Fighting Heart: Fighting Heart Erotic Bad Boy Romance Series Book 1 (12 page)

Ashley Pearson, Age 23

Ashley has not had the easiest of lives, especially lately. She got to college after saving up enough money to get herself through year 1 and to pay off some of her tuition fees. She had just borrowed some, but there were complications with her loans. The basic result was that she would be able to afford it – just. Then there were problems with her brother, Regan. Regan the wayward, Regan to problem child, Regan the elder brother who her mother simply can’t help but indulge. Regan denies he is into drugs and drug dealing, but when he owes some money he is desperate. His mother wants to help but can’t, and Regan doesn’t admit the full extent of his problems. But Ashley sees through it and knows he is in dire straits. He will he crippled or worse if she doesn’t pay up to save him. She pays up, and blows her college budget. Regan swears to repay, but she knows the truth. Ain’t gonna happen.  Now she goes to college to pursue her dreams, knowing that its an illusion. She doesn’t have the money, but she’ going to find a way. Determined. Resourceful. Imaginative. Serious with a funny streak.

What’s she been doing until now? She’s put off uni until now because of doing a gap year travel with a boyfriend Fletcher. They are still friends though Fletcher is travelling still, the perpetual hippie traveller. Then Ashley got a job, but realised she’s sold out to the career game too early. She’d never met mister right, but has had a couple of boyfriends like Fletch, but nothing brilliant. In the main she has been propping up her divorced mother’s income and sweeping up after Regan’s problems. Now she wants a life of her own.  Ashley’s mother never really appreciated the true extent of what Ashley was doing for her.

Ashley is 5’6” slim and attractive with a serious face. She doesn’t go out much because she doesn’t want all the shit that goes with it – male idiots pushing her around and trying it on. She is anxious and testy, because she wants to college life but hasn’t paid her dues yet. The story starts when she is facing the college dean about her financial situation and it is make or break. He gives her an ultimatum which drives her story and her meeting with Brandon and Cody.

Ashley hails from Essex. She has lived there since birth. Her father left the family when he cheated Ashley’s mother when she was ten. Ashley has had some really negative experiences with male father figures, including her mother’s new partner, Rick, a father figure who tried it on with her.  She fought him off, but the guy turned it around and blamed her and the mother believed him for a bit. They’ve never really dealt with that in truth and there is resentment there. Rick has since moved on.

Ashley’s main mission is to scrape enough money to pay her way towards that final semester deadline. She will have to repeat it ever term.

Her secondary goal, though she doesn’t quite realise it – is to find the man of her dreams. She pretends she is happy being alone, but really she wants an amazing relationship.

She has a lot of Inner conflict because of her rubbish dads and so she is very judgmental of male behavior. Rick’s example lingers in her mind and then there’s Regan too. There are not many good men in her life. “It would be easier if I was a lesbian” she jokes.

Brandon Lynes, aged 21

A young man blessed with a muscle man’s physique without having to put in too much effort. He runs and goes swimming which helps sculpt his body. He comes from a money-rich background, and has landed on his feet. Before he arrives at university he has already been published by a small press and is getting noticed by the big leagues. He is in the second year of his course, but he is also two years younger than Ashley. He is the darling of the student union, of the literary society, and of the female English professors. He believes he is destined for big things, and so do most of the others, except for Professor Cantor who believes he is pompous and over rated as a writer. 

Brandon lives a bit like an imaginary rock star. He has money, groupies, and is cossetted because of a family allowance he receives. But his family will only indulge him so far, and if things go wrong, his allowance may not enough to pay for his needs.

He is a flawed vain, and arrogant person but looks delicious and is very charismatic when he is first met. Hence the attraction. His writing and his success sound good too. He has a gang of people who roam around with him making him seem important and popular. But he gets drunk, smokes dope, and stays up late. Cool at first, not so cool very soon.

He hails from South West London, from money, and could get angry as soon as his easy life begins to get less easy. He is controlling and wants his life just so. Including his girl.  He could remind Ashley of Rick before long, but not until it is too late. He is 21. He is no fighter, but his size gives him the edge on quite a few people and he is not afraid to use it…

Brandon’s goal is to look cool, be popular and enjoy life the whole way through. He is coasting- hard.

And heading for a fall. When he falls he will take it out on everyone else.

Cody Barnes, aged 21

Born of American parents who moved to the UK when he was an infant, Cody has grown up with a hint of an American accent but also is extremely English. He is foppish and eloquent. He sometimes wears a beard. He is 23 like Ashley, and didn’t want to follow his parents into the specialist industry they are in. He wanted to be a poet, but for the last few years has been writing short stories. He wants to write the great English novel, he jokes. Accidentally, he will soon use his muse to write a novel Seismic Girl. Within a couple of stories time he could exceed Brandon’s success and become the darling of the college. Watch Brandon’s rage then. He is in love with the moody blonde Ashley, but doesn’t know it initially. All he knows is that she is captivating and aloof and a bit of a loner like him.

His parents work as senior engineering for a pharmaceutical giant. He is an anomaly in the family, but probably a quirk of his different upbringing. He is redheaded, intelligent, quirky, sensitive, and handsome but not conventionally so mainly because of his read hair and sometimes glasses.

Cody wants success as a writer. But when he begins to get to know Ashley there is one thing he wants more than that. He is in love and wants to be with her.