Pittsburgh Titans

Hendrix Batemen is one of The Lucky Three, a trio of players who were not on the Titan's team plane the night it crashed. Feeling as if he's been given a second chance, Hendrix is determined to make the most out of his life, but that doesn't mean he's not suffering from scars that can't be seen. When I lost my Titan brothers in the crash, it was a mixed bag of emotions. I was devastated and grief stricken, but I was also grateful to be alive. Yeah, that might cause a little-okay, a lot of-guilt, but now I'm determined to live each day as if it's my last. A night out with friends puts me in the crosshairs of Stevie Kisner-the devastatingly beautiful bar owner with a sharp tongue and a fire in her eyes that lets me know she has zero tolerance for guys like me. I've never been one to back away from a challenge, so I'm not dissuaded by Stevie's tough as nails attitude or her big biker dad who looks like he wants to kill me. Fueled by too many shots and the raucous urging of my teammates, I set out to show Stevie I've got game both on and off the ice. While I shouldn't be looking for anything more than a good time, I can't help but be captivated by Stevie. She's cool as hell and we burn hot together. But the more I get to know her, the more I can tell she's holding something in reserve, and let's just say I've got some trust issues after my last disastrous attempt at a relationship. Now I need to decide if I'm going to let my past dictate my future or if I am willing to put my heart on the line to find out if Stevie is exactly what I think she is-my everything.

Camden Poe is the last of The Lucky Three, the surviving Pittsburgh Titans who weren't on the team plane the night it went down. By all outward appearances, he's adjusted to post-crash life well but inside he's wrestling with the guilt of living.The catastrophe that killed the Pittsburgh Titans changed my entire world. My teammates were more than my friends-they were my brothers. I mourned their loss with the rest of the nation but then I did as I've been taught… I moved on. I focused on returning to the ice with the newly rebuilt team and put the tragedy behind me. Considering the circumstances, I adjusted well. Or so I thought. Now I'm plagued by nightmares of the crash and my play has suffered as a result. Facing the possibility of losing my place on the team, I need to pull myself together and fast.My buddy and linemate, Mitch Brandt died in the crash, leaving his wife Danica and son Travis behind to pick up the pieces of their shattered family. After reconnecting with Danica at a support group meeting, I find myself inexplicably drawn to helping her and her son move forward. What starts as two friends finding solace in one another following a tragedy becomes something more, leaving us both wondering if we deserve this chance.I feel as if I'm walking a precarious line between a man falling for an incredible woman and a man moving in on his dead friend's wife. But one thing is crystal clear-I've found a peace with Danica that I wasn't sure I'd ever have again. Now I need to find the confidence within myself to push past the insecurities and make sure she knows how important she is to me because if I don't, I'll lose the one thing that makes me truly complete.

Van Turner found fame as part of the Carolina Cold Fury, helping the team bring home a championship. He also found love and married his teammate's little sister, eventually retiring from the game to enjoy a quiet life in the verdant hills of Vermont. Now, Van's dark past threatens to unravel his future. I never once regretted my decision to walk away from hockey. I attained what so few in the league are able and retired at the top of my game. Besides, I had the ultimate prize by my side-my gorgeous wife, Simone. We settled into married life in Vermont and were ready to expand our family when I was blindsided by my sociopath of a parent, this time from the grave. Before dying from cancer while in prison, my serial killer father left his private diaries to a journalist. From that one bequest came a tell-all biography detailing his deranged crimes along with a litany of lies meant to ruin my life. Knowing first-hand the horrors of growing up the product of a monster, I know there is no way I can bring a child into this drama. I refuse to allow my kid to suffer the taunting and harassment I did, so I do the only thing I can think of-I walk away from Simone and our beautiful life together. With the knowledge that she will be safe from the publicity of my shameful past and able to find a love she deserves, I return to hockey, joining the Pittsburgh Titans. The long hours on the ice are the only thing that will even remotely keep my mind off everything I've left behind and I know that I've given Simone her best chance at happiness. But I'm clearly a man who doesn't learn from the past and I should have known better than to underestimate my wife. The woman doesn't know how to take "no" for an answer. She's as persistent as I am stubborn and it's a battle of wills as she uses all her powers of persuasion to save our marriage. Simone wore me down once, but she won't do it again. I'm keeping my wits about me and my pants on, no matter how much she tempts me with her sexy ways. But those, my friends, are what they often call 'famous last words'.

Boone Rivers uses his fame and fortune as a professional hockey player to his advantage, but not in the way most people would think. Volunteering as often as his busy schedule will allow, Boone meets one brave young boy who turns his world upside down. As a first-line right winger for the Pittsburgh Titans, I thrive on the thrill of the game. I live for the smell of the ice, the cheer of the crowd and the way my heart pounds whenever I step into the arena. But once I'm out of my skates, my focus is on giving back to the city of Pittsburgh. It's funny how life puts people in your path. I meet Aiden while visiting the children's hospital and I'm struck by the strength and resilience of this 12-year-old kid fighting for his life. As my visits continue, we bond over video games and hockey until one day Aiden's older sister walks into his room and I realize there might be a bigger purpose here. Lilly Hoffman has the weight of the world resting on her slight shoulders. Aiden's illness isn't getting better, she's at risk of losing her job and their father is looking for the answers to his prayers at the bottom of a liquor bottle. I find myself wanting to lessen Lilly's burden and what starts as a simple act of friendship turns into so much more. As we grow closer, I can't help but fall for this fiercely protective and independent woman with a tender heart and bruised but not yet broken spirit. As we face a future of never-ending uncertainty, I vow to be Lilly's source of strength and comfort. Lilly and Aiden have reaffirmed to me the importance of giving and receiving love unconditionally, even in the darkest of times. And no matter what happens next, no one can take that from us. Boone contains subject matter that may be sensitive to some readers. If you would like additional details, please visit the book page for Boone on my website.

Callum Derringer was hired by the Pittsburgh Titans to help rebuild the organization after a devastating plane crash left its future unknown. Now that he's got the team back on track, it's time to put some effort into his own life. When I accepted the job of general manager with the Titans, it was just the opportunity I needed to prove myself to the sports world. Unfortunately, my career isn't the only area in which I've previously made mistakes and the past is about to come back in a big way. Juniper Ryan is…complicated. Smart, funny and insanely gorgeous, she was my first love and my first heartbreak. But my loss was my stepbrother's gain and she's been his wife for five years now. I've done a decent job of putting her out of my mind but when I'm brought home for a family emergency and see the bruises on Juniper, I'm gutted to learn that she was pushed into the arms of a monster. Vowing to put our past aside, I learn dark truths about my brother and his marriage to my first love. And to make matters worse, I'm beginning to realize the feelings I once had for Juniper aren't tucked quite as far away as I had hoped. When things take a dangerous turn, I'm willing to put myself in the line of fire to keep my girl safe. I was a fool to walk away from Juniper the first time and I'm a man who knows better than to make the same mistake twice.