Stories by @austin03

Powerless

Two childhood friends. Two broken hearts. One impromptu road trip to get away from everything. That’s all this was supposed to be. Afterall, I’ve been living in the friend zone for years now. But hockey heartthrob Jasper Gervais isn’t looking at me like a friend anymore. And he isn’t touching me like one either. To his fans, he’s the handsome, talented athlete on TV. But to me he’s still the lost boy with sad eyes and a heart of gold. The man I’ve loved in secret for years. So when my life falls apart on my wedding day, it only makes sense that he’s the one to swoop in and save me. And when his world comes crashing down around him, I’m there to return the favor. But the more time we spend alone, the more Jasper doesn’t feel like a friend at all. He feels like everything I’ve ever wanted and thought I could never have. Our feelings aren’t straight forward though. They twist and turn around the pain of his past and the reality of my present. Jasper Gervais acts like he wants me. But after years of turning me away, he’s going to need to prove it.

Heartless

Working as a nanny for the world's grumpiest single dad should be simple...except she can't keep her eyes off him. And he can't keep his hands off her. Cade Eaton is thirteen years older than Willa Grant, and he barely looks her way, even though she's living in his house for the summer. That is, until she gets him into the hot tub one night for a game of truth or dare. Then, all bets are off--and so are their clothes. Cade is gruff, a little rough around the edges, but broad-shouldered ranchers with calloused hands and filthy mouths are this city girl's kryptonite. So who is she to resist? But it's in their quietest moments together that he softens. It's in the unexpected way he takes care of Willa that she realizes his hardened exterior is just a façade. And it's when she watches him go all sweet with his little boy that she starts to fall for him, whatever the consequences. Someone once convinced Cade that his best wasn't good enough. But Willa has never felt more cherished than she does in his arms. Her contract says this arrangement is only for two months. But her heart says this is forever.

Flawless

The rules were simple: keep his hands off his agent's daughter and stay out of trouble. But now he's stuck with her. There's only one bed. And well, rules are made to be broken. Rhett Eaton is the face of professional bull riding. The golden boy. Or at least he was until it all blew up in his face after a public brawl. Now his agent says he has to clean up his image, and sticks Rhett with his ball-busting daughter for the rest of the season as "full-time supervision." But Rhett doesn't need a goddamn babysitter--especially one with skin-tight jeans, a sexy smirk, and a mouth she can't stop running. A mouth he can't stop thinking about. And he quickly learns that Summer Hamilton isn't just another conquest. She sees the man behind the mask, and she doesn't run--she pulls him closer, even when she shouldn't. She says this means nothing. Rhett says this means everything. She says there are boundaries they shouldn't cross. That Rhett's reputation can't take any more hits...and neither can her damaged heart. Rhett says he's going to steal it anyway.

A False Start

I kissed my best friend’s little sister, and the world stood still. That night we were two perfect strangers, the town’s grumpy recluse and a gorgeous girl in the back of a bar. Until we weren’t. Because Nadia Dalca isn’t just some girl. She’s the girl I can’t have. Fourteen years younger than me and completely off-limits. My plan is to stay away, but the universe keeps pushing us together. It’s like some sort of cosmic joke, to give me a taste of something so electric—so real—something that breathed life back into me. Because I can look, but I can’t touch. Her sinful curves, her light-hearted laughter, her wild side . . . I’m addicted to every last bit of her. And when she turns those sultry eyes on me––the ones so full of longing and so free of judgement? I’ve always considered myself a strong man. But when she looks at me I’m weak. To give in to our connection would be a betrayal. My life is beyond complicated, and she has the world at her fingertips. Her brother is the only family she has left, and sad as it sounds, he’s also my only friend. But I kissed her again anyway. And now I can’t stop.

The Front Runner

Stefan Dalca is beautiful, brooding, and bossy. He’s also public enemy number one in this small town, with a murky past that’s hard to overlook. And I just agreed to three fake dates with him. I may be a renowned veterinarian, but when I find myself in a sticky situation, Stefan is my last hope. I need his help to save a sick foal and what he wants in return is me. Our time together starts out as a simple transaction, but the more time I spend with him, the more I wonder if he’s not quite the villain they’ve made him out to be. With every intimate conversation and lingering look, the tension between us builds. I’ve been drawn to Stefan since the first day I laid eyes on him. And now he’s downright irresistible. I know sleeping with the enemy is playing with fire. But like a moth to a flame, I’m attracted to the mysterious man in a way I can’t explain—in a way those closest to me wouldn’t approve of or understand. And the more he softens for me, the harder I fall. But as his mysteries unravel, so do hidden truths. Truths that are bound to leave someone burned. I just didn’t expect that someone to be me.

A Photo Finish

I’ve seen every square inch of Violet Eaton’s delectable body and she has no idea who I am. Until now. What happened between us online, in our chats, was meant to stay anonymous and in the past. Until it didn’t. It’s a small world, but Ruby Creek is even smaller. When I move to the tiny town, the grumpy facade I’ve created slips when we’re forced to live under the same roof. Every flush of her cheeks, every time her eyes flare with heat, every time she begs me not to stop, the ice I’ve encased myself in melts. She has me wanting things I can’t want. Things I’ve been dreaming about since I first laid eyes on her two years ago—things I don’t deserve. But my invisible wounds have the power to ruin us both. As a former soldier, I should have the discipline to walk away, but the more I open up to Violet, the more I want to keep her. I came back from the war a different man, but my scars are older and deeper than anyone knows—and I planned to keep it that way. I planned to keep my secrets hidden. Until her.

Out of the Gate

Dermot Harding is ten years older than me. A family friend. An employee on my father’s ranch. But I’ve loved him as long as I can remember. At eighteen, I kissed him and he pushed me away. He said I was too young. The army took him from me for three long years, but now he’s back at Gold Rush Ranch—looking at me like he’s never looked at me before. Letting his hands linger longer than they should. Offering to help me train the racehorse I’ve always dreamed of owning. I say that I’ve moved on, but our chemistry? It’s electric. It’s overpowering. And soon all our reasons for staying away from each other fall away, along with our clothes. He says he’s too old and too broken for someone like me. He says we can never work. But his body tells another story. I put my pride on the line for him once before. Am I a fool to risk it again?

Off to the Races

Keeping things professional with my employees has never been an issue… until Billie waltzes onto my property. She’s talented, feisty and so damn tempting. We clash from the moment we meet, and I can't stop thinking about all the ways I could take her down a peg. I can't stop thinking about her, period. And in a small town, on an even smaller farm, it’s hard to keep my distance. Billie is the whole package: whip-smart with a body I fantasise about, and quite possibly the only woman who can save this business – and me. She drives me crazy, but the more time we spend together, the more I crave her: her lips, her trust, her heart… I want it all. But at what cost? Because suddenly I don’t just want to win races, I want to win the girl.

Good Spirits

He’s the Ghost of Christmas Past. She’s not exactly Scrooge. Ghost of Christmas Past Nolan Callahan intends to spend this holiday haunting like every other—get in, get out, return to his otherwise aimless existence as a ghost awaiting the afterlife. But when he’s faced with Harriet York, the sweetest assignment he’s ever had, he suddenly finds himself wishing for a future. Harriet York has no idea why she’s being haunted. She’s a good person—or, at least, she tries to be. A people pleaser to her core, she always does what’s expected of her. But as she and Nolan begin to examine her past, they discover there are threads that bind them together— and realize there might be more to moving on than expected. With the deadline of Christmas Eve fast approaching, will they find the key to their futures in each other’s pasts? Or will they stay firmly in the present, indulging in their unexpected, spirited connection?

Christmas on Fifth Avenue

Welcome to New York, where the Christmas lights dazzle, the snow is falling and love is just around the corner… Evie Green's Christmas dream turns into a nightmare when a viral video makes her the laughing stock of the internet. But then a 5 star hotel sees a PR opportunity and invites her to New York for a Christmas she’ll remember forever. Enter Noah Sanderson, a disgraced soccer star seeking anonymity. Forced to fake a festive romance for the cameras, sparks fly – but not the twinkling Christmas kind! As Fifth Avenue sparkles in all its holiday glory, can The City that Never Sleeps show these two frosted hearts that, maybe, the best love stories are the ones you never see coming.

Look Up, Handsome

Quinn wants to save his bookshop, the last thing he needs is to fall in love… Hay-on-Wye’s only queer bookshop is always a hive of activity. So when it’s threatened with closure, its owner Quinn Oxford is determined to do whatever it takes to save his beloved shop. That is until romantic novelist Noah Sage arrives in town. Gorgeous, brooding and clearly unhappy to be there, Noah is the distraction Quinn doesn’t need. Noah has a history with Hay and it’s one he’d rather not face. But when the snow leaves him stranded, he’s left with no choice. Hay is a small town, meaning Quinn can’t help but bump into Noah wherever he goes. And as the two grow closer together, is it possible that Noah’s feelings towards Hay will thaw? Can Quinn have a real-life romance and save his beloved bookshop? Or will he need a Christmas miracle…

Let's Split Up

When hot "it-couple" Brad and Shelley are brutally murdered in a manor on the edge of town, a group of teen friends investigate. Set in Sanera, a small community in California where rumour spreads as fast as the fire on the day of the killings, the theory is the old ghoul who haunts the house after his own murder has finally taken revenge. As Cam, Jonesy, Amber and new-girl Buffy investigate, the rumour feels closer to the truth than they ever dared think possible, and as they enter the mansion themselves, the idea of splitting up to find evidence will prove to be either the best ... or worst decision of all...

Holiday Ever After

All Clara Davenport has ever wanted to do is climb the ladder at Davenport Innovation Creative. Everything was going to plan until the company was accused of stealing a doll design from an independent toy maker. With a promotion dangled in front of her, Clara is tasked with charming the locals of the small town of Fraser Falls and solving the PR nightmare... by any means necessary. Jack Kelly would happily never hear the name Davenport ever again. So, when Clara, with her long legs and dazzling smile, prances into town hoping to convince them that her company is not the enemy, Jack is determined not to be fooled by Davenport twice. Clara's plan to win over the community should have been easy, but she didn't account for Jack getting in her way, and under her skin, at every turn. And when the tension between them starts to boil over, she realises that beneath his frosty demeanour lies the key to the town's heart - and maybe even her own.