Showing results by author "Lauren Blakely" in All Categories

I live my life by a few simple rules - let no one in, trust only my family, and don’t ever spend more than three nights with a woman. Those are easy enough to abide by when I meet gorgeous, captivating and absolutely brilliant Sophie Winston, who wants nothing more than to explore all her sinful desires with me after dark. Desires that put me firmly in control in the bedroom. That works for me - as long as I can keep the secrets I need to protect. Not only the ones about my family, but the ones about how she’s interwoven into my dangerous past.

It was only supposed to be a marriage of convenience. Let me just say, this whole part-time lover thing was her idea. I’d have gone all in from the start, but hey, when a gorgeous, brilliant woman invites you into her bed, and only her bed...well, I said yes. But then, one hysterical phone call from my brother later, begging me to find myself a wife so grandfather’s business stays in the family, and I need a promotion with Elise. Turns out a full-time husband suits her needs too, and a temporary marriage of convenience ought to do the trick, until we can simply untie the knot....

I live my life by three simple rules. Don’t mix business with pleasure. Always work solo. And family comes first. But when I head to the tropics for a quick job and meet a fiery woman who makes my pulse roar, I can’t resist bending the first rule for her. Trouble is, after we spend a scorching night together on the beach, I discover she’s my new enemy. The quick-witted and clever beauty is on a treasure hunt for the same damn prize—beating me in a race to find millions in stolen diamonds.

Let me tell you everything I know about love.... Love is a lie, a game, a chase. And most of all - it’s a battle every man and woman must fight for themselves. I don’t trust love for a second. Until I meet Trey. He’s just like me - dangerous, scarred, and keeping secrets that might be darker than mine. And I can’t seem to stay away from him even though I’ve promised to. How can this be the start of something when tomorrow it has to end?

Following rules shot me to the top of my game as an all-star baseball player, and the golden rule is this - don’t hook up with your teammate’s sister. But ask her to be your fake date when you desperately need one for a family wedding? Nothing in the guy code against that. Plus, the flirty, feisty Sierra’s my friend too, so why the hell not pretend we’re madly in lust for two days in Hawaii?

When I enter the Most Valuable Playboy charity auction, my goal is simple—be the player who goes for the most dough. But when trouble shows up at the auction, I need a whole new play. Enter Violet—she’s my best friend’s sister, and she’s my close friend, too. With a smile as sweet as cherry pie and a mind that runs quicker than the 40-yard dash, Violet saves the day with the highest bid. I don’t even give her a two-minute warning before I kiss her in front of the whole crowd and then announce that she’s my girlfriend.

Some fantasies are better left unsaid. Besides, I don’t need to act on my dirty dreams, not when my fiancé and I have the kind of after dark adventures others dream of—wild, daring and oh so frequent. I can’t risk losing him by voicing my deepest, dirtiest desire. But the hotter our role playing gets, the closer I come to telling him what I want most—him and his best friend at the same time.

Let's say there was this guy. And he gave you the most mind-blowing night of sex in your life. And you never saw him again. Until 10 years later. Now, it turns out he's the only one in all of Manhattan whose restaurant is available for my charity's event. The trouble is, he doesn't recognize me.

Lucas Xavier is the last person I want to spend 24 hours with, let alone two minutes. Exes are exes for a reason. In his case, for a million reasons. Because he's not only an ex-lover, he's also an ex-friend. We didn't just break up - we combusted in a spectacular bonfire of barbs and doors slammed. Nothing will change that. Not his clever wit, not his ridiculous good looks, not his unfair levels of charm. And definitely not a wild dash through the city that takes us on an accidental scavenger hunt through our past, where we stop for a tango lesson, pancakes and a visit with llamas.

Things that suck on my wedding day - walking in on my groom kissing another woman 20 minutes before the ceremony. Things that suck worse? The woman he’s kissing is my mom. I head straight for the bowling alley bar down the street and ask for a double. And in walks a deliciously charming local football hero - Harlan Taylor. Yes, I’ll take another drink in the form of a one-night stand with this hunk of a man. In the morning, he asks if I want to get together again. More rebound nookie? Yes please!

I was only trying to help a friend. I swear. I was legit asking for a friend who was finally ready to date again. So I did what any good friend would do. Posted it for her. It seemed like a good idea at the time - I’d weed through the candidates, and bring her my top picks. But then he responded. Is it wrong to date the guy I screened for my bestie? Not asking for a friend.

Ten years ago, I let the love of my life slip through my fingers. It’s my greatest regret, especially since she’s all but disappeared. When she walks back into my world unexpectedly, I have one mission - win her back. Whatever it takes. But the gorgeous, brilliant, tough-as-iron Shannon has secrets of her own, and a family past she’s trying to escape. Slowly but surely, I break down her walls over our sinful nights together, with a connection more passionate than ever, an intimacy more fiery than it was before.

Let me make a few things clear. I didn’t go to the wedding intending to dance with the best man, to dare him to show me a very sexy pic on his phone, or to accidentally kiss him in the hotel elevator after the reception ended. But things just happen at weddings. The next day, Crosby and I agree to put all those shenanigans behind us. The fun-loving, stupidly gorgeous, all-star baseball player might be my brother’s best friend, but he’s my good friend too and has been for years. I can't risk losing him, even though now I can't stop thinking about how I want him to be my first.

My former apprentice is the last person I want to work with. Ever. She still hates me since I fired her once upon a time. So when I’m forced to pair up with the wildly sexy brunette every day on the most important custom car build of my career, we spend our days firing snark and sarcasm at each other in the garage. Too bad watching her work automotive wonders with a wrench is doing something to me.

My buddies made me do it. I swear. I didn’t plan to bid big on a date with my baseball player best friend at the auction. But he looked really good in that tailored suit, and I can't resist a dare. The media jumps all over the story–the city’s new quarterback nabs a date with the bigshot star shortstop.

The first rule of directing is simple: Never fall for your leading lady. The second? Don’t let it get to you when she stage-kisses another man. Looks like I’ve already broken both. Now my jealous, possessive heart wants all of her - the ingenue who’s the star of my next show. I’m captivated by her raw talent, her addictive charm, and her desperate need for me. Soon we’re staying late in the empty theater, our private rehearsals spiraling into forbidden territory. Exactly where I can’t go.

In my defense, putting a fake ring on my best friend’s finger seems like a good idea at the time. My dad needs me to look like a committed guy to close a business deal, so what’s the harm in boasting to, well, everyone that I’m the marrying kind of man? Now, I just need my best friend to help me out and play my fiancée for the next week. Good thing Charlotte has her reasons for saying yes to my plan. Just as long as we agree to zero touching, and absolutely no feelings. I can do that no problem.

Let me list the reasons why dating the sexy, charming pro hockey star is a bad idea: He’s one of my closest friends. All our friends are friends. The wounds I’ve got from past relationships go deep. And so do his. We’re both devoutly single - it’s just safer for the heart that way. But there’s no reason not to bid on the gorgeous, clever athlete at the charity auction this weekend. If I win, it’ll be a "friendsdate".

April Hamilton wants you to know she hasn’t been on Craigslist since that time she sold her futon after college. She doesn’t even spend that much time online. And even if she did, she would not be looking up personal ads. But going home alone for her family's summer reunion is an invitation for every single relative to butt into her personal life. She simply can’t handle another blind date with the butcher, the baker, or the candlestick maker from her hometown. So when she finds the Craigslist ad for a boyfriend-for-hire, she’s ready to pay to play.

The second the test-the-sexy-scenes offer landed in my lap, I said yes. After all, I've been damn curious about a few things I've read in romance novels. Do buttons truly go flying across the floor when you rip off a guy's shirt? Is staircase nookie hella hot, or does it leave you with a big old bruise mark on your back? And don’t even get me started on all that panty shredding, and whether it even works. Time to find out as I embark on Project Sexy Scenes Research, at the request of my hotshot book editor bestie. All I need is a willing scene partner.