You met them in the Valentine and Rose series. In this prelude, I will formally introduce you to Malik Anthony Clark, Tristian Neil Clark, and Langston Jamal Clark.

When souls are tied, it's never goodbye. A boy I was that summer evening I met you, pulling your belongings out of the truck and into your new home. I knew it was love then. A whole man I was the day that you met me at the altar and agreed to love me until death do us part. A shell of a man I've become since it did, unable to move on, move forward, or progress in any way until I discovered that not even death was permanent enough to keep us apart. A better man I'm destined to be, knowing that, at some capacity, you're still with me. Our love is one that never dies.

The job offer she expected after taking an unpaid internship at a major shoe company didn’t come through. The friend who’d offered her a place to stay suddenly gave her 48 hours to vacate after a misunderstanding. And when she’s forced to move back to her hometown to live with her father and his mistress-turned-wife, it almost seems impossible for things to get any worse...until she runs into her former best friend, who’s only gotten fine with time.

Known playboy and award-winning R&B singer Wesley Johnson Jr. puts his dating rules to the side when he has a second chance encounter with the woman he can’t stop thinking about. Finding himself in unchartered territory, he realizes he can’t rely on his fame to earn the affection of this one special woman. Will his new ways be enough for her to let her guard down, or will someone from his past ruin their chances together?

Dr. Ezekiel Green is ready to make a fresh start in a new city after the divorce from his high school sweetheart. What was supposed to be a professional business dinner with a future colleague quickly transformed into a love at first sight encounter, or so he thought. Dr. Jemma Holiday was spirited, brilliant, beautiful, and another man’s wife.

All Zarinah wanted was to fall in love. Growing up, she had kissed her fair share of frogs. When an unconventional situation leads her to Lawson, her wishes might become reality. Lawson is the new CEO of his family's hotel casino chain. He's tired of aimless dating and women just wanting his money. When he meets Zarinah, he instantly feels like she's the one.

One thing that held constant in Shelby Donovan’s life was her career. As a world-renowned artist, Shelby’s paintings traveled the globe, landing in museums and homes across the nation. But what she couldn’t seem to get under control was her love life. Her mother insisted it was because of her best friend, Sebastian Cartwright. They’ve known each other for years. Sebastian and Shelby shared everything; embarrassing moments, secrets, dating tips, affection, and even an explosive kiss during one tipsy night on Shelby’s birthday.

Small-business owner and financial advisor Samiyah Manhattan is mourning the death of her six-year marriage when she vows never to trust men again. Alone at a local bar, Samiyah attempts to put her situation in perspective when she is drawn inexorably to the presence of a nearby patron. Celebrity ex-boxer and heavyweight champion turned business mogul Jonas Alexander Rose never takes women too seriously. They only attach themselves to him because of his star-studded status. However, when he meets the beautiful Samiyah Manhattan, Jonas is overwhelmed by the heated attraction.

After her fiance calls off the wedding not once but twice, Camilla's had enough. In a brazen move, she takes a new position in the windy city of Chicago, leaving her parents, friends, and ex in a bittersweet goodbye. Adapting to her new surroundings isn't easy, but as Camilla settles in, a chance encounter with an infamous playboy throws her off balance and rattles her world. She hadn't expected to be drawn so meticulously to another, but denying the magnetism that lures her is a futile fight.

At twenty-one, Ason ‘Ace’ Williams Jr. knows all about inevitable endings. He’s formerly famous, a popular rapper’s muse, the son of a three-time NBA champ, and a little… complicated. After a disturbing scandal and loss rocks his world, he’s left to deal with both in a city that doesn’t quite feel like home. It’s a place filled with old family friends he’s never met, reminders of all the endings he’s had to endure, and even worse—he’s stuck there after his dad takes a job no one ever imagined him taking.

Sometimes, you just need someone to help you see things in a different light. A shift in the angle.

Train. Fight. Repeat. That's been Princeton "The Prince" Lattimore's life for as long as he can remember. But when an interruption to his heavyweight champion world comes in the form of an alluring journalist who sees well beyond his undefeated stature, he quickly learns there’s a lot more to life outside of the boxing ring.

Boring. Invisible. Pretty for a plus-size girl. Those were all the things I felt about myself, thanks to my chosen career as an accountant and society’s depiction of the perfect female. So, I booked a trip to Vegas for my birthday. In walked Soul Matthias, treating me and my body as anything but ordinary. Player. Bad boy. High-risk. That’s what baseball owners banked on to lowball my contract. I had to get my act together. Then, in strutted Alexa Livingston. A breath of fresh air, someone completely different. But what we had wasn’t real. It was just a marriage contract.

The week of the culinary conference was Xander Northcott’s time to shine. Fresh out of a long-term relationship, he cemented his newly single status by accepting Piper Andrews’ invitation back to her room that first night. It was all fun and games until a few months later, when he received a phone call from the woman he barely knew. She was pregnant - with his child.

Murderer is a title she never expected to wear. Friend? Sure. Boss? Hell yes. But murderer? Never. If only she hadn’t threatened exactly that, just before someone winds up dead, and her fingerprints are all over the murder weapon. All he wanted was to live a quiet life, without all the danger and darkness of his past. Those plans are blown when he’s accused of a crime he has nothing to do with, leaving him with a hard decision…remain in the shadows, or do what he can to help a friend?

Three friends experiencing life’s uncertain changes decide they need relaxation beyond the usual girls’ night out. A friend tells them about The Den, an upscale male strip club. They find out the club is a shell of what really lies beneath - and soon, the ladies are venturing into their mind and body’s wildest desires.

In this collection are updated stories from some of your favorite Valentines.

Retired hitwoman Celine Briggs loved few people in this world; Her husband Caleb, and her ex-handler, Brian Devereaux. When Celine took her marital vows, she exchanged the life of guns, drugs, and violence for the peaceful life as Caleb's wife. However, not all things buried stay hidden.

After her fiance calls off the wedding not once but twice, Camilla's had enough. In a brazen move, she takes a new position in the windy city of Chicago, leaving her parents, friends, and ex in a bittersweet goodbye. Adapting to her new surroundings isn't easy, but as Camilla settles in, a chance encounter with an infamous playboy throws her off balance and rattles her world. She hadn't expected to be drawn so meticulously to another, but denying the magnetism that lures her is a futile fight.

Small-business owner and financial advisor Samiyah Manhattan is mourning the death of her six-year marriage when she vows never to trust men again. Alone at a local bar, Samiyah attempts to put her situation in perspective when she is drawn inexorably to the presence of a nearby patron. Celebrity ex-boxer and heavyweight champion turned business mogul Jonas Alexander Rose never takes women too seriously. They only attach themselves to him because of his star-studded status. However, when he meets the beautiful Samiyah Manhattan, Jonas is overwhelmed by the heated attraction.

Kashmir Slayton is a man of means along with an insatiable need to have everything he wants. Currently turning a new leaf, an entrancer, who has slipped through his fingers, is pushing him to be the man he used to be. Recklessness and a raging temperament will cause him to turn the city upside down to get her back in his grasps. Lehana Wilson is on her last ounce of luck and patience. As she works from sun up to sun down to take care of an ailing grandmother, she is trying her best to keep her head above water.

Anastazia Chase has always had her life perfectly planned out. But what she didn't plan for was to be wrapped up with her current man Cedric. What started out as a potential fairytale romance quickly changed to the opposite, leaving Anastazia to become a woman she barely recognizes. When she realizes life won't ever change with him, she makes a shocking decision that sends her life into a tailspin.

One thing that held constant in Shelby Donovan’s life was her career. As a world-renowned artist, Shelby’s paintings traveled the globe, landing in museums and homes across the nation. But what she couldn’t seem to get under control was her love life. Her mother insisted it was because of her best friend, Sebastian Cartwright. They’ve known each other for years. Sebastian and Shelby shared everything; embarrassing moments, secrets, dating tips, affection, and even an explosive kiss during one tipsy night on Shelby’s birthday.

The day Lisara Compton caught her husband in a rather compromising position changed her life in a way neither she nor her sons ever saw coming. Realizing too late that divorcing him would cause a domino effect of turmoil, she is now forced into an uncomfortable life that she can't seem to stay afloat in. With her eldest son acting out and a nonexistent ex-husband, Lisara feels things can't get any worse. That's until her ex betrays her and their son in a way that leaves her in need like never before. It seems she just can't catch a break, until she meets him.

Elodie Perry is poised to be the small screen’s newest “It Girl”. Following the mega-success of the last time they worked together, it’s a no-brainer to bring her back in front of a camera with Shaw Bridges. The audience had plenty to say about their smoking hot chemistry on-screen, but their real-life romance was kept strictly behind the scenes.

Tyson Brooks is hungry. And all he wants is Troian Taylor on his plate.

Stable, safe, predictable—all words that aptly describe Professor Nadia Day’s life. An existence she’s carefully crafted for herself despite her unconventional upbringing and what, to her, is an unseemly past. The last thing she would ever do is rock the boat when it comes to her life and livelihood. When retired football player and single dad, Nathan Moore, walks into her psychology classroom, all fine and dreadlocked, he does more than rock her boat—he rocks her world and causes her to question her buttoned-up existence.

Alistair Duston is for the streets of Leakston, Mississippi. That means nothing when he and his family owned them, literally. As heir to the Duston Dynasty, he never had to worry about anything but his horses, cattle, and dogs. How things can change in the bling of a signed contract. When he is forced into an impossible position, will he remain faithful to the streets or commit to one that might be able to give him the world?

Known playboy and award-winning R&B singer Wesley Johnson Jr. puts his dating rules to the side when he has a second chance encounter with the woman he can’t stop thinking about. Finding himself in unchartered territory, he realizes he can’t rely on his fame to earn the affection of this one special woman. Will his new ways be enough for her to let her guard down, or will someone from his past ruin their chances together?

Putting herself first is what Jordana Evans knows how to do best. She’s at the top of her game in her career and no longer haunted by memories of her past threatening to steal her joy. In her mind, being in love is a want, not a need, and she’s convinced that she’ll be just fine without it. Having intimate relations with the opposite sex is something she’s willing to do for one night only. But then came along…him.