They say if you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, it’s yours. If it doesn’t, then it was never meant to be yours.

Because of a misunderstanding, college sweethearts Ryan Rogers and Chrissy Underwood were torn apart. A year later, they reconnect at a Valentine’s Day Masquerade Party. With the lights low, the music humming and their faces hidden underneath a mask, they’re still able to recognize one another. And the love they once felt is still there and strong as ever. As they sway to the music and reminisce, Ryan is able to clear up the misunderstanding that forced Chrissy to leave.

However, will Chrissy have the guts to reveal the secret she left town with?

CHAPTER ONE
Ryan
 
“Are you coming to the jamboree afterparty tonight, or are ya still pussy-whipped and doing what Chrissy tells ya to do?” Jace said in an extra southern tone. His taunting voice was starting to irritate me.
For some reason, he had become extra concerned about what Chrissy and I were doing lately. If he wasn’t asking me what our plans were for the day, he was trying to get me hooked up with another girl. No matter how many times I told him I wasn’t interested, he kept butting in with suggestions of ways for me to stray away from Chrissy.
Wasn’t going to happen.
“I’m not coming. Gonna be at home getting pussy whipped, all night,” I replied without turning to face Jace. I continued to stride down the hallway, headed toward the cafeteria.
The halls were filled with students going to and from classes. Many of them were on a mad dash to the cafe to get a bite to eat before their next class. Others sprinted toward their cars to head home for the day.
“You’re going to miss out on the hot chicks I invited from Clark, and you know the Nu Lambs girls are at your service and willing to do whatever,” Jace noted with widened, watchful eyes. “I know you’re getting tired of being with one girl. You can get some variety tonight.”
His offering up different girls wasn’t a selling point for me. “Not interested. But hey, that just means more for you, right?”
Jace was a big guy, but he made light steps beside me. His six-foot-two frame barely made a sound. It was his booming voice that filled the space, and he was always talking too much.
“Don’t you get tired of the same girl all the time? I mean if it were me…”
I cut him off. “But it’s not you,” I reminded him. “You’re not the one dating Chrissy. I am.”
“You’re right.” His mouth snapped shut. Finally, there was the sound of nothing coming from his face.
A welcomed sound.
A few seconds later, we reached the lunch counter. The pickings today were slim. There were loaded baked potatoes versus a chicken breast that looked like it’d dried out and had been brought back to life by a pan of water. Not exactly what I was craving.
“You know what, I’m not hungry for anything in here. I think I’ll go taste some of my pussy covered with whipped cream. You know, since I’m whipped and shit.” I breathed in a whiff of air then released it in a gush. “Yeah, pussy covered in whipped cream. That sounds really good right now. I think I want strawberry flavored today. I love a good strawberry surprise.”
Jace deflated, looking like he’d just lost a thousand dollar bet. “I never thought it would come to this.”
Seeing his reaction made me smile. “What has it come to?”
“To a point where the younger brothers are being initiated, and you think being with your girl is more important. Who are they supposed to look up to if they can’t look up to their older brothers?” Jace asked.
This was coming from a guy who took the fraternity's reigns and turned it into a yearlong party. Since Jeremy Turner graduated and Jace was chosen as the new president, things changed dramatically. The once-beloved fraternity that was known more for service to the community than wild parties and pranks had gone downhill fast.
“Well, they should start with their parents as someone to look up to,” I said. “Besides, initiation isn’t for another month. It’s not that important that I be at tonight’s party.” I stepped away from him, planning to get on about my day. I had a few more classes and Chrissy to do.
Jace put a hand on my shoulder, stopping me. “The board has so much faith in you. They believe we can help build the frat. The least you could do is be there to help me steer the inductees in the right way.”
“I’ve been there, Jace. You’re not steering them the right way, but we’ve had that talk before. When you’re doing something worth my time, I’ll be there again. But I’m not coming to the party tonight.” I continued toward the cafeteria’s exit, doing my best to ignore Jace’s prodding.
The thought of sorority chicks trying to get my attention and some of them begging to get banged just wasn’t appealing anymore. As it was, Chrissy had been feeling neglected due to the time I spent with the new inductees. And I wasn’t inclined to disappoint her. She had planned a two-week-long Valentine’s Day celebration, and I didn’t intend on missing one minute of it. After the last few nights filled with delicious desserts and lots of sex, I was headed back to her place as soon as my last class ended.
Jace’s booming voice interrupted my thoughts, reminding me that he was still talking to me. “One of the first things we learn as Nu Lambs is that we have to be united. We are not whole if one of our frat members is at home cuddled up with his girl. What happens if two or three decide to do that? What if everybody does it? Then, what do we have?”
Why was he still here?
I stared at him, uncaring. “The others will be there.”
“I know they will because they know they have to be there for the team,” Jace chided. “So, I guess the question is, are you out or in?”
“What do you mean by that shit?” I barked. “I’m always there for the team. I just won’t make it tonight.”
“I said what I said, man. As the president of our chapter, I’m starting to wonder if you’re really down anymore. When you come to the meetings, you’re looking down at your phone, smiling and texting Chrissy. Now, you’re missing the inductee events. Are you still dedicated to our movement, or are you ready to move on to more personal things? It’s a simple yes or no.”
My blood was boiling at this point. I’d never had a real problem with Jace butting into my personal life, but he was getting on my nerves with this shit. I was the most dedicated frat in Nu Lambs. Always going the extra mile for the worthy causes we were involved in. Yet, he was ragging me like I was a newbie.
“You know I’m in, but I don’t know why you’re riding me like this when you don’t do the same thing to Ramsey, Mike, or Luke, who also have high ranking positions.” Those guys were always fucking off somewhere and not a peep from Jace.
“They have been to all of the initiation events,” Jace crowed.
“Yeah, but have they been to the things that matter, like the back-to-school drive or any of the other for-show charitable events we have to do to meet the requirements of having a fraternity on this campus?”
The smugness in Jace’s eyes wavered. The stern look he wielded at me softened a bit. He knew damn well when it came down to the work that mattered, he could depend on me to be there. But, I was more mature in my senior year than I had been over the past few years. I wasn’t down for wild parties anymore. Giving my girl my word and keeping it was more important to me. Spending the night with Chrissy trumped a night filled with sloppy drunk girls and boys with raging hard-ons.
For once, I didn’t want to be out at the jamboree’s afterparty, kegging it up and doing stupid shit until three in the morning. This was the time the frats got together to participate in all manner of forbidden things. Things Chrissy wouldn’t agree with. Things that would have me single by the next day.
Now, guilt-tripping Jace was reminding me of my responsibilities to the inductees. He was right about one thing. We were stronger when we were united. When I was inducted, all of the upperclassmen were there for every gathering. And they did some wild things, but it seemed Jace wanted to top what was considered wild then. He gave less credence to the positive activities that promoted brotherhood.
Jace clamped a hand down on my shoulder. “You have done great things to help Nu Lambs. But have your ass there tonight, or I’ll bring you up for dismissal.”
“What? This is bullshit, Jace!”
“All you have to do is be there.” Always the guy who liked to drop bombs and walk away, Jace strolled off with a confident smirk. “See you tonight.”
“Fuck you, man.”
“Yeah, tell Chrissy she’ll have to wait on the fucking tonight.” He laughed. “I hope she can at least wait for you to get back.”
I didn’t like the sound of Chrissy’s name coming from him or his insinuations about her. “From now on, how about you keep my girl’s name out of your mouth?” I growled.
“We’ll see about that,” was his cryptic reply.
Jace left out the cafeteria, leaving me with enough rage to turn over every table in the room and reminding me why I was so ready for graduation.

​1. Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan. Swoon. Fall in love. Swoon some more. This book will make you want to not move until the last page has turned. I listened to the audio, which made it even better. The poetic way Kennedy Ryan wove the words of this story into an unforgettable love story is nothing short of magic. The abuse, how she overcame it, the triumph in the end. I was here for it all! 
2. Hook Shot by Kennedy Ryan. This author has romancing of words down to a science, which continues in book 3 of the Hoops series. Even though it's book three, it's my second favorite book of the year. 
3. Block Shot by Kennedy Ryan. (Ahem, first of all, thanks for recommending this series Posey Parks!) This book had BBW issues that held my attention. As you can see, I highly recommend the Hoops series. All three books made my fave list.
4. Vanquished by Leteshia Newton. Think crazy, sexy, and not cool, and you have Vanquished. It’s a train wreck that you can’t look away from. In the end, something from every scene grows on you and makes you fall more in love with the dysfunctional characters. (Crystal Partin, this was a good recommendation)
5. Promised Land by Brenda Hampton. I saw a post about this book idea possibly being lifted by a major film, so I had to read and compare. Being recaptured and forced into slavery is real fear for some (okay, I am some). There was great imagination put into this storyline with comparisons to American slavery and contemporary racial divides. A must read! 
6. Truly by Carmel Rhodes. OMG. The words. All of the words. I don’t usually read erotic romance stories about teens, but I loved that it was true to teenage experiences. I would definitely read more from Carmel Rhodes.
7. Zahir by Theodora Taylor. I read the Ruthless Tycoons series, but this book stood out to me. Zahir seemed cruel but damn if he wasn’t seductive at the same time. I think these books are driving me to the dark side—muahahaha. Mean, controlling, yummy Zahir!  
8. His Wicked Witch by Siren Allen. I don’t usually read paranormal, but I wanted to read some of my good friend's work. His Wicked Witch made me do what I thought was impossible. I fell in love with magic spells, witches, and sexy shadows in a far away paranormal land.
9. Out of the Flames by J. McCreary. Della’s story of overcoming meth abuse to finding love and someone to share her life with touched my heart, so yeah…all of the feels. Actually, this book and part one of the Kendrick, Pennsylvania series, Under the Sycamore, are great reads.
10. Christmas with the Recluse by Victorine E. Lieske. I read this book after reading Victorine’s book on how to write swoon-worthy romance. I wanted to see how she executed a book of clean romance, and it was a fun read that takes you through all the back and forth emotions she has mastered.  I almost gave up on this couple, but they got it together in the end. HEA's abound! 

Bonus Mentions:
Nonfiction: Team of Vipers by Cliff Sims. It was interesting to read about the experience of a man from Alabama who went to work for the Trump White House.

From My Catalog: Classic Alpha for Christmas. I got so much good feedback about this book that I read it again this Christmas. Omega and Astalia made me smile :) 

FLASHBACK 
 
Santerían
 
One Wish
 
December 4, 2015
1:02 p.m.
The very first day she walks her mocha brown sweetness past my classroom door, I fall hard. I rush over to the doorway and watch her walk down the hall, sashaying with the most graceful walk I have ever seen. Her curly hair is in a heap, crowning her head like a halo. She wears a mauve and tan long-sleeved dress, delicate colors to match her subtle beauty that stands out amongst every woman in the crowded space. Her knee-length brown boots move her further down the hallway until one of my students demands my attention by asking for help with the English exercise we’re working on.
Damn. I almost forgot I was at work.
Huffing, I reluctantly leave my position at the door to help my A-student, Alana Moore. As I explain the purpose of a complex transitive verb to Alana, my mind goes back to Clark’s new mystery woman. I think of ways to get close to her, whose swaying hips I can’t get out of my mind. 
“Ah, yeah, that’s it! Omega’s Christmas party!” I expel, snapping my fingers. I’m too engrossed in ways to meet up with the woman I just saw to think about the grammar lesson I’m supposed to be teaching.
Alana looks at me with confusion. “That’s not an example of a transitive verb, is it?”
“No, I was just thinking aloud. Excuse me.” I leave her desk and return to the front of the room to discuss transitive verbs and their usage in sentences with the entire class. It’s exciting stuff, but nothing compared to the plan brewing in my mind. Omega’s annual Christmas shindig is in two weeks, and it’s the perfect place to hook up with the mystery girl from IT. As soon as my class ends, I call up Omega.
“What’s up?” is his greeting.
“Got a huge favor to ask you,” I begin.
“Yeah, so what’s new?” he teases.
“Ha. Good one. Listen, there’s this new girl that I saw walking to the IT department and she—”
I cannot finish describing her because Omega takes over, and a little too excitedly for my liking. “Oh, yeah? Brown skin, about five-seven, wearing a tan dress with boots today?” he describes the mystery woman to a T.
“Yeah, her,” I respond dryly. “So, you’ve been checking her out?”
“Oh, she’s gold, man. She has this natural look going on that’s killing all these other girls around here.”
Now, I am intrigued. Actually, it sounds like we both are intrigued by this woman. My body tenses at that thought. I have never had a problem with Omega, but being attracted to the same woman could be our first dilemma. A huge one. This woman, I’m not letting go. She’s mine.
“How did you know who I was talking about?” I ask.
“Because I’ve been checking her sexy ass out. She walks through the halls like there’s golden honey between her thighs, and I bet it’s sweet as hell. Probably got that Erykah Badu, the kind to drive a man insane.” His voice is thick as he talks about my future woman, and I can feel the pressure building in my chest as the conversation progresses. I’ve never wanted to lay a hand on Omega, but if he were standing in front of me, I would have decked him. I feel dangerously possessive over a woman I haven’t spoken to yet. I don’t even know the sound of her voice.
“Well, you can stop checking her out right now. You already have Rosae and your tribe, but she’s off-limits. I called you because I want you to invite her to your Christmas party. For me.” It’s far out of my character to ask Omega to set me up with someone, but I don’t want to look like a drooling professor by catching up with her in the school hallway and asking her out on a date. This is the only chance I have at controlling the environment we meet.
“Oh, I see.” Dead air enters the line for a few seconds. “But if you don’t want me to check her out, why do you want me to invite her to my party?” His ass is so arrogant.
There is a bite to my bark when I say, “Just invite her and stay out of the way after that. I’ll handle the rest.”
“Aw, this is sweet. You’re falling for her and you don’t even know her name. This isn’t like you, my guy, but consider it done. She’ll get the golden ticket to come to the party.”
“Thanks, Mega.”
“No problem. Are we still on for the club tonight or what?” he moves the conversation along without missing a beat. 
“Definitely still on. I need a change of scenery.” Staying home alone and thinking about her will drive me mad.
He chuckles. “Finally, you’re ready to get out of the house on a Friday, instead of sitting around like some lonely old professor.”
“Ha. Yeah, I’m ready, but don’t act like I don’t hang out with you, man. I just have more papers to grade than you.”
“If you stop giving out so much work, you will have more time,” Omega surmises.
“No, I have to prepare my young people to be great writers.”
“Yeah, we both have young people to prepare. I just do it in less time,” he retorts. 
I concede that point and begin to calculate how much time it’ll take me to get home, get dressed, and make it to the club, “I’ll meet you there around eight.”
“Nah, I’ll come to get you since last week you ghosted me.”
“Hey, you still ragging me about that? I told you that I fell asleep reading assignments.”
“Yeah, well, none of that tonight. I’ll be there to get you at eight.”
“Got you. Just make sure you do that favor for me. Get her an invite.” Her, the mystery woman whose sexy build causes me to lick my lips.
“No doubt,” Omega assures and hangs up the phone.
I’ll go and hang out with him tonight, but I’m really looking forward to his Christmas party, where I hope my wish to connect with her again comes true. 

I’m a classic man, so I treat ladies to classic experiences. I take them to the best restaurants; daily excursions of horseback riding, horse-drawn carriage rides, and short adventures are my speed. I do those things with the full armor of chivalry: door opening—she better not touch the handle, chair pulled out, meal covered, walk to the door, or to my bed if we have chemistry. The point is to see how she responds to queen treatment. Not every woman is mentally ready to be treated right, and some downright reject proper treatment. 

SHANE
Malaysia Debaul’s mouthwatering figure burst out of the warehouse. Hustling to the driver side of her car, her eyes roamed over its roof, landing on my vehicle right away. For a tense moment, I thought my cover was blown, stakeout over. She hadn’t come this close to discovering me shadowing her until today. When she vanished inside her ride, she took the most stunning set of plump lips and smooth, caramel skin out of sight too soon. Slender-thick, she was slim in the waist and just about every other place on her body except for her backside. This was a woman who had weight in all the right places. Five feet eleven inches in bare feet, she was damn near perfect for me. Our twelve-year age gap made perfect just out of reach. Dating her was not the reason I was here though.
Relieved she was in too big of a rush to look deeper into my presence, I tipped my head back on the headrest. It was a crying shame that her ride was parked so close by and she was hidden inside it. I could watch her slightly curvy hips and apple-shaped ass all day, as I had been doing for the last month. After accidently discovering she’d moved to Long Island, I stopped silently hunting Tobin Graham against my will. No female had intrigued or captivated me before or since I met Malaysia under the worst of conditions.
One chance meeting with her fifteen years ago altered a core belief I held about myself; I couldn’t be thrown off my game. Well, there was one woman on this planet that could distract me and make me wish I were someone who was capable of loving someone else. She deserved no less. I still wasn’t that guy, but I could still hold a grudge better than anyone. Malaysia was certainly an inescapable distraction while presenting an indirect way to satisfy my grudge with Tobin, who was marked for death.
It was impossible to kill him when a part of me preferred tracking Malaysia rather than him. That forced my plans for him to change. Malaysia was going to be the source of the tremendous pain I inflicted on Tobin. His debt to me had to be paid in full. Leaving my organization without my say-so was high treason.
One day, he and I were teaching Martin Hughes a lesson together that may or may not have gotten out of hand. The next day, Tobin had gone AWOL to join the military. How was that for irony?
After six months in my employ, I saw his potential and quickly began to trust only him. It wasn’t long before I thought of him as my protégé and successor. At forty-nine, I had no kids, didn’t want any either. My rough past, short but brutal military career, plus the level of cruelty I operated at didn’t make me the best candidate for offspring that could smoothly navigate polite society as well as the streets. Even I struggled with that.
Tobin was a flawless fit for ruling the underworld of Long Island and mingling with those in high places. Despite having to play nice with people whose palms that had to be constantly greased, I couldn’t control my cruelty and bluntness. Tobin was calm, collected, and quick thinking on his feet. His quiet disposition and cool head wouldn’t attract unnecessary attention. Powerful fists on each of his wrists meted out street justice like I had trained him myself. Even better, he took orders well.
A better person than him to take over my throne didn’t exist. That was if my organization still existed. It didn’t, thanks to Tobin’s brother taking a fatal bullet in my place. Though an investigation into his death brought the end to my businesses, Greg Graham was a loyal soldier. His killer didn’t last a month in Rikers thanks to some associates of mine.
Too bad Tobin was a traitor. Forgiving his betrayal against me and by default his brother was never going to happen. Hitting him where it hurt the most was a must. Using his girlfriend’s sister-from-another-mother connection with Malaysia to cause him an agony he could not soothe was not my preferred method. Up close and personal was my modus operandi but going about it in a roundabout way would do if Malaysia were involved.
She reversed out of her parking space. My cell phone rung. Instead of following her, I removed an earpiece from my ear, tossing it in the cupholder while swiping the accept-call icon on the car’s radio screen. The GPS locator behind her front passenger-side tire would keep track of her for me. Trailing her now would only heighten her suspicions. I couldn’t have her raising her guards and messing up my kidnapping scheme taking place later tonight.
“Jason, is everything set up as it should be?” I asked my lieutenant as Malaysia took a right at the end of the parking lot. She sped off down the road as if hounds from Hell were on her rear bumper. I cringed. Not being able to call and demand she slow down almost hurt me physically. It shouldn’t have, but I wasn’t surprised it did. She seemed to touch me in places I thought long dead, like my emotions. Who the hell really needed such things? It infuriated me that she could invoke mine.
The clicking of computer keys on Jason’s end resonated out of the car’s speaker system. “Yep, boss. I just got word that all your demands were taken care of for your stay in paradise. The keys will be waiting for you in the lockbox on the knob. Everything is in its place for your exile.”
Once I left Long Island for good as mandated by the District Attorney with a shitload of my money in his pockets, a secluded mansion on remote island Cayo Largo in Cuba would be my permanent home. It had been fully stocked for a long stay for two with things like groceries, wine, cognac, furniture, fabric rolls, and a top of the line sewing machine. A private jet was gassed up at a small airport and ready to go. The only thing left to do was secure one other passenger. How long I was keeping her with me had yet to be determined.
This close to all my schemes coming to fruition, I half-smiled. “Excellent, Jason. What about the designer clothes I ordered to be brought there in a couple days?” If Malaysia wasn’t kept busy with creating for the deadline her sponsor had given her, she may just tear down the mansion around my ears. Or, she’d escape it. Neither was an option.
“The shipment is scheduled to be collected late tonight and flown to you as soon as transport is available.” The jet had to return to pick up the packages. Celebrated fashion designer Darren and Dr. Cherise Johnston had more than enough money to repair the doors to their establishments and homes that my men were going to enter quietly. At appointed times, Malaysia’s things would be collected from those places.
“Has a flyer for promoting my new adventure been produced?” In other words, where the hell was my pilot whose silence I had set aside a lot of coins for?
Everything had to be in place and happen accordingly. The window for our departure was tight. Tobin’s ceremony would last no more than three hours. Through the bug planted in the warehouse by one of Darren’s designers that needed an influx of cash, I heard Malaysia mention she’d be coming back here. The warehouse district would be all but vacant then, the opportune time for some to take her. For me, it would be easier to snatch her from the bar where she, Cherise, Tobin, and a close friend of his, Andre, were celebrating at tonight. It was closer to the small airport my hired plane waited at.
A crowd of intoxicated individuals wouldn’t present a problem. Nobody in New York wanted to admit being a witness to a crime when drunk or sober. Nor would they intervene as I carried her off. I just had to wait until she was alone to avoid her friends’ interference. Tobin and Cherise had a bad habit of getting wrapped up in each other. Andre was often at Tobin’s place across town or indulging himself in conversation with the closest woman. Abducting Malaysia was just a matter of picking the right moment when no one was paying attention.
“The flyer was produced and a lot more expensive than it should’ve been, boss, but everything’s in place,” Jason broke into my thoughts. The pilot was on the plane and he had many hours to wait for me to board the jet with Malaysia.
“How much more expensive, Jason?” I requested.
“Only a few more bucks that wouldn’t break the bank.” That meant another ten grand had been added to the twenty-five already agreed upon. “But, we had expected that price to rise at the last hour, remember? So, we’re covered.”
Greed was a rising epidemic in this day and age. Everyone thought they should have more than they were getting. That only increased when folks realized you were in a bind and needed to keep things quiet. Hence setting aside the extra ten grand beforehand and offering the retired pilot a lower price from the start. He had gotten no more, no less than what I intended for him to have.
Presuming Malaysia had gotten far enough away to miss my leaving, I put the car in drive. “Anything I should be worried about?”
“Not on my end,” he quickly contributed. “All you have to do is snatch up whatever you’re taking with you and catch a flight.”
Easing toward the street, I looked for Malaysia’s Jetta loitering nearby. She was nowhere in sight or any other vehicles that might seem out of place. “For sure, I have my end covered, Jason. We’ll talk later.”
I entered the skeleton traffic, glad to end the call. Speaking in code was tiresome when I usually shot straight from the hip. As with my own recent actions, I wasn’t taking chances of someone listening in on the conversation. If I was capable of it, so was everyone else who wanted me out of this town for good. Some wanted me dead. Several million-dollars’s worth of dope I had just secretly received from the cartel in Mexico were seized from my basement during a surprise search warrant executed after Greg’s death.
I hadn’t made it home in time to verify the shipment’s amount then send the agreed upon amount for it back by courier before all hell broke loose in my world. A drug deal wasn’t the type of transaction you wanted a bank to handle, creating a paper trail. I didn’t keep millions laying around locally or in my pockets either but in offshore accounts. The stupid ass pigs were already implementing a search warrant in my house when I got there. They thought I had something to do with my clean-up man’s murder, a sloppily performed one at that, just down the street from my home.
Just about everyone who knew Greg knew he worked for me in some capacity, and he was often at my old home I should say. It had been sold, gone like my business was. Now, I had to lay low until the heat from local authorities were off me. Jason would go to the mainland of Cuba to go get my money out of a local bank then fly to Mexico, to pay Dominguez when it was safe. Until then, we’d hold up on a remote island, and I was taking Malaysia with us.

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