he has me wishing I did. BRETT: I've been put in the friend zone so often, they've got a sandwich named after me. You'd think I'd be used to it by now. But when it comes to the delectable Liv, I'm determined to ditch the friend zone and show her I'm boyfriend material. Too bad the position's already been filled by a ball-playing caveman who could flatten me with his pinky. What will it take to show Liv that nice guys can be more than just friends, and that love is the one game truly worth winning?

Men are good for two things: orgasms and reaching the wine glasses on the top shelf. Ari I've always said boyfriends are like martinis. They're lots of fun at first, but the longer you indulge, the bigger headache they'll give you. With career goals to crush and more than a few balls in the air, there's no place in my life for the messy complications of love. Jax Crosby thinks he can tempt me to lose control, and he's using his daughter to reel me in. He'd be dangerously easy to fall for, but there are more important things in life than love, aren't there? Jax I like to stay two steps ahead. That way, I'm never surprised. But even I didn't see this one coming. Congratulations to me - I'm a freakin' dad. Now, I've got a teenage daughter who hates me, an ex who wants to cut things off my body I'm not ready to part with, and an attraction to a curvy songbird that couldn't have come at a worse time. But I've never met a situation I couldn't handle, and I've never let a female get the best of me. So, why do I have the feeling Ariana Amante might be one more thing I never saw coming? Buy The Runaround and get your hot single dad fix tonight!