Second Skin Series by Ophelia Bell

Not even the king of Los Angeles’s underground can stop me from loving Celeste.Arturo Flores could make me disappear with a snap of his fingers, and nearly did. Limping away from a beatdown when I was seventeen didn’t change the fact that his daughter was worth the pain. Running into her in my tattoo shop twelve years later, she still makes my blood run hot with a glance.But I’m not that clueless teenage boy anymore. And Celeste isn’t the only one I want... moreNot even the king of Los Angeles’s underground can stop me from loving Celeste.Arturo Flores could make me disappear with a snap of his fingers, and nearly did. Limping away from a beatdown when I was seventeen didn’t change the fact that his daughter was worth the pain. Running into her in my tattoo shop twelve years later, she still makes my blood run hot with a glance.But I’m not that clueless teenage boy anymore. And Celeste isn’t the only one I want.Leo is a temptation I crave, but in our world, admitting desires like mine could get me killed. The gangbanger is as ruthless as he is beautiful, yet he can’t see anything beyond Celeste. That hurts like hell to admit, but I would sooner die at her crime lord father’s hands than let either of them get hurt.I’m prepared to let them have each other when Leo comes to me with an offer. One that could connect the three of us in a way that flies in the face of the world we live in. His proposal ignites a fire in my veins. If it fails, we’ll all get burned, but for a man with nothing to lose, I’m just desperate enough to take that chance. less

Three years ago, J.J. Santos, Jr. got himself killed—at least that’s what it said on paper. The DEA resurrected me as Mason Black, forcing me to leave behind everyone I’ve ever card about, including an angel in blue scrubs I can’t seem to get out of my head.Her name is Dr. Callie Nicolo, and when our paths cross again, I’m in more danger than ever before. But I’m not about to leave her behind this time. Not even if it compromises my identity and my mission.I’m the kind of man who wants it all... moreThree years ago, J.J. Santos, Jr. got himself killed—at least that’s what it said on paper. The DEA resurrected me as Mason Black, forcing me to leave behind everyone I’ve ever card about, including an angel in blue scrubs I can’t seem to get out of my head.Her name is Dr. Callie Nicolo, and when our paths cross again, I’m in more danger than ever before. But I’m not about to leave her behind this time. Not even if it compromises my identity and my mission.I’m the kind of man who wants it all. I’ll find a way to pacify the warring cartels on my tail and make up for lost time with the woman of my dreams. Most importantly, I’ll protect what’s mine—the doc who saved my life in more ways than one, and the little girl waiting for me back in Mexico. less

There's trouble in paradise.All we had to do was make it through the weekend. It should've been a breeze. A tattoo convention in Cancún with Toni Valentine, the toughest and sexiest tattoo artist in the world? It was a dream come true.It was my chance to show her how I'd grown. I came to work for her when I was just some kid from LA and she already had a spread in Maxim and a successful video stream, but over the past three years, we've gotten close. And I had plans for us to get even closer... moreThere's trouble in paradise.All we had to do was make it through the weekend. It should've been a breeze. A tattoo convention in Cancún with Toni Valentine, the toughest and sexiest tattoo artist in the world? It was a dream come true.It was my chance to show her how I'd grown. I came to work for her when I was just some kid from LA and she already had a spread in Maxim and a successful video stream, but over the past three years, we've gotten close. And I had plans for us to get even closer.But now my plans have changed. Now I've got to prove myself in a different way—by saving her from one of Mexico's most brutal cartels.I'd do anything for Toni, and that includes walking right into the belly of the beast. And I'm not coming back without her. less

All my life I never imagined I might be a pawn in a dangerous game between two crime lords with a decades-old vendetta. But as the secret daughter of one of them, that's suddenly within the realm of possibility. At least unless the three men tasked with my protection manage to do their jobs.The problem is, one of the three is my boss—a man who owes my father a favor—and the other two are twins I knew as a kid who now handle his security, and who are definitely not kids anymore... moreAll my life I never imagined I might be a pawn in a dangerous game between two crime lords with a decades-old vendetta. But as the secret daughter of one of them, that's suddenly within the realm of possibility. At least unless the three men tasked with my protection manage to do their jobs.The problem is, one of the three is my boss—a man who owes my father a favor—and the other two are twins I knew as a kid who now handle his security, and who are definitely not kids anymore. Trapped in a tower with these three, I'm beginning to question my sanity. This high-rise is starting to feel too small for the desires we all seem to share. less

They say love is a battlefield…My family’s ties to a certain set of crime lords are more tangled and volatile than the wires in an IED. They’ve called on me to disarm a situation ready to explode, but in spite of all my training, I’m not sure any of us are getting out of this unscathed.That’s especially true when I find out the black-ops mission I’ve signed up for is commanded by none other than Sadie Watts, the girl who left me in the dust so many years ago I should be over it... moreThey say love is a battlefield…My family’s ties to a certain set of crime lords are more tangled and volatile than the wires in an IED. They’ve called on me to disarm a situation ready to explode, but in spite of all my training, I’m not sure any of us are getting out of this unscathed.That’s especially true when I find out the black-ops mission I’ve signed up for is commanded by none other than Sadie Watts, the girl who left me in the dust so many years ago I should be over it. But I’m not, and seeing her again, especially in such close quarters, is a distraction I can’t afford.I know what I’m out here fighting for—my brothers; my sister; the USA—but as we close in on our target, I start to wonder if it’s not her I’m fighting for too. less