Showing results by author "Noelle Adams" in All Categories

You get to the point where you can just say it. There was never anything special about me, except my father is rich and important. That's why it happened. It was just a normal Tuesday afternoon. I was twenty-three and thinking about my new designer boots. They kidnapped me for ransom. They raped me before I was rescued. My therapist says that talking about it means I'm starting to heal. I don't really think I am. It's even harder to talk about Gideon. He couldn’t save me when it really mattered, so he keeps trying to save me now. 

The story of my life isn’t pretty. I come from the wrong side of the tracks. I’ve been a criminal. I’ve been homeless. I almost killed my father, and I might be responsible for the death of my best friend. I should not be wanting Evangeline. Her life story is the stuff of dreams. She’s America’s sweetheart - beautiful, talented, and famous - and she doesn’t want anything to do with me. I’ll protect her from a stalker since it’s my job, but that’s all I’m allowed. I’m all wrong for her, and she’s completely off-limits. But I’ve never been good about following the rules.

Twelve years ago, I gave up the love of my life because my family made the relationship impossible. Now that Ali has come back to me, I’m not going to give her up again. It’s been years since I’ve seen her, and I know she’s hated me all this time. I never expected to see her working as an event planner for one of my father’s business partners. But here she is, always snooping around and getting into trouble. I’m supposed to be providing security, but I can’t stop thinking about her.

I like women, and I like adventure. I always have. The last thing I want to do is settle down with the girl next door and live a boring, domestic life. So I have no idea what I’m doing here, posing as a first-grade teacher. It’s the most ridiculous undercover security job I’ve ever had to work. Corralling a bunch of six-year-olds while I try to do my job and keep anyone from knowing how clueless I really am. I manage to fool everyone. Except Kristin. She’s an actual teacher, and she’s determined to find out what I’m really doing here.

Daisy has always been a good girl. She’s never done anything wild or spontaneous until she has a little too much to drink at a wedding and has a fling with a sexy stranger. She thought they were careful, but accidents happen. And now she’s going to have the baby of a man she barely knows. Carter is her opposite in every way and completely the wrong man for her. They can still work out a reasonable arrangement regarding the baby. But the more time she spends with him, the less reasonable she feels.

The only woman I want is the one I can never have. Harper. My best friend’s sister. I’ve wanted her since I was eighteen, but she’s always been off-limits. Now I’m home after years in the Marines, and nothing has changed - except everything has. Her brother is dead, and she’s on a hopeless quest for answers about his death. And I want her just as much as ever. Someone is trying to kill her now, and she won’t let me keep her safe. 

Forget all those other best-friend romances you might have heard. Jace and Isabella have only known each other...since kindergarten. And he hasn’t been secretly in love with her...for more than six or seven years. She doesn’t make him bristle with jealousy when she goes out with other guys...that he’ll admit to. And she doesn’t get all flustered and confused when she starts to find him incredibly sexy...too often. But they definitely don’t transform their friendship into romance...right away.

Forget all those other roommate romances you might have listened to. Heather and Chris don’t hate each other...very much. And they don’t have sex all the time...at least not at first. Chris doesn’t go around shirtless, flexing his muscles and driving Heather wild...too often. And he doesn’t get jealous and possessive every time she goes out with another man...well, maybe occasionally. But they definitely don’t fall in love...right away.

On a Wednesday afternoon, I ask Damian Winters to marry me. To be clear, it's not a proposal. It's a business transaction. I have a sticky family situation, and the simplest way to deal with it is to pay him to be my husband for six months. Damian used to work as an escort so he knows how to keep things professional. We don't have to be friends. We don't even have to get along. I need someone to fill a husband role, and he'll do just fine.

The last thing I want is to take a temp job as assistant to the grumpiest VP at Milford College. But my mom broke her leg, so I need to live in Milford for a while to help her. Plus, I could use some extra money for graduate school, and this is the only job available. I’ll just have to put up with Liam for a couple of months. I can deal with his grouchy manner and his workaholic habits and his irresistible eyes. The real problems start when I begin to want him as a lot more than just my boss.

Ever since her former roommates deserted her, Meg has had to share an apartment. He won’t pick up after himself, and he refuses to get a good job. Plus, he doesn’t always wear enough clothes—which is really a problem, because he’s hot. Maybe he’s occasionally funny. And every now and then he can be sweet. But mostly he’s just annoying. It doesn’t matter how much he’s starting to flirt with her—Meg is going to resist. She’s way too smart to fall for a guy who never takes anything seriously.

On a Wednesday afternoon, I ask Trevor Bentley to marry me. He might be the most arrogant, obnoxious man I know, but I need him to be my husband for a year. There are reasons. He's not going to be a real husband. Just part-time. Yes, I have to live with him. And, okay, I also have to share his bed. And, sure, he's the sexiest and most exciting thing to ever happen to my controlled, organized life. But still... It's only a part-time marriage. I'm not going to give him my heart. I know what I'm doing, and I'm too smart to fall for my husband. I hope.

Raney wants to enjoy being a bridesmaid at her friend’s wedding, but the best man, Justin Woodward, keeps putting a damper on her mood. He’s brilliant and kind of geeky—not at all the kind of guy she’s used to—but she’s always been nice to him, so she can’t figure out why he acts so cool and obnoxious with her. It shouldn’t matter what he feels about her, but she can’t stop thinking about him. So her mission for the weekend is to get Justin to like her. Her attempts don’t seem to work at all. But then everything changes in only one night.

As the daughter of a Hollywood mogul, introverted Claire Kenyon is used to being forced into the limelight, no matter how she tries to live a quiet life. When her father receives a threat aimed at her, he surrounds her with security—including sexy Michael Lyle, who offers her very close protection. Michael has always been professional and unemotional with Claire, so she isn't prepared for the depths he's been hiding. But he's her bodyguard, and there are lines he will never cross. The more irresistible she finds him, the more he plans to resist. But then everything changes in only one night.

Anne has worked for her sexy, ex-surfer, businessman boss for seven years, and she’s been in love with him for two. Jake doesn’t think about her as anything but his ever-efficient assistant, though. She’s been trying to get over her feelings by dating other men and interviewing for other jobs—which doesn’t make Jake very happy. But Anne is determined not to put her life on hold for him.

In high school, I was in love with Hunter Ness, but he friend-zoned me. Time passed. I grew up. He went to prison. And now he's going to be my husband for a year. There are reasons. He's not going to be a real husband. Just a practice husband so he can have a job and a place to live and I can finally experience parts of life I've only read about before. We're just friends, and I'm helping him out. But still... He's way too sexy, and he knows me far too well.

On a Wednesday afternoon, Owen Masterson asks me to marry him. I've never met the man before. All I wanted was a job repackaging his image. He needs to ramp up his cool-factor to attract partnerships with better designers for his family's department store. But he wants me to be his temporary trophy wife instead.

The last thing I want is to share my beautiful office with an uptight, unfriendly new English professor. I don't care if he's incredibly hot. He's still the worst office mate in the world. We're stuck together for a year, and that might be too long for me to resist discovering what's hiding beneath his buttoned-up appearance.

Just before her eighteenth birthday, the doctors tell Emily she has three months to live. Not much time to complete the bucket list she's had since she was twelve. The first item is the hardest—"Get married"—so she turns to the only man she knows who can help. Paul, a barely reformed bad boy, has inherited a fortune from his mother, but his life is defined by his conflicted relationship with his father—a white-collar, organized-crime boss who, thanks to Paul, is being brought up on federal charges. Without Emily's testimony, his father might walk, so Paul agrees to her unconventional proposal.

The last thing I want for Christmas is a brand new case of smoking hot attraction for my best friend, Jeremy. I don't think about him that way. I never have. And I can't risk ruining the best relationship in my life because I can't seem to keep my hands off him lately. I need to focus on safer things, like my secret admirer who keeps sending me romantic Secret Santa presents. Jeremy has always been a grump about Christmas, but someone is clearly into me. I'll have to try to think about him instead.