Stories by @mr95

The Miles Family: Reckless Miles

“I love being naked. Naked is awesome.” For Cooper Miles, life used to be an endless party. He worked hard and played harder—as often as possible. But things change—people change—and lately the party life isn’t doing it for him. Enter Amelia Hale. Cooper doesn’t see her coming. But it isn’t every day you meet a girl in a wedding dress in a bar. A girl whose life just took a sharp left turn she wasn’t expecting. Kissing her is totally no big deal. She’s had one hell of a day and a little kissing lesson by Cooper is bound to make her feel better. The invitation back to her hotel, however… that, he wasn’t expecting. Saying yes to her is reckless. Not because he’s a stranger to a one-night stand. And not because she’s in a wedding dress, and the words this is my first time cross her lips. It’s reckless because she makes him feel things he’s never felt before—big things. Nothing scares Cooper Miles. But this girl? She might be magic, and he has no idea what to do with that.

The Miles Family: Forbidden Miles

“You’re not supposed to fall for your brothers best friend.” Brynn Miles thought moving back to her family’s winery was a good idea. But when you’re the baby of the family, life can get complicated. Dating? Forget about it. Not with her three older brothers acting like human chastity belts. To Chase Reilly, his best friend’s little sister has always been invisible. She’s so forbidden, he doesn’t let himself see her. Besides, she’s totally girlfriend material, and he doesn’t do the relationship thing. Until the night Chase sees her. Really, truly sees her. And nothing will ever be the same. ooking for love isn’t Brynn’s focus, and Chase is the one guy in the world she can’t fall for. He’s T-R-O-U-B-L-E. Untouchable. And just as forbidden as she is. But once Chase set his sights on Brynn, there isn’t anything—or anyone—who’ll stop him.

The Miles Family: Broken Miles

“She was unraveling me, slowly but surely. I could feel it happening. Like she was gently unbuttoning the collar of a shirt that fit too tight.” Single-minded drive earned Roland Miles success—and cost him his first love. When his marriage to Zoe ended, he did the only thing he knew. He dove into work to put his heartbreak behind him. Zoe Sutton’s life hasn’t exactly gone to plan. She certainly didn’t plan on losing Roland or moving home to work for his family’s winery. Four years after their divorce, she wonders if her chance at happily ever after is behind her. After discovering his family might lose their land, Roland comes home to help sort out the mess. But between his brothers’ antics, a baby sister who’s all grown up, and a father keeping secrets, complicated isn’t even the half of it. And then there’s Zoe. He didn’t come home looking for a second chance with her. But the more time they spend together, the more he realizes what they lost. What they could have again. Because the truth is, they broke each other’s hearts. And maybe they’re the only ones who can put them back together.

THE LITTLE MERMAID: SOUL OF THE DEEP DOWN

Ariel is a spirited 18-year-old living in the majestic, underwater kingdom of The Deep Down. While her father, King Triton, demands she embrace her royal duties and her cultural heritage beneath the waves, Ariel is utterly consumed by curiosity for "The Topside District." She sneaks to the ocean's ceiling to collect artifacts dropped by humans—vinyl records, broken sunglasses, and retro electronics. During a spectacular, star-studded yacht party thrown by elite Topside music producer Prince Eric, a sudden, violent tropical storm tears the vessel apart. Ariel rescues a drowning Eric, pulling him to a secluded beach. Before she slips back into the water, she sings a sweeping, deeply emotional neo-soul ballad over his unconscious form. Eric wakes up half-dazed, completely captivated by the memory of her voice, and vows to find the mysterious singer. Determined to walk among the people she admires, Ariel seeks out her estranged aunt, Ursula—a towering, glamorous Sea Witch who runs a shady, underground cabaret in the deep oceanic trenches. Ursula offers a devil's bargain: she will grant Ariel legs and three days on land to win Eric's heart. The catch? Ariel must surrender her magnificent singing voice into Ursula’s magical gold nautilus microphone. If she fails to get a kiss of true love by sunset on the third day, her soul belongs to Ursula forever. Accompanied by a frantic, high-strung royal court composer named Sebastian, her loyal street-smart homeboy Flounder, and an eccentric Topside junk-collector bird named Scuttle, Ariel navigates the dazzling, fast-paced 70s surface world completely voiceless. She must use her dance, style, and raw expression to connect with Eric before Ursula uses Ariel's own stolen voice to hypnotize the Prince and conquer both worlds.

HERCULES: THE SOUL OF A HERO

Born in the star-studded luxury of The Apex Penthouse, baby Hercules is target number one for Hades, a ruthless music mogul and ruler of "The Down-Low." Hades wants to overthrow Zeus and take over the city, but a prophecy warns that Hercules will stop him. Hades sends his two bumbling corner hustlers, Pain and Panic, to inject the baby with a street serum designed to strip away his divine spirit. The job gets interrupted, leaving Hercules stranded in the working-class neighborhood of The Mortal Flats. He retains his god-like, earth-shattering physical strength, but loses his memory of where he came from. Cut to twenty years later. Hercules is a beautiful but deeply awkward misfit who doesn't know his own strength, constantly breaking things and accidentally tearing up the neighborhood. After a spiritual encounter with a monument of his birth father, Zeus, Hercules learns he is a displaced god. To return to The Apex, he must prove himself a "True Hero" on the streets below. Zeus sends him to Philoctetes ("Phil"), a legendary, washed-up, gruff boxing trainer living in a gym filled with old trophies. Alongside his childhood best friend and hype-man, Pegasus, Hercules trains to become a heavyweight champion and local savior, fighting off Hades' supernatural street gangs and literal monsters (reimagined as runaway industrial transit trains and corrupt corporate mechs). Along the way, he falls hard for Megara ("Meg"), a fiercely independent, cynical street-stylist who is secretly indentured to Hades. To save the city and the woman he loves, Hercules must realize that true heroism isn't measured by the size of your muscles or your fame, but by the strength of your heart.

BEAUTY & THE BEAST: A CHOCOLATE CITY TALE

Belle is a brilliant 20-year-old dreamer living in The District of Light. While the rest of the neighborhood is content with the status quo, Belle spends her days restoring vintage books, listening to old jazz records, and helping her eccentric artisan father, Maurice. She constantly rejects the aggressive advances of Gaston, the neighborhood’s arrogant, hyper-masculine athletic star. When Maurice takes a wrong turn during a storm while traveling to an inventions convention, he stumbles into the boundaries of The Onyx Estate. Starving, he plucks a single, glowing glass rose from a dark greenhouse to bring home to Belle. Instantly, he is captured by the Beast—a former music mogul cursed by a powerful Enchantress for his vanity and cold heart. Discovering her father's disappearance, Belle tracks his vintage motorcycle to the estate and offers to trade her freedom for his. The Beast accepts, locking her away in an opulent suite. However, she isn't alone. The hotel's staff—smooth-talking lounge singer Lumiere, tightly wound stage manager Cogsworth, and powerhouse gospel matriarch Mrs. Potts—have been transformed into living, breathing antique fixtures. Through show-stopping musical numbers that range from high-energy funk to devastating blues, the staff helps Belle see past the Beast’s terrifying exterior. As Belle teaches the Beast how to love, create, and care for others again, they must race against time before the Enchantress's final magic rose drops its last petal, sealing their fates forever while Gaston rallies a mob to tear the estate down.

ALICE IN THE METRO UNDERGROUND

Alice is a 19-year-old woman living in the city, feeling stifled by the immense pressure from her family to pursue a safe, traditional path she doesn't want. While escaping a tense family gathering in a bustling community park, she spots a man in an impossibly sharp, pastel suit sprinting toward an abandoned, boarded-up subway station. Intrigued, she follows him inside. As she steps onto a broken escalator, the ground gives way. Alice falls through a kaleidoscopic, gravity-defying tunnel of graffiti, neon lights, and floating retro urban artifacts, landing in the heart of "The Metro Underground"—a parallel, magical city populated entirely by eccentric, stylish Black characters. To get back home, Alice is told she must follow the "Neon Transit Line" to the Heart District to see the Queen of Hearts, a legendary music mogul and ruler who holds the key to the gateway. Along the way, Alice navigates a series of surreal Burroughs: she learns self-worth from a jazz-legend Caterpillar, escapes a mind-bending, endless block-party hosted by the Mad Hatter, and is guided through the shadows by the slick, illusion-weaving Cheshire Cat. When she finally reaches the Queen, Alice discovers the ruler is a tyrannical diva who suppresses the city's creativity. To earn her freedom, Alice must face the Queen in a high-stakes musical showdown, finally finding her own powerful voice to liberate both herself and the citizens of the Underground.

Bookish And The Beast

Rosie Thorne and her father have been short on luck–and money–for years. So when she loses her grocery store job in a heated moment of smashing the patriarchy, she knows she may be forced to give up on her dream of leaving her small town for a prestigious college creative writing program. On the other hand, Vance Reigns has been Hollywood royalty for as long as Rosie’s been clipping coupons and secretly writing massively popular fanfiction. When a tabloid scandal catches up to him, he’s forced to hide out somewhere the paparazzi would never expect to find him: Small Town USA. Rosie and Vance’s paths collide in a chance encounter, and suddenly cataloging the Starfield library at Vance’s manor house is Rosie’s only shot at saving money for school. And while most Starfield superfans would jump at the chance to work in close proximity to Vance, Rosie has realized something about Vance: he’s a huge jerk, and she can’t stand him. Still, there may be more to Vance than meets the eye. As Rosie and Vance begrudgingly get to know each other, secrets are revealed that could change their minds–and their hearts–forever.

The Princess And The Fangirl

Imogen Lovelace is an ordinary fangirl on an impossible mission: save her favorite character, Princess Amara, from being killed off from her favorite franchise, Starfield. The problem is, Jessica Stone—the actress who plays Princess Amara—wants nothing more than to leave the intense scrutiny of the fandom behind. If this year's ExcelsiCon isn't her last, she'll consider her career derailed. When a case of mistaken identity throws look-a-likes Imogen and Jess together, they quickly become enemies. But when the script for the Starfield sequel leaks, and all signs point to Jess, she and Imogen must trade places to find the person responsible. That's easier said than done when the girls step into each other's shoes and discover new romantic possibilities, as well as the other side of intense fandom. As these "princesses" race to find the script-leaker, they must rescue themselves from their own expectations, and redefine what it means to live happily ever after.

Geekerella

Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom. Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first. Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons—before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but the Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise.

All Saints High: Damaged Goods

Underneath the goody two-shoes persona is damaged goods…but can the bad boy across the street save her? Bailey Followhill is the perfect daughter. Sweet. Charitable. Pretty. Control freak. Not a hair out of place, not an inch out of line, she is everything her troublemaking sister Daria isn't. But when her A game turns out to be a lukewarm C- at Juilliard, Bailey's picture-ready life starts fraying faster than the worn satin ribbons of her pointe shoes. She's becoming a piece of gossip. The Troubled Child. A drug abuser. No longer the girl her best friend once knew. Lev Cole is so golden, he's got the Midas Touch. Prized quarterback. Football captain. Hottest guy in SoCal. A textbook cliché. But with a girlfriend he doesn't love and a career path he doesn't value, Lev is coasting. The only two things he cares about, Bailey and becoming a pilot, are out of reach. But Lev is done being satisfied with the life others have chosen for him. He wants to pick his own cards. To demolish the seamless kingdom of lies his family stitched together on the ruins his mother left behind. The question is, can he save his best friend and his dream before too much damage is done?

All Saints High: Angry God

Vaughn Spencer. They call him an angry god. To me, he is nothing but a heartless prince. His parents rule this town, its police, every citizen and boutique on Main Street. All I own is a nice, juicy grudge against him for that time he almost killed me. Between hooking up with a different girl every weekend, breaking hearts, noses and rules, Vaughn also finds the time to bully little ole’ me. I fight back, tooth and nail, never expecting him to chase me across the ocean after we graduate high school. But here he is, living with me in a dark, looming castle on the outskirts of London. A fellow intern. A prodigal sculptor. A bloody genius. They say this place is haunted, and it is. Carlisle Castle hides two of our most awful secrets. Vaughn thinks he can kill the ghosts of his past, but what he doesn’t know? It’s my heart he’s slaying.

All Saints High: Broken Knight

Not all love stories are written the same way. Ours had torn chapters, missing paragraphs, and a bittersweet ending. Luna Rexroth is everyone’s favorite wallflower. Sweet. Caring. Charitable. Quiet. Fake. Underneath the meek, tomboy exterior everyone loves (yet pities) is a girl who knows exactly what, and who, she wants—namely, the boy from the treehouse who taught her how to curse in sign language. Who taught her how to laugh. To live. To love. Knight Cole is everyone’s favorite football hero. Gorgeous. Athletic. Rugged. Popular. Liar. This daredevil hell-raiser could knock you up with his gaze alone, but he only has eyes for the girl across the street: Luna. But Luna is not who she used to be. She doesn’t need his protection anymore. When life throws a curveball at All Saints’ golden boy, he’s forced to realize not all knights are heroes. Sometimes, the greatest love stories flourish in tragedy.

All Saints High: Pretty Reckless

Penn They say revenge is a dish best served cold. I’d had four years to stew on what Daria Followhill did to me, and now my heart was completely iced. I took her first kiss. She took the only thing I loved. I was poor. She was rich. The good thing about circumstances? They can change. Fast. Now, I’m her parents’ latest shiny project. Her housemate. Her tormentor. The captain of the rival football team she hates so much. Yeah, baby girl, say it—I’m your foster brother. There’s a price to pay for ruining the only good thing in my life, and she’s about to shell out some serious tears. Daria Followhill thinks she is THE queen. I’m about to prove to her that she’s nothing but a spoiled princess. Daria Everyone loves a good old unapologetic punk. But being a bitch? Oh, you get slammed for every snarky comment, cynical eye roll, and foot you put in your adversaries’ way. The thing about stiletto heels is that they make a hell of a dent when you walk all over the people who try to hurt you. In Penn Scully’s case, I pierced his heart until he bled out, then left it in a trash can on a bright summer day. Four years ago, he asked me to save all my firsts for him. Now he lives across the hall, and I want nothing more than to be his last everything. His parting words when he gave me his heart were that nothing in this world is free. Now? Now he is making me pay.

Sinners of Saint: Bane

Bane Naked surfer. Habitual pothead. A con, a liar, a thief and a fraud. Last I heard, he was extorting the rich and screwing their wives for a living. Which is why I’m more than a little surprised to find him at my threshold, looking for my friendship, my services, and most puzzling of all—looking humbled. Thing is, I’m on a boycott. Literally—I cut boys from my life. Permanently. Problem is, Bane is not a boy, he is all man, and I’m falling, crashing, drowning in his sweet, perfect lies. Jesse Carter Hot as hell, cold as ice. I wasn’t aware of her existence until a fat, juicy deal landed in my lap. She’s a part of it, a little plaything to kill some time. She is collateral, a means to an end, and a side-bonus for striking a deal with her oil tycoon stepdad. More than anything, Jesse Carter is a tough nut to crack. Little does she know, I have the teeth for it.

Sinners of Saint: Scandalous

They call him The Mute for a reason. Hard, cold and calculated, he rarely speaks. When he does, it’s with disdain. When he does, his words aren’t meant for me. When he does, my stomach flips and my world tilts on its axis. He is thirty-three. I am eighteen. He’s a single dad and my father’s business partner. I’m just a kid to him and his enemy’s daughter. He’s emotionally unavailable. And I am…feeling. Feeling things I shouldn’t feel for him. Trent Rexroth is going to break my heart. The writing isn’t just on the wall, it’s inked on my soul. And yet, I can’t stay away. A scandal is the last thing my family needs. But a scandal is what we’re going to give them. And oh, what beautiful chaos it will be.

Sinners of Saint: Ruckus

They say that life is a beautiful lie and death a painful truth. They're right. No one has ever made me feel more alive than the guy who serves as a constant reminder that my clock is ticking. He is my forbidden, shiny apple. The striking fallacy to my blunt, raw, truth. He is also my sister's ex-boyfriend. One thing you should know before you judge me; I saw him first. I craved him first. I loved him first. Eleven years later, he waltzes into my life, demanding a second chance. Dean Cole wants to be my bronze horseman. But my clock is ticking. See, I'm not like the rest. I have an illness. Sometimes I conquer it. Sometimes it conquers me. My white knight has finally arrived. Hopefully, he isn't too late.

Sinners of Saint: Vicious

Emilia They say love and hate are the same feelings experienced under different circumstances, and it’s true. The man who comes to me in my dreams also haunts me in my nightmares. He is a brilliant lawyer. A skilled criminal. A beautiful liar. A bully and a savior, a monster and a lover. Ten years ago, he made me run away from the small town where we lived. Now, he came for me in New York, and he isn’t leaving until he takes me with him. Vicious She is a starving artist. Pretty and evasive like cherry blossom. Ten years ago, she barged into my life unannounced and turned everything upside down. She paid the price. Emilia LeBlanc is completely off-limits, my best friend’s ex-girlfriend. The woman who knows my darkest secret, and the daughter of the cheap Help we hired to take care of our estate. That should deter me from chasing her, but it doesn’t. So she hates me. Big fucking deal. She better get used to me.

Sinners of Saint: Defy

First included in Hot for Teacher Anthology: 19 Stories Filled with Lust and Love. My name is Melody Greene, and I have a confession to make. I slept with my student, a senior in high school. Multiple times. I had multiple orgasms. In multiple positions. I slept with my student and I enjoyed it. I slept with my student and I’d do it all over again if I could turn back time. My name is Melody Greene, and I got kicked out of my position as a teacher and did my walk of shame a la Cersei Lannister from the principal’s office, minutes after said principal threatened to call the cops on me. My name is Melody Greene, and I did something bad because it made me feel good. Here is why it was totally worth it.

Devil's Night: Nightfall

EMORY They call it Blackchurch. A secluded mansion in a remote, undisclosed location where the wealthy and powerful send their misbehaving sons to cool off away from prying eyes. Will Grayson has always been an animal, though. Reckless, wild, and someone who was never bound by a single rule other than to do exactly what he wanted. There was no way his grandfather was going risk him humiliating the family again. Not that the last time was entirely his fault. He might’ve enjoyed backing me into corners in high school when no one was looking, so they wouldn’t catch on that Mr. Popular actually wanted a piece of that quiet, little nerd he loved to torture so much, but… He could also be warm. And fierce in keeping me safe. The truth is… He has a right to hate me. It’s all my fault. Everything. Devils Night. The videos. The arrests. I’m to blame for all of it. And I regret nothing. WILL I never minded being locked up. I learned a long time ago that being treated like an animal gives you permission to act like one. No one has ever looked at me any other way. Their only mistake is believing anything I do is an accident. I can sit in this house with no Internet, television, liquor, or girls, but I’ll come out of here with something far more frightening to my enemies. A plan. And a new pack of wolves. I just didn’t expect one of my enemies to come to me. I don’t know who smuggled her in or if they meant to leave her here, but I can smell her hiding in the house. She’s here. And as the security detail leaves the supplies, the gates close, and the door to my gilded cage opens, giving me free reign of the house and grounds for another unsupervised month, I remember with a smile… Blackchurch houses five prisoners. I’m only one of her problems.