TAMERA CHERRY

For Simone, the only thing she cares about is looking out for the people she loves, maintaining a great reputation as a massage therapist, and building a family with the only man she"s ever been with. When she overhears her longtime boyfriend talking about wanting a hall pass, she"s furious, and what starts as a one-sided request soon becomes the opportunity she never knew she needed.

Yonas “Nas” Kadir is a man of few words. He has learned the art of never showing his hand, which is a valued asset for a man who balances his life between dark and light. There’s not much he desires that isn’t as good as promised to him, which is why Dae Richardson can fight the attraction but will ultimately fall for his good looks and undeniable charm, or so he hopes.

He"s every woman"s dream. Thanks to his humble beginnings, he"s edgy, outspoken, and determined to win. Holt is also the highest-paid wide receiver in the league and well worth the money he"s paid. Not only is he worth millions, but he"s also physical perfection. That alone has every woman willing to do any and everything he asks. Well… every woman except one, Sutton Kelly.

Skylar Addison is one of the best sports attorneys in the city, so when the firm she worked for “reallocated” her out of a job, she felt as if the rug had been snatched from up under her. Finding out that her ex had her terminated after she decided that she no longer wanted to be in a relationship, only made matters worse. After a pity party at a local bar and grill, Skylar found herself falling for the type of man she swore she would never think twice about.

Dauterive Jersey married the wrong man, and she’s suffered silently because of it. The free-spirited, independent woman has been dying for an escape. When she finally has the courage to divorce her husband, he vows to make her pay with an age-old threat—if he can’t have her no one can.

Nicole Richardson is a woman with a purpose—prove herself worthy of her place in a male-dominated field. Fiercely competitive, wielder of tough love and motivation, and terrible at dealing with things outside of her control. Between making sure the players are thriving, and coping with a changing family dynamic, a relationship isn"t even on her radar.

Bam Mosley, keyboardist for the alt-soul band The Prototype, knows who he is. He just wants to make good music and see the people he cares about win. Then he meets her. Sure, Cassandra is gorgeous and smart, with hypnotic eyes, but his bandmate"s sister wasn"t supposed to be this...disruptive and break down all his defenses. She sees what he hides from everyone else. He allows her to take off her mask. But is their connection powerful enough to survive life"s low notes? Or maybe the true test of love is knowing when to let go....

Kenny and Tashena were born into the struggle, separated by a few blocks of concrete and heavy doses of pain, somehow finding their way back to each other after life and its perils pushed them apart. The truth needed to be told before either of their hearts could mend. Healing was needed on both ends before reception was an option. Trust needed to be established before love was a possibility. Such heavy burdens to bare for souls that were already carrying too much.