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.

If you're having fun living your bachelor life in your Alaskan hometown and out of nowhere a woman shows up holding a baby she insists is yours, you need a plan - a birth plan. BP Step #1 - Lift your jaw off the floor. BP Step #2 - Figure out the baby's age - do the math. BP Step #3 - Try to remember the woman and, with any luck, her name. BP Step #4 - Double check that she's not confusing you with your twin brother. BP Step #5 - Ignore your five sisters' scowls as your entire family watches the drama unfold.

When my best friends dragged me to a first responders bachelor auction, I expected drinks, laughs, and some much-needed girl time. I didn’t expect them to bid on a date—for me—with Mauro Bianco. The former quarterback was my high school crush back when I was invisible. The girl no one ever looked at twice. Now, Mauro’s a firefighter with a body that could stop traffic, and a smile that’s just as devastating as I remember. One date. That’s all I’m committed to. A few hours and I can tuck him back into that tattered old shoebox in my closet.

It’s the classic story— best friends since childhood agree to a fake marriage, thinking they can pretend to love each other without their relationship changing. Jude would do anything for me. He’s stood by my side since we were six, and I’ve done the same for him. When my father dies, leaving our family farm drowning in debt and on the brink of being auctioned, I’m not surprised Jude steps in to help. I just never dreamed he’d fall to bended knee and devise a plan for us to fool everyone into thinking there’s more than a lifelong friendship between us.

No one could have guessed a marriage could sprout from a one-night stand, but Holly Radcliffe and Austin Bailey's appear to be written in the stars. From the backseat of Austin's jeep to the altar they come. The town of Lake Starlight, along with the Baileys, is prepping for the event of the year, but as usual things never go smoothly with these nine siblings, and let's not forget Grandma Dori!

The second he stepped foot into my small town Alaskan inn, his gaze swept over my curvy figure with desire, igniting a flame I thought was dead. He flirted with me, and I might’ve left two chocolates on his pillow at turndown, but that’s where it stayed. Over the years, he’s floated in and out of town while a friendship developed between us. It’s probably for the best because I’m not a one-night stand kind of woman. Which is funny because when he propositions me to be his fake fiancée in order to end a family feud, it turns out I am the kind of woman.

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.

If you’re a guy like me, and you find yourself having banged your sexy new boss - the school principal - in the back of your Jeep one drunken night, here’s a few takeaways based on my experience. Lesson One: Always get her full name. Lesson Two: Consider asking what she does for a living. Lesson Three: Find out why she’s moved to town. Get details. Details are crucial....

I’ve been friends with Cooper Rice from the moment we met. He was just as famous a decade ago on our college campus as he is now being the star quarterback for the Chicago Grizzlies. But he’s not only talented on the field, he’s also the gorgeous football star women fawn over, posing in underwear and razor ads. Here’s a secret those women don’t know—Cooper Rice isn’t a playboy. He’s the kind of man who wants to settle down with a family. He’s content ordering pizza and massaging my feet after my long shift as an emergency room doctor. He listens to me.

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.

Turn-ons...Party girls. Platinum blondes. Zero expectations. I used to think that if you could combine all three into one female, you'd have the perfect woman. Then why the hell does Ava Pearson an outdoorsy girl, a brunette, and a woman who screams stability and responsibility seem to be the only woman on my mind lately? I've got enough obligations without adding any complications to the mix my son, my bar...well, that's about it. But that's enough for a guy like me.

Who knew sleeping with the enemy could be this much fun? In my defense, I had just moved back into my grandparent’s house. I’d lost my dream job, and a guy on Tinder had stood me up. It was like life had suddenly stamped ‘LOSER’ on my forehead. So, when the guy behind the bar started giving me the look....you know, the one....You don’t bother to figure out what your six degrees of separation are. You jump on that horse, and ride it! By the time I’d figured out who the bartender was, I was already falling for him.

In the middle of a crowded bar in our small Alaskan town, my estranged wife snuggles up to me as if we’re still a happy couple. Don’t get me wrong, we were a happy couple - before she walked out on me a year ago. We were the high school sweethearts everyone thought were destined to be together forever. We thought so, too, which is why we married shortly after graduation. We had a good marriage. Until she left me without any real explanation. Now, she’s back - and this is the real kicker - she has amnesia and thinks I’m still her husband.

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.

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.

Dating is hard. Dating in your 30s is even harder. Dating in Chicago is harder still. I haven't given up on finding my happily-ever-after, but in the age of swiping right and Netflix and chill, I'm wondering if everything is as temporary as my marriage turned out to be. Truth is, there is one guy I can't get my mind off of. Roarke Baldwin has salt and pepper hair I've dreamed of running my hands through, and I'm pretty sure that if I checked, he really does have a six-pack of abs underneath his suit.

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.

Cristian Bianco has two things against him - he's a police officer and he's a police officer in the 18th District…meaning my dad is his boss. Growing up as the Commander's daughter and having his magnifying glass focused on everything I did was more than I could handle.

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.

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.