Showing results by author "Piper Rayne" in All Categories

I’ve known him since we were six, long before he became the professional soccer star he is now. We’ve weaved in and out of one another’s lives as rivals, teammates, friends, and lovers. Until three years ago, when my life took a hit, and I ran back to my small Alaskan town, Lake Starlight, away from anything or anyone that could hurt me.

The Kingsmen’s top tight end. My brother’s friend and teammate. My new neighbor. The grumpy to my sunshine. But underneath that grumpy exterior, there’s so much more.

Lee f’ing Burrows. The Kingsmen’s star quarterback. Legendary throwing arm. Six-pack abs. Kissable lips. Oh, but don’t forget, he’s also a lying, heartless egomaniac who broke my heart in college.

He’s the arrogant Manhattan realtor with billboards advertising his six-pack more than his expertise in negotiations. I’m the competing broker who stupidly moved across the hall from his office. From day one, I’ve been his sworn enemy. Okay, so I might have accidentally stolen one of his clients. Well, is it stealing if the client comes to me? Even our vicious banter and loathing gazes can’t hide the chemistry between us. Who can blame me? He has enough charisma to make every hot-blooded woman in the city melt with a single word.

The Kingsmen’s best wide receiver. Rich AF. Hot as hell. A stallion in the sack. How do I know that last fact? I may have shared a one-night stand with him six months ago when I was rebounding from a broken heart.

Lucky. The one adjective used to describe my entire hockey career. I prefer to call it hard work - at least I did until my game went to complete crap. I haven’t scored in eight games, and the team owner is talking about trading me. I’ve never believed in superstitions. Never needed one. I suppose I was “lucky” in that way. But now the best way to refer to me is desperate. I’d wear the same socks for an entire year just to be the high-scoring center I used to be. Imagine my surprise when after spending New Year’s Eve with a woman, I score a hat trick in the next game.

This small-town romance series set in the fictional town of Lake Starlight, Alaska, follows the lives of nine orphaned Bailey siblings as they tumble into love. But between the anonymous town gossip blog and their matchmaker grandma, finding their happy-ever-after isn’t always a smooth or straight path. Included are: Lessons from a One-Night Stand, Advice from a Jilted Bride, Birth of a Baby Daddy, and Operation Bailey Wedding.

Being the heir to Jacobs Enterprises, I’ve been around fake people my entire life. I promised myself a long time ago that I wouldn’t change for anyone. Which is the only reason I’m a professional hockey player who lives on the beach and does as he pleases without answering to anyone - except my father.

Let’s say you’re an independent, self-sufficient woman who runs the family company and you find yourself falling for your little brother’s best friend. Now, more than ever, you need to count all the reasons why you need to abandon falling.

Imagine lying in a hospital bed and the doctor who pulls the curtain back to treat you is the one who got away. Even if you never really had her in the first place. She’s not only your high school crush, she’s the ex-girlfriend of your ex-best friend. The one girl you’ve always wanted. Here’s a step-by-step list to finally win her over.... Just remember, you sat back and let her slip away once, you won’t do it a second time. Failure is not an option.

It was never my plan to wake up in a Vegas hotel room as Dominic Mancini’s wife. The man has brought me nothing but heartache since I was 16. At least we agree on one thing - a quickie annulment and we can both get on with our lives. I can go back to teaching little girls to dance, and he can go back to making millions in Wall Street. But sometimes, what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas.

One word that comes to mind when someone talks about me. I like to think of it as protection, watching out for the ones I love. But now I’m spending more time in the penalty box than on the ice and the team owner isn’t happy. Finding myself across the room from the hot therapist I kissed on New Year’s Eve only makes me push my problems down further. I want couch time with her but not the kind she’s used to.

Cameron Baker and I have a few things in common. The first being that we were both born and raised in our small Alaskan town. Second, is that we hide our feelings and keep our hearts closed off from anyone who could break them. But hiding my feelings is harder to do with Cam than most. When I was five years old, grieving the loss of my mother, he showed me how big his heart is, and I’ve never forgotten. He comes from the richest family in town. Cam’s bad boy gorgeous, flirts like he has a doctorate in charm, and he’s my brother’s best friend. 

My mom always said you don’t get a second shot at making a first impression. I’ve remembered that my entire career. Especially since I’m one of the few Black men who play professional hockey. I’m calculated and respectful in the way I speak to my coaches, the owners, and the media. I’ve never taken a risk...until her.

Who’s the mystery woman who's just walked into my brewery? I’m not the only one from my Alaskan small town asking themselves that question. But I’m positive that I’m the only one in Sunrise Bay undressing the pretty blonde in my head. Everything about her, from her make-up to her high heels, says she’s a fish out of water. Whispers and speculations run rampant until the secret of who she is gets uncovered. Then the rumor mill goes into overdrive when she announces she’s staying to open a bookstore in the building next to mine.

You learn quick, when you become a professional hockey player, to be guarded with the media. I’ve worked hard to cover up the mistakes of my youth. But when I’m traded to the Florida Fury, where my ex-best friend is the starting right wing, I’m forced to confront my past. Ford and I have history, especially when it comes to his little sister, Imogen. My heart still lurches in my chest when I see her. My hands want to reach out, and my mouth wants to keep apologizing. She’s the only woman who ever made me want more - and the one who fell victim to my most regrettable decision.

I broke the cardinal rule and slept with my sister’s best friend. Granted, I’d just found out that I was now a single father to a three-year-old little girl and was low on willpower. It should also be noted that there’s been sexual tension between us for years. There’s no way it would be a surprise if anyone in our small town found out. That is if we were telling people, which we’re not.

Waking up next to a stranger wearing a wedding ring was not on the itinerary. I came to Las Vegas for a quick girls' trip but somehow ended up a married woman. Of course, my new husband - MMA champion fighter Logan Stone - couldn’t find me alone at my house to tell me he wants to give our impromptu nuptials a shot. He has to tell me in front of my entire family and half the town. The two of us couldn’t be more opposite, but he offers me a deal I can’t refuse.

The last thing any professional hockey player wants is to be the old man in the game. The guy who doesn’t know when it’s time to retire. Still, I can’t bear the thought of leaving the game. This past year I’ve reflected on all my regrets, and I told myself that once I retire it’ll be the time to find the right woman. But this is where it gets tricky. I think I’ve found her—although she’ll deny our connection to anyone who asks. We’ve been sleeping together casually, and since I’m still playing hockey, I’ve let her get what she wants—me—whenever she wants. 

It's time. Time to get a life. Time to start over. Time to move beyond the past. The guys in the single dads club would tell you it was time years ago, but until recently, the risk of hurting my little girl outweighed the benefit of getting a piece of ass. Now that I have a tween daughter on my hands? It's becoming more apparent with every poster hung on the wall, every fight over wearing make-up and every uncomfortable conversation about puberty, that at least one of us needs a female touch in our lives. Jesus.