He keeps everyone at a distance, but when it comes to her, he can't get close enough.
Damiano
As enforcer for the Galliano crime family, my only job is to keep our boss safe. So I should have crawled away from the stunning blonde who found me bleeding out in the park. And when I realized how truly awful she was at stitching me up, I should have run. But once she stroked my head just right, I wasn’t going anywhere.
Then again, she thinks I'm in a coma. She has no clue that I hear every whispered secret and feel every warm caress. That sponge bath? I was wide awake and should thank her for how she handled the situation that.. arose.
This girl has no clue what she's doing half the time, but I'm all in.
Paige
I have a dead-end job, my love life sucks, and Chicago's way too cold for a California girl. At least the mauled rabbit I rescued last month is doing great—I will pass the wildlife rehabilitator license exam this next time, I'm sure of it. So, when I stumble upon an injured man refusing to go to the hospital, of course I help him too. Not because he's perfectly sculpted from Italy's finest marble, but because he needs me. And since online videos taught me how to patch up my rabbit, I've totally got this.
That is, until Damiano's enemies track him down at my place, and he drags me into his dark world of violence, death, and destruction. No thanks, I'm out.
He's injured and she's in danger. Who's going to rescue who?
* fake coma * mafia * praise kink * unhinged cinnamon roll * morally grey * bantery banter * chaotic fake nurse *
He waited four years to make his move. He's not waiting one more song.
Brian
Fifty-three missions with the SEALs, and not one of them took as much self-control as staying away from my little sister's best friend. Four long years of watching Gina cheer from the stands with my Bulls season ticket I couldn't actually afford. Four long years of Gina being bratty with everyone else but hiding from me. Four long years of waiting for Paige to find another anchor here in Chicago, so I wasn’t risking her happiness.
And now Paige has Damiano. My wait is over.
Except my girl quit cheering to dance at a mafia-run strip club—and didn't want me to know.
She’s about to learn exactly how much of a problem I have with her dancing when my eyes aren't on her.
Private dances run two grand a pop. So I sold my truck. I'll mortgage my house next.
Gina
Highlights of my first week dancing at the Cat's Meow? Five grand, an awesome group of girls, and no more synchronized kicks to somebody else's playlist. My routines. My music. Every eye in the room on me.
Worst part? My best friend’s Navy SEAL older brother finding out I’m stripping.
Up on that stage I'm a tiger. Bold, fierce, in control. But when Brian calls me “kitten,” I want to curl into a ball and hide from him. He’s so good, so perfect. Mr. All-American. But I’m… Not enough. So I run from him. Three times. And he’s counting.
She loves having every eye in the room on her. Except his.
* former Navy SEAL * mafia strip club dancer * he’s been watching her for years * troublemaker heroine *
He’ll do anything for the Famiglia, but will he risk it all to protect her?
Rob
My father was hauled off to prison for a triple murder he didn’t commit. Now it’s on me to secure his freedom at any cost.
Only one person could have tampered with the evidence to this degree and, he has a daughter in college who’s the perfect leverage to force him to come clean. Except that he doesn’t. Not at all.
In fact, it’s beginning to seem like the only one trying to protect Tessa is me.
Tessa
Until recently, the most stressful things in my life were my upcoming midterms and trying to convince my boyfriend that ‘good girls’ absolutely do not have to wait until they’re married. But now, I’m being held hostage by the son of a notorious crime boss who’s using me to blackmail my dad.
And if Rob thinks I’ll be a good little hostage and behave, he’s got another thing coming to him. Then again, if he keeps walking around without his shirt on, I might be willing to do anything he says.
He can save his dad or he can protect the girl, but he can’t do both.
* forced proximity * slow burn * mafia heir & police chief’s daughter * playful alphahole * banter *
Forget the candles—he’s ready to blow out her innocence instead
Johnny
My uncle claims the gorgeous prostitute he dropped off as my month-long birthday present is being paid extra to act like a virgin, but no way this girl’s as experienced as they’re both saying. Not that I mind. Nope. Not one bit.
After spending my days trying to dismantle the Galliano Famiglia’s empire, then walking in the door to her homecooked meals for dinner and her arms and legs wrapped around me for dessert, I’m left with only one question: when this month is up, how do I get her to stay?
Lyndie
My family sent me to live in Rome when I was nine to protect me from Chicago’s mafia violence. I miss them so much! So when my security guard agreed to help me sneak back to Chicago, of course I hopped on that plane!
Only, it was a set up. Now I have to play along with Joey Bags’ awful plan so that he’ll send me back to Rome with no one else even knowing I was here. I will do whatever it takes to get on that plane.
Is she the perfect present or a ticking timebomb?
* rival’s little sister * secret identity * forbidden love * forced proximity * dubcon * childhood crush *
Only one thing can disarm Chicago's deadliest man—the way she says his name.
Massimo
As the Bagliateri Famiglia's enforcer, I'm the deadliest man in Chicago. I never miss, never hesitate, never lose control. Unless my boss’s daughter is nearby. One glimpse of her and my tongue freezes, I trip over my own feet, my hands drop whatever I’m holding. Including my loaded Glock.
For three long years, I've kept my distance from Carly, surrounded myself with women nothing like her. I let her believe I hate her. And if a few of her belongings have found their way into my apartment over the years… they're mine now. They're the closest I'll ever get to having her in my bedroom.
That is, until I'm ordered to babysit her for the weekend.
Joey Bags thinks this is a punishment and that I'll hand her back Monday morning. Instead, I'll start a war.
Carly
The one thing I asked for in exchange for agreeing to marry a man twenty years older than me was to finish my physics degree. Now my fiancé thinks he can make me drop out.
We’ll see about that.
* forbidden romance * OTT * he can’t function around her * STEM heroine * one bed (but it’s a couch) * foot stuff *
Two adrenaline junkies. One mountain. And the margarita that wasn’t supposed to be foreplay.
Reagan Owens wants only one thing from Olympic halfpipe medalist Luke Branson: ski advice.
Luke wants something else entirely: the gorgeous influencer off his mountain before she ruins it. But maybe she should leave in the morning…
Too bad for him, Reagan isn’t just another snow bunny looking to hop into his van.
Now she’s landing his tricks.
Winning over his friends.
Taking over his bar.
Then Luke proves he’s an absolute idiot by hijacking the spotlight that was supposed to be hers.
If he thought winning Olympic gold was hard, just wait until he tries to win Reagan back.
He falls first ❤️ Cocky Olympic hero 🎿
Snow bunny trope—flipped 🐰Rivalry as foreplay 🔥
One very bad margarita idea 🍍She steals the win 🏆
Hero screws up spectacularly 😬
