Arrogant.
Demanding.
Manipulative.
I swear he planned it, showing up at the bar, knocking me off my game. And then the bet… there's no going back.
Imagine my surprise when I find out he has a son.
Mr. Grump is a single father. Boy, do I feel bad for the kid.
This steamy romantic comedy is an enemies-to-lovers romance. It is a standalone, with no cheating, no cliffhanger, and a happily ever after ending.
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And I’m thrilled to offer a sneak peek of Expose: Jaxson, a spicy slow-burn romance series with a happily ever after.
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Ariella
I ran for my life, and it was allhisfault. Secrets had brought me over a thousand miles from home. I fled with only one thought in mind: a second chance. Starting over was my only option for survival.
I squinted through my sunglasses, shucking them to the empty passenger seat, finding it difficult to see. My vision adjusted, but the night was setting in fast as daylight fell over the horizon.
I struggled to see the narrow, snow-covered road ahead.
The streets at the bottom of the mountain had been freshly plowed and salted. The headlights on my five-speed were angled at odd intervals, casting shadows over the road covered in potholes beneath the slush.
The car jolted and bounced with my foot on the gas, splashing my scalding, stale coffee from the cup holder.
My eyes burned and welled.
“Shit!”
Tears threatened the surface, but I wouldn’t cry. It wasn’t the sting of blistering liquid that hurt. I’d done this to myself. I blamed him, but it was as much my fault.
Secrets surrounded my past. Benjamin Ryan had been part of those secrets, but there was more than even he knew. There were secrets I could never tell him, even as he was whisked away in handcuffs.
I packed my car with my possessions and hurried out of the state of New York. Of course, not before finding a small log cabin in the woods that I could afford in cash, sight unseen.
I also lined up a job interview at a nearby resort, but there was no guarantee of landing a position right away. My last one had ruined my life, and I couldn’t even put it on my resume.
I’d have to be frugal with the few dollars left to my name, which consisted of a few ones in my wallet.
Was I bitter?
Sure as shit, but I moved on, started over, and prayed for a second chance. A fresh start is what I did, what I craved, and the only way to get that was to move.
I went back to using my maiden name: Ariella Cole. I wasn’t in hiding per se. After all, I had done nothing wrong or criminal.
I couldn’t say the same for him.
I didn’t want to get mixed up in his illegal affairs.