Standalone Romance Bundle Set 2

Arwen Butler has no time for love, but when she joins a gym and hot firefighter Tyler becomes her personal trainer, she may have to rethink her priorities.

She needs money.

He needs a fake fiancé.

The perfect solution or the perfect mistake?

She’s a pop star. He’s her bodyguard.

Too bad she doesn’t want protecting.

When they’re forced together, sparks fly.

New to Park City, Lacey Porter isn’t looking for love, but when she comes face to face with hot firefighter Jake, she may change her mind.

Gabriella Peters has crushed on Travis Haywood since she was 15. When they run into each other ten years later, sparks fly.

Will a relationship built on lies destroy them, or keep them safe from those who would do them harm?

Melanie Hopkins has sworn off dating to focus on her job and her three-year-old daughter, but when a man from her past persists in pursuing her, will she take down the walls around her heart or stay lonely forever?

A billionaire who wants to grant his mother’s dying wish and the only woman who can make it happen.

“Who does he think he is?” Ashleigh Hopkins glared at the screen of her phone as she sat on her couch, the picture of Chase Matthews taunting her.

“Who are you talking about?” her sister Melanie asked as she walked into the living room. It was Ashleigh’s house, but her sister and four-year-old niece lived there with her.

Embarrassed that her sister had caught her noticing anything about Chase Matthews, Ashleigh felt her face heat. “No one.”

Melanie sprang forward and snatched the phone from Ashleigh’s hand. “You don’t get away with it that easily, Ash. I want to know who’s getting under your skin.” Melanie looked at the screen, her eyebrows shooting up, then her eyes shifted to Ashleigh.

Embarrassed for her sister to find out that she ever thought about Chase, Ashleigh let her emotions rule her voice. “Give that back to me.”

Tilting her head, Melanie asked, “Since when do you follow Chase Matthews on social media?”

Sighing heavily, but only because she couldn’t come up with a good excuse as to why she was looking at pictures of her ex-boyfriend, Ashleigh stood and held out her hand. “That’s none of your business.”

Melanie murmured, “Uh-huh,” but at least she gave the phone back.

Tucking the phone in her back pocket, Ashleigh asked, “Isn’t it time for you to go to work?”

Melanie chuckled. “Not yet.”

Just then, an adorable little girl came bounding in the room, flinging herself at Melanie. “Mommy!”

Melanie swung her up in a hug. “Hi, Avery.” 

Glad her sister was distracted, Ashleigh took the opportunity to go into the kitchen and take another peek at the picture Chase had posted. In it, he was dressed in a tuxedo and had not one, but two gorgeous women with him—one on each arm.

As she stared at the picture, she remembered when she had been the one on his arm. His one and only, he used to say. Well, that certainly wasn’t the case any longer. Sure, it had been six years since she’d last seen him—in person, that is. But it still hurt when she saw him with another girl.

“What are you doing?” Melanie said from right behind her.

Ashleigh let out a yelp as she jerked away from her annoying older sister and spun around to glare at her.

Melanie chuckled. “I thought you were over him.”

“I am over him. Totally over him.” She hoped she’d convinced Melanie, because someone needed to believe it.

“Right.”

“I am. Now, I do have to go to work, so if you’ll excuse me.”

“Of course.” Sweeping her hand out to the side, Melanie stepped back.

Frowning, Ashleigh walked past her, grabbed her purse from the kitchen counter, and walked out the front door.

On the way to the Emerald Falls Library where she worked as the librarian, Ashleigh struggled to push aside the image of Chase galavanting with those women. Of course, she didn’t know if he was actually galavanting. For all she knew, once the camera was turned off he’d sent them both on their way, that they meant nothing to him. 

Just like she meant nothing to him.

Shoving down the memory of their last conversation, when he’d shattered her heart and left Emerald Falls, she focused on driving.

She pulled into a parking space, tossed her purse over her shoulder, and climbed out of her car. As she unlocked the single glass door and walked inside the library, the absolute quiet immediately soothed her, and the familiar scent of rows and rows of lovely books sent a blanket of calm wrapping around her. She loved the library—always had. Ten years earlier, when she’d turned sixteen and had gotten her driver’s license, the first place she’d driven on her own was the library. Browsing aisle after aisle of books without worrying about having to call someone for a ride had been an unknown luxury up until that point. Now though, it had become routine.

She went to her desk, which was in the front of the library where patrons could easily find her to get help, and booted up her computer.

The glass door opened and a woman about the same age as Ashleigh walked in. Ashleigh smiled at her. “Hey, Taylor.”

Taylor strode over to Ashleigh’s desk and set down a stack of books with a frown. “Hey.”

“What’s wrong?” Wait. Did she really want to know? Inevitably it had to do with Taylor’s boyfriend, Seth.

“Seth—”

Ashleigh threw her hand up. “Let me stop you there.”

Taylor’s eyebrows shot up and her mouth fell open. “What?”

After seeing the pictures of Chase, she just wasn’t in the mood to hear about someone else’s boyfriend problems—not that there was a chance Chase would ever be her boyfriend again. Even hinting at that thought brought a rush of heat to her face.

“If you don’t want to know what’s wrong,” Taylor said with a frown, “then don’t ask.”

This was Taylor’s boyfriend they were talking about. Not Ashleigh’s ex. She sighed. “I’m sorry. What happened?”

Taylor grabbed a chair, dragged it over to Ashleigh’s desk, and plopped into it. “Well…”

Oh boy. This was going to take a while. Bracing herself, Ashleigh relaxed her shoulders and gave her full attention to Taylor.

“On Saturday Seth was supposed to take me dancing, but at the last minute he said his friend got tickets to the Sacramento Kings game. Well, you know Seth. He can’t pass up an opportunity to watch the NBA. So, he dropped me and our date like a bad habit.”

Ashleigh nodded. So typical. “See? This is exactly why I’m on a man-fast.”

Taylor burst out laughing. “A what?”

Was it really such a ridiculous idea? “A man-fast. You know, staying away from all men.”

“Oh. I can figure out what it means. I just don’t know why you would want to be on one.”

Really? Did she have to explain? “Every man I’ve dated has turned into a flake. We go out once or twice, and then poof, it’s like he was a figment of my imagination.”

Taylor shook her head. “You just haven’t found the right man yet.”

“You’re saying you have?”

“Well, I love Seth and he loves me. It’s just, sometimes, you know, he forgets that he wants to be with me every minute.”

Chuckling, Ashleigh shook her head. 

Taylor smirked. “I’ll get you on a date one way or another.”

Ashleigh rolled her eyes. “There’s a big stack of books that came in over the weekend that needs checking in.

“All right, all right.” Taylor stood. “We’re putting up the Christmas decorations today, aren’t we?”

With the distraction of seeing the picture of Chase, Ashleigh had completely forgotten about that. She adored Christmas and had been looking forward all weekend to decorating the library. She’d made herself wait until the beginning of December. Now, the wait was over. “That’s right.”

“Yay!”

Just what she needed to forget about Chase Matthews.

Chloe strummed the guitar in her hands, her eyes closed, her entire being focused on the notes that filled the space around her. In the cozy music room inside her ridiculously large house—more of a mansion, really—she could hear the song she was creating before her fingers ran across the strings of her favorite guitar. It was that magical moment when she could feel the song as she created it, knew it would be a hit. The melody surrounded her, filled her up. She was one with it, each individual note claiming a place in her soul. The lyrics she had already written fell into their perfect place as she felt herself soaring above it all.

Ding-dong!

The doorbell rang, followed by a resounding knock. Her eyes snapped open. She was yanked out of the flow.

Supremely annoyed, she frowned deeply. Getting into the flow was always a challenge, especially when she was composing original music. Interruptions were her worst enemy. She hit the pause button on the recording app on her phone. She always recorded her work when she was composing. That way, when she was working in the studio with her creative team, she would be able to remember exactly how she wanted a particular song to sound. And it was critical to get it right. Expectations for her next album were high. Not only what she expected from herself, but her fans and her record label were expecting great things as well. It had been nearly a year since she’d released her second album. That one had rocketed up the charts, propelling her to pop star status. Only trouble was, now she felt the pressure to exceed its success.

The doorbell rang again, followed by another strong knock.

Normally Beth, her assistant and best friend, would answer the door, but she was at a doctors appointment that morning. No one else was in the house, which was just how Chloe preferred it. The rest of her team—business manager, public relations person, creative team, and glam squad—stayed away unless absolutely necessary. Especially when she was working. Which had now abruptly come to an end, thanks to whomever was at her door.

Sighing audibly, Chloe set her guitar aside and marched to the front door. The thick, dark wood that separated her from the world was beautiful and imposing, but as she reached for the knob, she hesitated. What if it was a fan who had scaled her security gate? That hadn’t happened since moving to this mansion in the hills above Los Angeles, but it was a possibility. Then again, if it wasn’t for the fans, she wouldn’t be able to make a living—an extremely lucrative living—doing what she loved. Still, that didn’t mean she had to let them approach her at her home, her sanctuary. Then she thought about her manager, Scotty, who had been trying to convince her to beef up security Though she understood his concerns, she desperately wanted to keep her life as normal as possible. Being suddenly thrust into the spotlight had been a challenge, but she still clung to as much of her previous life as she could. Like being able to answer her front door without fear.

With a soft sigh, she tugged the door open.

A man who looked like he was in his late twenties stood on her porch. Over six feet tall, he wore dark gray slacks and a form-fitting, light blue dress shirt that did nothing to hide his muscular biceps and trim body. His black hair was short, as was his beard. His eyes—a startling blue with a hint of pale green—seemed to pierce her as they zoomed in on her face. And he was scowling. One of his eyebrows arched “You shouldn’t be answering your door.”

She recoiled at his audacity, her mouth falling open as she made a scoffing sound. What the heck? He’d interrupted her, and now he was telling her that she shouldn’t be answering her own door? Who did he think he was? And how did he get through the gate?

Beyond irritated, Chloe glared at him. She would show him what she thought of him and his idiotic remark. She shoved the door to close it, but it stopped a good six inches from the door frame. She pushed harder, but it didn’t budge. That’s when she noticed that his foot was wedged in the doorway. “What do you think you’re doing?” Her voice dripped with contempt.

He glanced down at his foot with a frown before meeting her gaze. “This is exactly why you shouldn’t be answering your door.”

Fury building, Chloe struggled to contain her rapidly rising temper. With gritted teeth, she said, “Move.” When he didn’t, she opened the door wider, then shoved him in the chest with all of her might, but it was like shoving a brick wall—hard and immovable. Kind of stunned—and becoming alarmed—she took a step back. What was she supposed to do now?

Maybe she could reason with him. “What do you want?”

“You’re Chloe Ross.” He said it matter-of-factly, like he recognized her but wasn’t the least bit impressed.

Was he a crazed fan? Was he going to do her harm? Her alarm began to morph into panic. Should she scream for help? But who would come? She was home all alone and her neighbors’ houses weren’t that close—if they were even around. Knowing how vulnerable she was didn’t frighten her. Instead, it made her livid. “Get off of my property before I call the police.”

At her words, a broad smile curved his lips. That smile completely transformed his face.

Taken aback not only by his lack of concern over her threat, but also by how incredibly good-looking he was, Chloe found herself speechless. Not something that happened often.

“Let’s start over,” the man said as he stuck out his hand. “I’m Jake Mitchell, your bodyguard.”

Bodyguard? What bodyguard? Chloe knew nothing about a bodyguard. Then she noticed that he’d taken his foot out of the door. Not wasting a moment, she slammed the door in his face and turned the deadbolt.

* * *

Jake stood on the porch staring at the huge wooden door, his hand still outstretched. Then he laughed. He couldn’t help himself. This hadn’t gone anything like he’d pictured. Of course, he was totally new at this bodyguard thing so he had no basis for comparison. Still, he hadn’t expected to be greeted by such a petite spitfire. 

He dropped his arm to his side as his laughter died down. He pictured the range of emotions that had skidded across Chloe’s face—annoyance, disbelief, and then fear. That last one hit him hardest. What if he’d been some psycho-stalker come to harm her? She would have been easy prey.

That’s why you’re here, he reminded himself. To protect her. To keep her safe. 

Only one problem—she obviously had no idea that a bodyguard would be coming. Who had hired his employer, Titan Security? Her manager? Her record label? Why hadn’t they clued her in?

Then it hit him. Whoever it was had wanted to spring it on her because she’d been resistant. So typical of a pop star who thought the world revolved around her but had zero clue to the actual dangers that surrounded her.

Shaking his head as he sighed, Jake stepped off of the porch and strode to his Jeep, climbing behind the wheel and making himself comfortable. He was at the job he’d been assigned to and he wasn’t about to leave. Now it was up to her people to get her on board.

“It’s okay, Sadie,” Gabriella Peters murmured to her gray tabby as she carried her into Emerald Falls Veterinary on a mid-August morning. “We just need to get your shots up-to-date.”

Sadie mewled in protest, but Gabby tucked her against her chest as she stepped up to the counter in the empty waiting room. “I don’t have an appointment,” she said to the woman behind the counter as she tried to hide an embarrassed smile. “But I just moved to town and thought I’d take the chance that the doctor would have time to see Sadie.”

The woman checked her computer screen, then turned to Gabby with a smile. “Looks like today is your lucky day. The doctor can see Sadie in about fifteen minutes.”

Smiling with relief, Gabby said, “That’s great. Thank you.”

The woman placed her fingers on the keyboard. “Let me get some information from you.” She gave the woman her contact information, then the woman asked, “What brings you to Emerald Falls?”

Holding a squirming Sadie in her arms, Gabby thought about the passing of her Aunt Mary, whose cottage she’d inherited, then considered her answer. Had it been serendipity that she’d been given the opportunity to move to Emerald Falls—the place where she’d spent many happy summers in her teenage years—right when she needed a change of scenery? She liked to think so, although she already missed Aunt Mary and her sage advice.

She decided to keep her answer simple. “I’m going to be teaching second grade at Emerald Falls Elementary school when school starts in a couple of weeks.”

“Oh,” the woman said with a smile. “My grandson will be in second grade there this year. Maybe he’ll be in your class.”

Happy to feel a connection to the community, however small, Gabby’s face lit up. “Really? What’s his name?”

“Samuel Richards, but he goes by Sam.” The woman paused. “I’m Emily Richards, by the way.”

“So nice to meet you, Emily.” The woman’s name didn’t ring a bell from the summers Gabby had spent there. Then again, it had been ten years since her last full summer there. Plus, she had only been fifteen back then and not exactly paying attention to the adults of Emerald Falls.

“Well,” Emily said with a warm smile, “if you’ll have a seat, the doctor will be with you shortly.”

With a nod, Gabby turned away, then sat in one of the chairs and placed Sadie in her lap. Stroking Sadie’s soft fur, Gabby thought about the move to her aunt’s cottage—the place that held so many good memories. Her aunt had been there for her when her parents had gone through a nasty divorce when Gabby was a pre-teen, and for the four summers afterward, Aunt Mary had cared for Gabby while her parents had worked.

The summer Gabby turned fifteen had been her last summer in Emerald Falls. After that, she’d gotten a job in her hometown and hadn’t been able to come for extended visits and she’d lost touch with her Emerald Falls friends. Not much for social media, Gabby had no idea which of those old friends were still in town and which ones had moved away.

Now, as she struggled to picture the faces of the girls she’d hung out with during her summers in Emerald Falls, another face popped into her mind. A face that made Gabby’s heart do a little flip. She had no trouble remembering that particular face.

Travis Haywood. The boy she’d crushed on from afar. The boy she had been too shy to even speak to. The boy who had gone off to college before she’d been able to gather the courage to let him know she was alive.

Gabby remembered the summer she’d first seen Travis Haywood. She had been fifteen and had just arrived for the summer. He had been eighteen and had just graduated from high school. His family had moved to Emerald Falls late the previous year, and by the time Gabby had shown up, he’d already established himself as the boy all the girls were crazy about. 

With no desire to compete for his attention—not to mention her complete lack of flirting skills—Gabby had developed a king-sized crush on him from a distance. A crush that had not been reciprocated. How could it have been when Travis hadn’t even known Gabby existed?

Why had she been so shy? Why was she still so shy?

Frustrated with her lack of confidence, Gabby consoled herself by remembering the painful lesson she’d recently learned that taking chances didn’t always pay off.

Face heating with fresh humiliation, she tried to push the unfortunate incident out of her mind.

Sadie nipped at Gabby’s finger, yanking her out of her memories, and she realized she was holding her cat a little too tight.

“Sorry, kitty,” she whispered as she loosened her grip.

“You must be Gabriella Peters,” a male voice said.

Gabby lifted her gaze from her cat to meet the deep-blue eyes of the man who stood in front of her. When recognition flooded her a split second later, her eyes widened and her throat closed up.

The man held out his hand. “I’m Dr. Travis Haywood.”

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