Romance

Protecting him is my duty, but falling for him could be my undoing. I’ve spent five years burying my past, leaving behind the violence and bloodshed of my former life as a Bratva enforcer. Now, I’m just Luca—the quiet guy who keeps his head down, working security for a professional hockey team. I don’t get close to anyone, and I definitely don’t let anyone get close to me. But then I’m assigned to protect Max Ryan, the team’s star defenseman, and everything changes. He's my obsession. My crush.

If I had to choose one word to describe my new cocky costar, it’d be exasperating. Nikolas Adamos may look like a Greek god—and he certainly struts around like he knows it—but unlike everyone else, I refuse to fall prey to his charms. Unfortunately for me, Niko and I get paired to do a series of lovey-dovey boyfriend videos for our employers at Elite 8 Studios. And when you film the sort of scenes we do, up close and personal takes on a whole new meaning.

In a world where everyone wields magic, I'm the odd one out—ungifted and unsure. My lack of magic gnaws at my confidence, but amid this struggle, I find unexpected solace in Ayden, a fellow Ranger cadet. Our budding romance becomes the one bright spot in my life. Then everything changes. A shadowy threat emerges, and an ancient cult aims to resurrect a long-forgotten queen, plunging our world into chaos. Kidnappings and whispers of disaster force Ayden and me into a dangerous journey, one where trust is scarce, and betrayal lurks around every corner.

It’s about time roommates Alejandro and Kenny get married. Or at least, that’s what all their close friends and family think when they announce their engagement. The kicker? The two are faking their whole relationship so Alejandro can get a green card. But if Han was going to marry anyone, it would be his ride or die since second grade. Han has never been able to put down roots, and the only one who truly breaks through his walls is Kenny.

I don't ask for much from life; I get paid, and then I get laid. And piloting spaceships across the galaxy keeps my solo lifestyle well-funded. I don't need a relationship or any of the baggage that comes with it. I like my men like I like my coffee; to go. That is, until the most boring job in the universe goes horribly wrong and I'm snatched from my ship by a seven-foot alien. He's huge, he's purple, and he's ripped as hell. I'm sure I'm a dead man. Only it turns out he doesn't want to kill me. What he wants is far worse.

Proposing to my first boyfriend at a hockey game wasn’t my smartest move. Not only does said boyfriend walk out on me, but the whole stupid thing goes viral, and it turns out the man I was dating has too many boyfriends to count. Internet fame has crowned me a member of the Jilted Exes’ Club, a name I’d do anything to escape. One thing’s for sure: I’m not making the same mistake again. No more boyfriends, just easy hookups. And I’ll start with this gorgeous catch in Seattle. The only problem…he’s a god in bed, and I’m an inexperienced mess.

Living in Christmas Town doesn’t make me a fan of the holidays. Quite the opposite. In fact, eleven months out of the year, I’m perfectly happy running my bookstore in peace and quiet. Of course, that changes in December when it’s mistletoe madness and mayhem. Ugh. But this year, there’s a new cowboy in town and it’s not as easy to grumble about…anything. I admit, Hudson is handsome and hunky, but everyone knows I’m not myself till January, so he’ll have to buzz off and charm someone else.

Paris's path is clear, his future settled. He's trained his whole life in politics and the running of a kingdom. He's going to be an adviser to the future king, his beloved prince. But when his father dies unexpectedly, the current king takes the opportunity to get rid of him, sending him to the barbaric southern tribe lands of Nemeda as a diplomat. No one has ever returned from the tribes alive.

It's a new start—brand new school in a completely different state. For the first time, I now have the freedom to be unapologetically me. But as my luck would have it, I have shit taste in men. The first man to pay me a compliment has so many red flags, that I think I'm in a storm. Life can't get any worse… until he turns into a stalker. Then my stalker ends up brutally murdered, I walk blindly into a serial killer's nest, and I catch the attention of a sociopath.

Just the sight of Nico ‘Stix’ Jamieson makes me want to hurt something. Between his stupid smiles on that annoyingly handsome face and the constant drumming of anything that makes a sound with those drumsticks of his, I want to throttle him. No one is that happy. I don’t trust it. Even when my hate for him is clear, he throws it back in my face with a smile and wave. And how he loves to push my buttons when he’s feeling especially obnoxious. If I hate him, then why am I obsessed with him?

They say the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. But what if the someone else you're getting under is the exact person you've been trying to get over? It's no secret that River has been pining over his straight best friend, Adam. With Adam's heart shredded to pieces when he's dumped on his wedding day, will River be the best man to put him back together?

When I’m running on fumes while driving on what feels like the loneliest stretch of road in California, I worry I’m in trouble. Luckily, I happen upon Aqua Vista, a sleepy coastal town with the only pump for miles, and the grumpy owner who is more gorgeous than he has any right to be. When I’m told I’ll need more than fuel to disable the check engine light on my dash, I figure there are worse places to be stuck while my car gets needed repairs.

Making the cake for my ex-fake boyfriend turned best friend’s wedding the week before Christmas was easy. Carting it halfway across England in the snow was not. Especially not when a blown-out back tyre leads to me coming face to face with my long term crush for the first time in five years. I’ve known André since his days of boyband superstardom, but since I was supposed to be dating one of his bandmates, I was never able to act on my feelings. But now we’re both single and stuck in a hotel for the weekend with our interfering friends who seem determined to push us together.

Charlie Dawson is really good at running away. After the loss of her parents, she’s stayed as far away from Manhattan and her parents' hotel empire as she could—an act made easier when her brother ruthlessly cut her off from the family fortune. Closing her art gallery, abandoning her dreams, and moving across the country weren’t simple, but that was easier than grieving the loss of the two people she loved most.

Join us as we celebrate the THIRDS universe with this collection of flash fiction stories written to prompts submitted by fans. Sometimes we want to know more about our favorite characters. Where they came from, how they became who they are, their families, friendships, and past heartaches. These snippets of moments in time offer an inside look at the lives of our favorite THIRDS characters. Whether it’s first shifts, the forging of unbreakable bonds, or a night full of shenanigans, these stories are sure to enrich your THIRDS listening experience.

London 1860. I suppose you could say I was a voyeur and what I was doing was wrong, criminal even. But I’d suggest that no hot-blooded man could resist a look after finding peepholes behind the walls of Wychwood. Through the peepholes I saw my most secret desires playing out before my eyes. One of the gents I watched was deliciously handsome with brooding stormy eyes and darling black curls. So taken was I that he haunted my dreams. I knew the comely young man only by a number, 27 as none of the queer fellows who attended Wychwood gave their names.

Stuck in between the interstate and the Appalachians, one might think the panhandle of West Virginia would be the furthest thing from an accepting environment for a woman with strong ideas. Though they come from different walks of life, they each have something that keeps them here in the mountains. And once they find it, they may just lose any reason to leave.

Love, Lies, and Disinfectants! Cordelia Wainwright is a successful, self-absorbed actress with a neurotic need for cleanliness who learns that life and love are demanding and messy. Her story is one of discovery, deceit, redemption, and love. It takes the unyielding resolve of those who care about her most to teach her that love is not a dirty four-letter word but the greatest gift she could ever give and, more importantly, be given in return.

Scarlet Day, the magnetic lead singer of the all-female alt-rock band The Scarlet Begonias, is on the cusp of fame. Their first album just launched and they’ve landed a dream gig – performing on a luxury sapphic cruise to the Galapagos. To top it all off, during their first set on deck, she makes a connection with a mesmerizing woman in the crowd. Robin Barry is a solo traveler on a couples cruise, which has the potential to be painfully awkward. A veterinary researcher intent on focusing on the wildlife rather than the women, her plans change abruptly when she meets the sultry starlet.

Gelegentlich sind Menschen nicht die, die sie zu sein scheinen. Das Team um Benjamin Walsh ist weiterhin einem Geheimnis auf der Spur, dessen Aufdeckung das Ende einer im Verborgenen agierenden kriminellen Organisation bedeuten könnte. Im Zuge dessen gehen Lawrence Dockery und Police Detective Lee Summer auf eine gemeinsame Undercovermission. Die Anziehungskraft zwischen ihnen lässt die Funken sprühen. Können die beiden sich auf mehr als eine hitzige Romanze einlassen?

Josh Gray has made bad decisions and regretted them all, but it’s the rock ‘n roll lifestyle, so no problem, right? However, karma is a bitch. Mistake one…sleeping with the then boyfriend of the lead singer of one of the top bands, Social Sinners, which leads to Josh being fired as Ryder Hampton’s backup guitarist. Mistake two…signing on with Nicholas Shane Management, who promises a new band that’s the perfect fit. It turns out Nick is dealing dirty, and his company collapses when he’s sent to prison.

Elena St. Croix thought she had her life under control as the first bisexual omega star of the underground werewolf hockey league. But when her fated mate—a ruthless billionaire Alpha—betrays her for another, Elena is thrown into a whirlwind of forbidden love, enemies-to-lovers tension, and tangled loyalties.

Ashley Pierce, a world famous author, newly pregnant, perpetually single and straighter than an arrow, or is she? Queue in Katey Maverick her best friend and famous in her own right as a baker, and secretly in love with Ashley since middle school.

Bartender Chancy has her orderly life turned around when she is in an accident leaving her with no transportation. When a mutually beneficial business agreement between Remy and Chancy turns into undeniable attraction, will the two ignore culture norms to explore their intense desire for each other? Follow Remy and Chancy as they join the characters of the Trophy Wives Club and Pleasure Workers in a continued journey of love and exploration. Is love possible when women from two distinctly different social tracks are brought together by fate?

I have almost accomplished my life-long dream. I’m a racing driver in the best racing team out there, and I’m happy. Am I better than some of the other drivers? Maybe, but I’ve been content to stay out of the limelight... until I see him at the club, that is. I know at that moment I shouldn’t spend the night with him, but I do, anyway. That one decision is going to change my whole life; I just wasn’t sure when. Now, I’m being forced to decide if I want to go forward and complete my dream or stay content living in the shadows.