Sparkwood: Scenes from a Small Town

I have a very big problem . . . in the form of one very petite woman. Don't get me wrong. I adore women, and if you ask any female in Sparkwood, you'll learn the feeling is mutual. With one tiny exception. Oriana Thorne is a literal thorn in my side-a plucky, infuriatingly gorgeous, pain in the rear who rents the store next to mine. We've disliked each other from the beginning, or at least since she marched into my shop and started issuing demands. Needless to say, I didn't roll out the welcome mat after that meet-hate. I'd love to avoid the woman until the end of my days, but as fate would have it, I need her help. Without her approval, my plan to open a speakeasy beneath our shops is dead in the water. Considering Oriana is as fond of me as I am of her, winning her assistance will be no easy feat. So, when a faulty lock forces the two of us to spend the night together, it's anyone's guess if we'll survive until morning. But that's a chance I'm willing to take. What's the worst that can happen? It's not like I'm going to fall in love with the woman . . . Contains mature themes.

For six months, I hated Asher Hammond. And then I slept with him. What started as one night turned into something neither of us expected-something real. Despite Ash's aversion to romance and my diehard belief in happily-ever-afters, we found our rhythm: my heart, his hands, and a passion that could burn down Sparkwood. Between late nights at my bookstore, restoring my crumbling Victorian mansion, and falling for a man who swore love wasn't in his DNA, I let myself believe we were building something lasting. Even if Ash never said those three words, his actions spoke volumes. Until she showed up. The first-and only-woman Asher ever loved. The one who wrecked him, shattered his heart, and left scars deeper than any ink. And she's not here alone. Ash swears it's over between them, but their shared history-and one too many secrets-make it impossible to ignore the cracks in the fragile foundation of our love story. I've been second best before, and I refuse to play that role again. Walking away from the man I love is the hardest thing I've ever done. But just when I think I've found my footing, life throws me a twist I never saw coming. Now, I have a secret, too-one that could bring us back together . . . or tear us apart forever. Contains mature themes.