HARD CRUSH is a sizzling standalone romance from USA TODAY Bestselling author Mira Lyn Kelly. A jaded billionaire. The girl who got away. A second chance has never been so sexy. ABBY Technology has it out for me. And I’m not talking about my ever-ailing phone or the temperamental Smart Board in my classroom. I’m talking about the internationally hailed “Tech Genius” formerly known as the boy I used to love. It was bad enough seeing that cocky smile staring back at me from my newsfeeds, the gossip sites, and—fine—the scorchingly hot men’s fitness magazine I bought in a moment of weakness. But now he’s back home, teasing me with the memories I’ve tried to leave behind, crowding into my space and taunting me with the kiss I can’t resist. I know it’s only a matter of time before I lose him again. He’s already told me he isn’t staying, warned me he’s changed. I know better than to let him get too close, so why can’t I push him away? HANK They call me a visionary. An innovator. Hell, last week a headline touted me as the billion-dollar geek keeping Silicon Valley’s panties wet. Try living that down. Strip away the media BS, and I’m just a tech-minded guy with my eyes on the future and no time for a past I can't change. So what am I doing following the sweet sound of its laugh back to the woman who passed on our chance at forever? I tell myself all I want is to say hello. To see her smile. Just a few minutes to pretend we’re still the “us” I thought would never end. But once I've had a taste of the too tempting woman she's become, a few minutes isn’t enough. The man I am today is used to getting what he wants, and I want her. The problem? She wants the guy I used to be. Ten years later, all that’s changed is… everything.

This NHL star isn’t afraid to play dirty to get his girl It started as a joke… A throw away promise between friends. A dare for a single kiss at our reunion and nothing more. But that kiss… That kiss was no joking matter. It was hot and wet. A hands-everywhere, breathless kind of insanity that left us both teetering on the brink. She’s got rules about dating guys like me… Rules I respect the hell out of when they apply to any other pro athlete. But as they apply to me? Well, those rules are about to be broken.

I'm not a total dick… Most days, I'm a damned decent guy. Just not around my buddy's sister. She's sexy as sin, sharp as hell, and she's also the lush little harpy who's been rubbing me wrong since we were kids. I don't want to do her a favor… If it had been any other damsel in distress looking to shake some unwanted attention, I'd have been the perfect fake boyfriend for all of five minutes. But Laurel brings out the bastard in me, and five minutes hardly seemed enough time to make her squirm. She wants to one-up me, and I want to win. But maybe I need a favor too...