Showing results by narrator "Chris Ruen" in All Categories

On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, Michael Benfante went to work, just like he had day after day, at his office on 81st floor in the World Trade Center North Tower. Moments after the first plane struck, just 12 floors above him, Benfante organized his terrified employees, getting them out of the office and moving down the stairwells. On his way down, he and another co-worker encountered a woman in a wheelchair on the 68th floor.

I fell in love with Carter James Callahan’s smart-mouthed smirk long before it was labeled “The Sexiest Smile in Hollywood.” I also fell for his broad, muscular shoulders, his impossibly blue eyes, his… Nope! Not going there anymore. Because while Carter may frequent my dreams every night, I will only ever frequent his friend zone, which is why I’m on an official mission to rid myself of my pesky feelings for him. I’m gonna put myself out there, start dating, and stop hopelessly crushing on my best friend. Deep down, I know this is for the best.

Now Emmaline Carson has settled into her career as a graphic designer, though she'd rather be painting or shopping with her sister Layla. But then - in the years before she went to art school in Paris - she was a shy, awkward teenager with frizzy hair, a flat chest, and a massive crush on the boy across the street, Cole Marlowe. Too bad her incredibly hot neighbor only had eyes for Layla.

Their love had the power of a runaway freight train, and the potential to be just as destructive. The tempestuous sequel to Bad Things picks up where the first book left off. Reeling from a profound loss, Tristan and Danika struggle to pick up the pieces and build a life together, but the hard habits of a lifetime are not so easy to escape. Rock Bottom takes us on a dual point of view journey through addiction and desire, through love and agony, and answers the question we've been asking since these characters were introduced in Grounded.

Once again, 26-year-old Layla Carson has the attention of a man eager to satisfy her. Ben Montrose, the hot, confident cop who gets off on frustrating her, is eager to show her just how arresting he can be. But as a reforming sexaholic, Layla's sworn off casual hookups and doesn't miss the days of her early 20s - much. Ben's caught off guard when the sexy, outspoken attorney turns him on and then turns him down. But the confident former marine knows he can handle the simple seduction of a beautiful woman.

Emma's with childhood crush Cole Marlowe, and Layla finally found Mr. Right in alpha cop Ben Montrose. But both couples face unexpected obstacles that will test their relationships. Layla and Emma find solace in each other as battle lines are drawn, and they rediscover the close friendship they lost over Cole. It's all on the line as the sisters struggle to find the answer to the most difficult question they've ever faced: Is the love they have now meant to last forever?

Two years ago, Jason and Kate Ryker were brought together by grief and bound to one another by love. Now married, they're confronting their fears together. But heartbreak finds them again, and the ties that bind Kate and Ryke are tested as she struggles against fear and sadness. As a grief counselor, Kate understands all too well the pain of her clients. And while her husband's career as an NHL forward is at an all-time high, he's coping with the frustration of feeling powerless as his wife's hopes slip away.

While recovering from a heart transplant, Nadia Carmichael is haunted by a recurring dream that sets her on a path to discover the identity of her donor. Her efforts are thwarted, however, when the father of her baby returns to wreak havoc on her life. It's not until Nadia learns of his estranged brother Jesse that she begins to explore the true nature of her dreams, and discover what her new heart truly desires.

When circumstance brings Kate and Ryke together, they discover they don't have to hurt alone. Bound by a grief that haunts them both, they must rely on one another to survive heartbreak. But that grief is more powerful than they realize, and the tie that binds them together may ultimately tear them apart.

Eli Sabatino, determined to make a name for himself amid Seaside, New Jersey's nightlife, has laid out the perfect plan for success. But that plan didn't include Layla, the hopeful bartender who walked in for an interview. He knows that as an employee this alluring blonde is off-limits, but he can't fight the undeniable force of attraction that pulls him toward her. Layla Del Luca has the weight of the world on her shoulders. With a full course load, a boyfriend, a sister to take care of, and an alcoholic mother, she needs to regain control of her life.

Seventeen-year-old Ashlyn Lanski is tired of her boring, single life. Swimming and spending time with Tatiana, her best friend, are her only sanctuary. The girls plan to leave their drab lakeside town far behind for college, and Ash hopes to finally ditch her longtime crush for Finley, Tatiana's twin brother. But when Tatiana and her family fail to return home after a family emergency, Ashlyn chooses to do something drastic to find them.

Carla Matthews is a single mother struggling to make ends meet and give her daughter Kaleigh a decent upbringing. When Kaleigh's absent father Seth - a famous alpine climber who never wanted to be tied down - begs for a second chance at fatherhood, Carla is hesitant because she doesn't want to pin her hopes on a man who is always seeking another mountain to scale. A man who was never willing to stay put in one place and raise a family.

One bad hit has left the career of young NHL center Luke Hudson in question. When he arrives for rehab with a minor league team, his injury has robbed him of the edge that made him great. Team trainer Adella Price's job is to help Luke get back in peak condition. But their one on one sessions shake her resolve to remain unattached. Dell is hands-off to all hockey players, even one as charming and successful as Luke.

Ash and Fin's only desire is to be together and dive into their happily ever after, though their conflicting worlds work to pull them apart. Neither is ready to convert to the other's life: Become a human or a mer. Little do they know that somewhere in Natatoria a secret holds the fine fabric of everyone's lives together. If the truth is discovered, Ash and Fin will no longer have the luxury of waiting. They'll be forced to choose. But will it be for loyalty or love? Or will someone else make the choice for them if they can't decide?

Years of training are about to pay off for hockey player Nikola Vereshkova. A call to play in the big league means he can finally come through for those who need him. His relocation to Chicago comes with built-in friends - and one gorgeous enemy who was less than impressed with him after their first encounter. Sadie Alexander knows all about the drastic measures men will take just to get laid. She's not only experienced it firsthand but lived to tell about it in her online column, Sadie Says.

Starting her career as a software engineer, Luba Sakharuk is well aware of the fear of failure that can creep in when new opportunities arise. Over the years, she has faced moments of doubt and questioned her abilities, time and time again, as she progressed her career. As each new chance appeared on the horizon, her limiting beliefs would kick in like clockwork. Yet, each time, the doubt faded away, to be replaced, on reflection, with a story of learning, and often success.

For five years, Abby has gone to sleep wondering about the family she never knew and waiting for her eighteenth birthday. But when her birthday finally comes, she hesitates. What if her birth parents want nothing to do with her?But just one month after her birthday, Abby and her adoptive parents have a disagreement that sends her searching for the birth parents she never knew.

A freelance film editor, Tracy Bateman goes where the work is. So when his old partner calls with an assignment, Tracy finds himself on a plane to Rome. But there are surprises waiting for him - deadly surprises that will lead him on a desperate chase across Europe, into the hands of a pair of brutal drug smugglers, and back to New York City, where the greatest betrayal of all awaits.…

Gin Fielding is counting the days until she escapes the small-town life of Roper, Missouri, for college at NYU. She prefers to blend in, though she’s far from invisible. But when she protects a younger student from a bully, the spotlight turns on her. Chase Matthews enjoys the small-town celebrity being the star quarterback brings. When Gin defends his little sister against a bully, he decides to change her senior year in ways she never imagined. When Gin declines Chase’s invitation to be part of the elite Sweet 16, the repercussions turn both their lives upside down.

After a summer spent with her aunt Dee in tiny Elsbury, Louisiana, former Chicago princess Libby Gentry traded in her old life for a new one with the Southern Casanova Blaine Crabtree. But just when she thinks things are changing for the better, old girlfriends of Blaine's start coming back into the picture, and not a single one of them are friendly or bad on the eyes. Combine the worry of passing her first semester at St. Joseph Community College and sponsoring her tomboy cousin in cotillion and Libby can barely keep up.