Rixton Falls

His name is Royal, but he's no prince charming. He's not even a prince-though you could say I loved him once upon a time. He was my older brother's best friend. Growing up, he sat at our dinner table every Sunday, teased me mercilessly, and pretended I annoyed him. When I was old enough, he took me on my first date. Royal taught me how to drive. Escorted me to my junior prom. Gave me my first kiss . . . amongst other things. He was my first taste of toe-curling, all-consuming, can't-sleep love. We had our whole lives ahead of us. There was never anyone else for me but him. And then he disappeared. No letter. No explanation. Not even a good-bye. I've spent the last seven years trying in vain to forget my first love, but just when I think I've finally moved on, guess who's back in town?

Derek Rosewood is never going to marry, ever again. Fresh off the heels of a bitter divorce, there are only three things he cares about: his daughter, his career, and his bachelorhood. An attorney by trade and happily married to his job, he saves the drama for the courtroom and keeps women at arm's length. Their fragile, sequined hearts are safer that way. And besides, he's not in any condition to offer them the love and attention they so foolishly seek from him. It's not until he's assigned as the financial conservator for an aloof, enigmatic heiress that he finds his professional, and personal boundaries pushed to the wayside. They're all wrong for each other. Emotionally unavailable. Bitter. Jaded. And he's supposed to look out for her best interests. Protect her. But this wasn't supposed to happen. And for that reason, Derek Rosewood pleads the fifth. Contains mature themes.

Filthy mouth. Dirty mind. Messy past. I'm no saint, and I hear my reputation precedes me, but you can't believe everything people say. I've made a living playing by the rules only when the clock is ticking, the ball has been snapped, and I'm cleat-deep in AstroTurf. But I screwed up last year. I went too far with the girls and the partying and the benders. As a result, the team owner sentenced me to live in some gated, Floridian retirement village until I can "calm down." The rules are clear: no girls, less booze, zero publicity stunts. If I lay low and repair my reputation, I won't get cut. It's that simple. Everything was going well. For the first time in my life, I was living by someone else's rules... and then she showed up for the summer. My next door neighbor's great niece is visiting, and it doesn't take long for me to see Delilah Rosewood is the perfect mix of sexy and smart. She makes me want to break all the rules and draw every penalty just to get a taste. But there's one problem: she hates me with the passion of a thousand Florida suns. Contains mature themes.