by Crow, Baylin
Sincerity laces his tone, and I know he means it. "What are you going to do about it?"
He grabs the rulebook and tosses it aside before whipping his shirt over his head. "I'm going to love you for as long as I draw breath." He muscles through flipping me on my back and crawls over me. "I'm going to kiss you until you can't take it anymore."
“You’re not going to get an argument from me.” I tug him down, taking his mouth with mine. He kisses me, giving me what I want—the taste of him, my fiancé, on my tongue.
Rook jerks back and winces. "One last thing. My parents didn't actually leave… They'll be there tomorrow and are expecting the proposal. Think you could fake it? Just for old times’ sake?"
Laughter shakes my shoulders. "I fucking love you."
"Back at you, sugar lips." He winks and silences my protests against the nickname that I don't quite hate anymore.
Every day I fall deeper in love with him. Rook owns my heart. Has since the moment I met him.
"Where's my ring?" I mumble into his mouth.
He jerks back. "Shit. I knew I'd fuck this up."
When he tries to climb off of me, I'm not ready to let him go. "Later. Right now I just want you."
He shakes his head. "No. Seeing you naked, wearing nothing but my ring. You have no idea how bad I've wanted that. It's been fucking killing me."
When I reluctantly release him, he leans over and slides open the nightstand drawer on his side of the bed and draws back, holding a simple silver band.
Lifting to his knees, he takes my hand in his much rougher one. "Noah?"
"Rook?" I grin as he places the ring around my fingertip.
He clears his throat and swallows audibly, throat bobbing. "You know you have all of me, right? Every last inch of my heart and soul belongs to you."
A lump swells in my throat as I stare into the whiskey eyes I've loved for more than a decade. "Yeah. And I plan on making sure you know you own me too. For the rest of my life."
"Damn right." He grins and finally slips the band onto my finger. "For-fucking-ever."
I laugh as I check out the ring, glinting in the light. "Still a little creepy."
He grips my jaw again, forcing me to meet his gaze. "Too late to back out now."
"Shut up and kiss me."
He does.
In the kiss—the promise of a lifetime together.
With his touch—a branded oath.
I'll love him until forever. And even then, it'll never be enough.
The End
Acknowledgments
This book wouldn't have been published without my incredibly appreciated support team. This year has been rough with the pandemic. It tossed an extra dose of upheaval in my personal life, so I want to start with thanking my kids who, despite being stuck at home, have handled all the things thrown at them this year with maturity beyond their years.
Kid one and two, you better never actually be reading this. You two rock for understanding and finding ways to keep busy while I was stationed in front of my laptop for hours on end.
To my loudest cheerleader, my mom, you are probably the biggest reason my books see the light of day. Thank you for all your pep talks and all-around support.
Jill Wexler, Rheland Richmond, Abigail Kade, Brittany Cournoyer, and Gwen Martin, thank you for talking me down when I have occasional (or often) panic attacks and giving me an ear to vent to. Sorry in advance for the next time it happens.
My Crow's Clubhouse reader group, you guys are amazing. It's nice to know I've got my own corner of the online world filled with readers and authors who support my work and provide a positive and fun atmosphere.
This gorgeous cover was the result of the wonderfully talented Cate Ashwood who made my vision come to life. Kudos, girl. I'm picky as hell about covers.
Thank you to the many authors, groups and blogs that help spread the word of The Faker Rulebook.
To you, the reader, I couldn't do this whole author thing without you. Thank you for reading, reviewing, recommending and sharing the book. It means the absolute world to me.
XOXO -Baylin
About Baylin
Bios are challenging. I don't have a clue how to write about myself. Fictional characters? Sure! Me? Not so much. It's the reason my author bio stayed practically blank until after I finished my second novel.
Who am I? Well, I guess I should start by telling you that I write MM romance and I love what I do.
I fell in love with writing during elementary school with my first "Bare Book" but honestly never thought I'd become an author. It always seemed to be something I dreamed of and not something I could make a reality. Now that I have, I can't picture myself doing anything else.
I live in Texas where the heat and I don't get along. One day I hope to call Northeast USA home. I'm a mother of two ridiculously cute kids. I have two dogs and one cat, the latter of which is a spoiled brat, but she's my spoiled brat.
Spending the day under a fluffy blanket reading or writing away on my laptop with a mountain of coffee is my idea of time well spent. I get to live so many lives through books that I consider myself genuinely lucky to call myself an avid reader. Books, whether I'm reading or writing them, make up a huge part of my life and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Ways To Connect With Baylin
Facebook
My Reader’s Group: Crow's Clubhouse
Goodreads
BookBub
Instagram
Amazon Author Page
Baylin’s Books
Sugar Land Saints Series
Quarterback Sneak (Book One)
Broken Play (Book Two)
Recovered Fumble (Book Three)
Book Four Coming Soon
Guys Next Door Series
Stripped Love (Book One)
More Titles Coming Soon
Nothing Serious Series
Fling (Book One)
Standalone
Risk
Scar
Also Available: Stripped Love
Stripped Love
Phoenix—I never intended to become a stripper.
Two years ago I was in Nashville chasing the songwriter dream. Sleepless nights between day jobs were spent writing rock ballads and trying to make a name for myself.
That all changed with one phone call that forced me to return to Atlanta.
Needing consistent income to pay the mountain of debt I'd come home to, I traded stripping my soul for stripping my clothes.
Then Archer West comes crashing into my VIP room, tempting me to break all of my rules.
I want him—bad.
What I don't count on is finding him living right next door for the summer. Inexperienced and with a creative drive that rivals my own, he stirs the lyrics in me once again.
Now I crave more than his body. Archer West has quickly become my unexpected muse.
A tattooed stripper and introverted college student collide in the first book of the steamy standalone romance series Guys Next Door. Each book is loosely tied so that each can be read individually.
Also Available: Fling
FLING (NOTHING SERIOUS BOOK ONE)
Our time together has an expiration date.
HAYDEN: I don't remember a time when I didn't love him.
The only guy I've ever wanted sees me as nothing more than the kid next door and his younger sister's best friend. But when Dean comes home after college graduation, things are different. I've grown up, and the way his golden-brown gaze scorches a path over my body tells me he's noticed. When he makes me an offer I should refuse, I'm caught between my feelings for him and logic screaming that this idea is doomed to end in heartbreak.
DEAN: I'm not interested in anything serious but I need to have him.
I plan on spending a few months at home relaxing before beginning my dream internship. What I don't count on is my little sister's best friend sending me for a loop. He should be off-limits, but the pull I feel toward him is too strong to igno
re. When I come up with a solution to spend the summer together in secret, I'm sure I have it all figured out. I just need to work him out of my system.
It’s supposed to be free of complications…a fling. By the end of summer, it’s anything but simple.
Also Available: Risk
RISK
We never should've been anything more than roommates.
DREW: Life dealing me a hard blow is nothing new. What's one more sucker punch?
When my uncle offers me a job working at his MMA training center, I jump at the chance to turn my life around... not upside down and questioning everything I know about myself.
Light Heavyweight Champion Asher Ramsey is the definition of a ladies' man. His stormy gray eyes and inked skin call to the artist in me and make me itch for my pencils and sketch pad so I can capture every detail. If I'm honest, they make me itch to touch every detail too, which confuses me.
After he offers to let me stay in his guest room, I discover there's more to Asher than he allows the world to see.
ASHER: My life is a lie. A play written and directed by my PR manager.
With the biggest fight of my career only weeks away, my focus is on securing my title. Losing my belt to some new up-and-comer isn't an option, and I can't afford any distractions. Or an unwanted attraction.
When Drew begins working at the gym where I train, my priorities waver. To make things worse, I offer to let him stay with me until he finds a place of his own. It'll be fine. Sure, I'm attracted to him, but I'm an expert at hiding behind the mask of a straight man. Besides, he's completely off-limits. Not that it matters—we don't even play for the same team.
What's the worst that can happen?
Also Available: Quarterback Sneak
Quarterback Sneak (Sugar Land Saints Book 1)
The boundaries of our friendship are tested and lines are crossed.
RUSH: I'm in love with my best friend.
There wasn't an exact moment when I fell for him. It was something that grew and evolved over time. He loves me back, but it'll never be more than platonic. It can't be because he's straight.
Then one night he kissed me and left me with more questions than answers. The very next morning my trust was shattered by a family secret. I'd been lied to my whole life. He was by my side through it all, offering support when I needed it most.
How can I risk losing a friendship that held me together when I was falling apart?
TORIN: He friend-zoned me.
Four years ago, I gathered enough courage to kiss my best friend. What I'd hoped would be a pivotal moment that would start a new kind of relationship between us was over before it began. His world was upended, so I put my feelings aside and stepped back into my role as a friend he could count on.
He wasn't ready then, but now it's time to find out if he's willing to take a chance on us being something more.
We've been friends, roommates and teammates, but I want him, body and heart.
Quarterback Sneak is a low angst, high steam novella about childhood friends, trust and football.
Also Available: Broken Play
Broken Play (Sugar Land Saints Book 2)
We're friends, teammates—and we hook up. Often.
Shaw: He's intense and the heat of his stare is hot enough to set fires.
The first time we got together, it was a spontaneous earth-shattering moment. I wanted more. So, of course I popped the question.
“Yours or mine for round two?” That’s where the trouble began. We agreed on an exclusive, no strings arrangement. When one of us is ready to walk away, we'll still be friends. Perfect, right?
He's not exactly a people person—understatement of the year—but I've seen the real him and he's so much more than the broody loner others see him as.
But the brilliant plan backfired. I accidentally caught feelings.
Bishop: He could be my game-changer but there's a problem.
He put a dent in my armor when he decided I needed a friend. Then he managed to crawl under my skin—and between my sheets.
He's the one person in the world I trust, and he's mine, for as long as this lasts. But I think I messed up and likely lost him for good.
The role in my family's company I've been groomed for my entire life competes with my growing feelings for him. Turns out I can't have them both.
What a terrible time to realize he means more to me than just a friend and convenient hookup.
Being friends with benefits is the perfect arrangement until someone falls in love.
Broken Play is the second book in the Sugar Land Saints series. It's a story about finding that one person that gets you, choosing your own future and the love of football.
Also Available: Recovered Fumble
Recovered Fumble (Sugar Land Saints Book 3)
Rendon: Nash is football royalty in this town and has an ego to match.
We met at a party--the last place I wanted to be. Full of confident swagger, the campus playboy approached me. It was hard to believe he was interested in me, but he was. Interested in hooking up, that is.
When things ended before they really even began, we agreed once the semester started it'd be best to keep our distance from each other. But I'm the only one holding up my end of the deal.
He thinks he can just waltz back into my life, turn on the charm and have me with a simple snap of his fingers. He can't.
Nash: Rendon is off-limits but I want him anyway.
With dreams of going pro depending on my current season, I know I should have stayed away from him. Hooking up with a teammate's younger brother was asking for trouble.
It's been months since I've seen him and the moment I set eyes on him my already cracked resolve crumbles to dust. That small taste of him I had isn't enough. It will never be enough.
Now that he's back on campus to stay, I plan on picking up where we left off... Except now he says he doesn't want me.
Rendon may be a virgin but Nash is the one who has no clue what he's doing.
Recovered Fumble is the third book in the Sugar Land Saints series and the first full-length novel. It's a story about opposites with undeniable chemistry, a well-rounded education and the love of football.
Also Available: Scar
SCAR
A closed-off bartender. An outgoing college athlete. Sparks fly...but will anyone win this battle of wills?
BEARD: Oh, I want him. But it's too risky.
My past isn't pretty. After a disastrous incident nearly destroyed me, I rose from the ashes to reclaim my life. I may not be happy, but I'm comfortable. And I'll never let anyone get close enough to hurt me again. But then six feet of pure temptation walks through the doors of my bar...repeatedly...for a year. I've done a good job of ignoring the sexy college soccer player, until the night his teammates leave him stranded and intoxicated, forcing me to offer him shelter. Now I can't shake the persistent man.
SOCCER: I play to win. But he's more than a game.
As a forward, it's my job to score points. Too bad I haven't been able to do that with the local green-eyed bartender. I haven't been subtle about my attraction, and Beard's interest shines through his gruff exterior...whether he chooses to admit it or not. When my well-meaning teammates intervene, using questionable tactics, and leave me at Beard's mercy, it's time to make my move.
When past hurts threaten to destroy their chance at happiness, is it time for Soccer to push forward to reach his ultimate goal...or has he made a play destined for mutual heartbreak?
This is a standalone novella.
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