They call us the Firework Girls. I’m Sam. Let’s get one thing straight. Marriage is fine for some people, but it’s got nothing to do with me. If you knew the truth about my past, believe me, you’d understand. But hey, I’m not complaining. I’ve got a good job. Great friends. And when I need a little something in the man department, well... I’ve never had any trouble getting that when I want it either. Then Jack has to come along and screw it all up. I never saw it coming. I mean, we’ve been friends for six years. Years. But in one moment... one gooseflesh-inducing, world tilting, alarming moment... it all starts to change. Let me tell you something, the last thing in the world I wanted to do was freaking fall in love. But that Jack snuck right under my radar. I’m not too happy about it either. Not one damn bit. Firework Girls Series Reading Order: Forbidden Heat (Isabella and Shane) Midnight Heat (Chloe and Grayson) Eternal Heat (Ashley and Erik) Nuclear Heat (Sam and Jack) **

Letting him go was a mistake. Watching him with her is a disaster. They call us the Firework Girls. I’m Chloe. It’s bad enough to be left practically at the altar, even worse to rebound with a perfect guy at the wrong time. But seeing your soul mate hook up with one of your best friends? There’s only one word for that: Hell. Midnight Heat Excerpt: Isabella leaned back in her chair, draped one long arm over the back and said, “Two hopefuls. Four o’clock.” We followed her gaze and saw there were indeed a couple of “hopefuls” heading our way. Two guys who, I had to admit, had every reason to be hopeful. The one was tall and dark and would’ve been a perfect match for Isabella if she didn’t already have a boyfriend—now her fiancé—so loyal he moved to freaking Boston just to be with her. The other guy was more my type. Like, the heart-stopping type. As in, my heart actually stopped when I looked at him and I literally don’t know if that’s ever happened to me. He was wearing a dark, button-down shirt that made his chest look perfectly touchable and edible, and oh my god those broad shoulders. Am I the only girl that really notices the shoulders? I remember thinking that I could be perfectly happy hanging on to those babies in a moment of passion. (I was not wrong.) I’m not usually so bold to check out a guy’s package (something Sam once told me she does not understand), but I didn’t fail to notice his, wrapped up ever so nicely in his dark jeans thankyouverymuch. But when I looked back to his face, I couldn’t pull my eyes away from his. A stunning, slate blue. Dark blue, not like my icy blue eyes. They were gorgeous. He and Mr. Greek God came right to our table. While I could say I didn’t know who these guys came to see, it’d be a lie. Mr. Greek God was zeroing in on Isabella (poor guy), and Blue Eyes was looking right at me. The noise of the crowd fell away and I nearly forgot my girlfriends were there with me. A little voice way in the back of my head was telling me I was not interested, not interested, not interested. But the rest of me was captured. Firework Girls Series Reading Order: Forbidden Heat (Isabella and Shane) Midnight Heat (Chloe and Grayson) Eternal Heat (Ashley and Erik) Nuclear Heat (Sam and Jack) Author's note: Each Firework Girls book is a full-length novel. Due to strong language and sexual content, these books are not intended for readers under the age of 18. **

Don’t Pet the Teacher They call us the Firework Girls. I’m Isabella. My comfort zone consists of a bank of test tubes and a Bunsen burner. But having to take a philosophy class to graduate from college—well, that’s causing a different kind of burn altogether. I mean, the hottest professor at Hartman is looking right at me. Can you blame me for looking back? Forbidden Heat Excerpt: While listening to Jack’s story, I take another sip. Over the rim of my raised glass, just down the hall, I see Shane Brooks watching me. And he’s alone. He doesn’t seem to know I’ve spotted him, for his eyes are traveling down the length of my body, wrapped in form-fitting velvet, and back up again. He looks hungry, and slightly stunned. I slowly lower my glass, granting him full view of my cleavage, which he lingers on for a moment before finally, slowly, meeting my eyes. This time neither one of us look away. One heartbeat. Two. I lose count as the moment lingers on. “Ah!” Jack says suddenly, snapping me out of my trance. “Here comes our brigade.” I glance toward the Ladies room exit to see Chloe and Ashley emerge. Jack offers me his arm and I take it automatically, my eyes darting back to Professor Brooks, who’s still watching me. A soft ding sounds through the hall, indicating we have only two minutes remaining of the intermission. “Fair ladies,” Jack says, putting on a grand persona, “may I escort you back to your seats?” “Only if I can have the rest of your champagne,” Sam says, taking Jack’s glass and downing it. He smiles easily, leading us away. Still gripping Jack’s arm, I glance back over my shoulder. Shane Brooks is watching my every move. Firework Girls Series Reading Order: Forbidden Heat (Isabella and Shane) Midnight Heat (Chloe and Grayson) Eternal Heat (Ashley and Erik) Nuclear Heat (Sam and Jack) Author's note: Each Firework Girls book is a full-length novel. Due to strong language and sexual content, these books are not intended for readers under the age of 18. **

Play with me. They call us the Firework Girls. I’m Ashley. Music is like a lover, surrounding me. Filling me. Transporting me with its power. Much like he did … before he broke my heart. Erik was everything to me. My first love. My only true love. I thought I’d gotten over what happened when we were two young lovers in high school... until he shows up as a fellow graduate student at Hartman College. Now he’s not just back in my life, making me remember things I’d rather forget, he’s my biggest competitor. Because nobody plays piano the way Erik does. Not even me. That big competition coming up? The one that could land me in Lincoln Center, you know, the Lincoln Center? The competition that could mean big things for my life’s dream? Yeah, he’s going for it, too. I’m sunk. But that’s not the worst thing. Not at all. The worst thing is Erik Williams trying to work his way back into my heart. Again. I can’t let that happen. I won’t. Not after what he did, all those years ago... Eternal Heat Excerpt: “It’s been a long time since we played together.” I glance back at the piano. “Uh, yeah. It’s been a bit.” He gives me a questioning smile. I sigh and roll my eyes. “Alright then. You first.” He grins wider and heads to the bench. I can’t help but smile at him. I’ve missed playing with him, too. I drift to the piano and rest my hand on its smooth surface. His hands hover above the keys, but he doesn’t play. He glances up at me. He pats the spot on the bench next to him. I hesitate, then sit down. He takes a satisfied breath and begins to play. That’s all it takes. We’re caught up in the music again, but that’s not all. Or at least, it isn’t for me. As we take turns playing, and even play a duet together, I’m caught up in all those old feelings of love I had for him. They’ve returned so strongly, I’m not sure they belong entirely to the past. I feel a little swept out to sea. Erik is next to me and his music is all around me and my defenses are falling. He could walk right into my heart again, if he wanted to. We finish our duet but don’t say a word. We don’t look at one another. We only keep our eyes on the keys and our hands in our laps. I’m breathing a little too hard. He is too. “Ashley,” he says softly, “I’m really glad you’re here at Hartman.” I nod, keeping my eyes on the black and white keys in front of me. “I’m glad you’re here, too,” I say. And I am. I feel him looking at me. I slowly bring my eyes to his face. Everything else falls away. It’s only Erik. And me. And everything between us. He’s holding my eyes and I can’t look away. But I’m afraid because I think he’s going to kiss me, and what then? Firework Girls Series Reading Order: Each book in the Firework Girls series STANDS ALONE with no cliffhangers, but here’s the chronology if you want to read them in order. Which you totally should. Forbidden Heat (Isabella and Shane) Midnight Heat (Chloe and Grayson) Eternal Heat (Ashley and Erik) Nuclear Heat (Sam and Jack) Author's note: Each Firework Girls book is a full-length novel. Due to strong language and sexual content, these books are not intended for readers under the age of 18. **