He had wanted Tess Meriwether for years, but he had scared her away after nearly claiming her innocence in one out-of-control moment. But when Tess barely escapes a killer's bullet, Dane appoints himself her protector, whisking her away to his Texas ranch. Now his toughest challenge is convincing Tess to accept safety in his arms.

    The Best of Betty Neels Famous for her touching romance, exotic locales and charismatic heroes, Betty Neels has been thrilling romance readers for over 30 years. These four books are classic Betty Neels, written in her famous heartwarming tradition that delights readers and guarantees sales. READER'S CHOICE--Available on Standing Order or as single titles. Your Harlequin Sales Group representative can review this unique program with you.

    He seems determined to rebuild her life--but why is he taking such a personal interest in her? Reissue.

    JULYHeartbreaker: Lean, rugged Dan Blaylock. Part Apache, part Spaniard and all dangerous, rough-around-the-edges man.Hellraiser: Sassy, smart-mouthed Hannah Jordan--a tough, hardworking woman ... except when Blaylock shoots a smoldering glance her way.History: Hannah rode out of town years ago, cussing up a storm about secrets and that darn Dan Blaylock.Well, well, thought Dan, that stubborn redhead had finally come home to claim her birthright. The Camelot ranch was Hannah's--if she stayed for a year and accepted Dan as overseer. She was stuck with him whether she liked it or not. And if the slow, sensual way her gray eyes traveled up and down the length of him was any indication, Dan knew she liked it plenty....

    She was so moved by the sight, she slipped down the ravine and landed at his feet. And he was gentlemanly enough to stand and introduce himself. All of himself. For more than the obvious reasons, the return of Slater Rutledge to the Tennessee mountains was disastrous for Kaley. Even with Christmas coming, the feud that had divided their families thirty years ago was as fresh as the day it was born. Her ancestors had used shotguns, but Kaley decided to kill her adversary with kindness. When her plan backfired and she ended up quarantined with Slater, it was anybody's guess who'd survive till Christmas.

    . . — They were Regan Thorne's legacy--and the key to the dark mystery swirling around her. It looked more and more as if those five glorious jewels might just cost her her sanity--and maybe her life. — Regan was used to handling problems on her own, but this time she had to have help. She found what she needed--and a whole lot more--in the unwilling person of Cole Shepherd. But the cynical, hard-bitten man made a practice of never, ever, getting involved.He wanted her to believe she'd be better off without the likes of him in her life. But Regan Thorne wasn't in the jewel business for nothing. She knew a diamond in the rough when she saw one...

    For although his very presence set her blood on fire, Alain was the most unlikely suitor of all....

    But he didn't know his new housekeeper had a secret that could destroy his family... or that he'd have to shield his child from that secret. And Seth was the type of man who'd summon all his power and strength to protect his own...GEMINI WOMANMargo hadn't planned on lying to Seth, but her impulsive nature had seen a chance to be near his daughter and she'd grabbed it. She'd do anything to discover the truth about her lost child, but she hadn't planned on falling in love. Not with the little girl who might be her own.. and certainly not with the girl's father. The one thing Margo hadn't anticipated was a...COSMIC ATTRACTION

    Ali Charbonneau took one look at the brooding but oh-so-sexy Nicholas Knight and she was hooked! Nicholas declared he wasn't interested--even though the fire in his eyes told another story. He tried to run her out of town, but Ali knew he would like nothing better than to keep her in his bed.The seductive spell between them raged, but Nicholas attempted to ignore his desires. Ali resembled his dead fiancee and stirred up painful memories. He didn't want a repeat of bad history. The townspeople thought he'd murdered the woman he'd loved.And, sometimes, Nicholas did, too....

    Armed with her trusty new guidebook to marriage, Amy knew that finding the perfect mate would be as easy as pie. It was just a matter of the right ingredients—a dash of this, a pinch of that and voilà! Wedding cake!Amy was crazy, Jake Weston decided. Certifiable. With her cookbook approach to marriage, his childhood nemesis shouldn't be unleashed on the unsuspecting bachelors of California. Especially since she'd informed him that passion was out, and practicality in—and particularly since she'd looked so sexy when she'd said it. But when she tried to recruit him to find likely prospects, Jake knew it was time to take matters into his own hands....

    She was also being pursued-by a skilled assassin. Charming, mysterious Nick Rostov hadn't convinced Jordan that her search for a famous client's roots would lead them to a priceless object d'art.The Radetsky Music Box was renowned for its legend of great love and deep tragedy-but it had vanished during the chaos of the Russian Revolution. Jordan knew she was on to something big when her European tour took a deadly turn. Nick wasn't the only one interested in an exquisite piece of history. But was he the most dangerous?

    But the arrival of the veterinarian was enough to soothe the anxious "papa's" nerves--until he found out that Katrina Racanelli specialized in house pets!LEO WOMANKatrina Racanelli had tried to tell Rafe the truth, but he'd paid more attention to the mare! True, the love-shy widow had been distracted by the Aquarian's good looks and charm, but it took more than a sexy smile to make this Kat purr! That foggy night was the first of many stormy encounters before the complex Aquarian and proud Leo would admit what their matchmaking relatives knew all along--that theirs was a .. .COSMIC ATTRACTION

    Stacking building blocks with preschoolers was a far cry from a power lunch. But Colly Fairchild required all parents to "do time" at her nursery school. James quickly realized that not only could he be with his son . . . he could get closer to the vivacious, intriguing Colly, as well!AQUARIUS WOMANColly had planned only on teaching James to be more than a weekend father-not the perfect husband. But the persistent Taurus man made it clear that he enjoyed practicing for that role, too. Between picnics and playtime came more adult pursuits that didn't make naptime come easily! Could James's charm win over free-spirited Colly and prove there was aCOSMIC ATTRACTION

    SEPTEMBERName: Navarrone SanteeType of Man: Rugged. Fearless. All male. A man's man--and a woman's lover.Occupation: Chief of Police--and champion of lost causes.Obsession: first, settling a score with an old enemy. Last, Erin Hayes. A brave, beautiful woman with a painful past.Navarrone Santee was a man of great passion. Those he loved, he protected fiercely. Those he hated, beware. But Dr. Erin Hayes refused to be neatly slotted into any category. Navarrone had never known a woman so responsive-or one sc afraid. He tried to resist her, yet one look from her clear, honest eyes threw his whole body into turmoil. Navarrone knew he had to have Erin no matter what-but he also knew that in his search for justice, Erin would pay the price....

    The Cowboy's Mistress by Cathy Gillen Thacker released on Jul 24, 1992 is available now for purchase.

    She had just opened shop as a private investigator and business was deader than a corpse. Through the grapevine, she heard about a job that could make her reputation and big bucks. Actor Zinn Garrett and his young daughter needed protection from a crazed female fan who was stalking them. One little major impediment--Sydney hated actors and the Hollywood dream factory.Convincing Zinn to hire her to pose as his live-in lover to bait the fan had, surprisingly, been a breeze. But then Zinn was like no actor she'd known--he was smart, cynical and devastatingly sexy. Soon, acting like lovers became a deadly threat to Sydney's heart ... and life.

    But she didn't heed the warning in her famous patient's brooding silences.Recovering from a near-fatal plane crash, Sandor was a commanding, compelling presence - though it was against all the rules, Bruce was drawn to him, body and soul. But odd incidents and strange accidents cast sinister shadows over their love.And when Sandor spoke of a curse he'd inherited from Transylvanian ancestors, nothing daunted Bruce more than the prospect of exploring that dark mystery. But the alternative was worse. For Bruce knew with chilling certainty that her love for Sandor had put her life in peril.

    The mysterious model was the envy of most women and the desire of all men. Few knew of the reclusive cover girl's painful past or the shocking secret she lived with daily. But one man was destined to learn the truth.....Patrick McCallum saw Jordana and knew that she would be his. The sexy Scotsman had a playboy's reputation and, once chosen, no woman could deny him. But Jordana was different. The bewitching beauty didn't succumb to Patrick's good looks or Gaelic charm.A closer look at his latest challenge revealed far more than a pretty face. It was there, in Jordana's eyes, that Patrick found his heart.....

    The older woman had found more than a bridge partner in his wealthy, elderly uncle, and Steven knew the long-legged Lenore was quite short on cash. Yet watching every move Lenore made had Steven forgetting everything....PISCES WOMANHow dare that grumpy, gorgeous man be so hard-hearted! Not the trusting type herself, Lenore found herself hoping to see something besides suspicion shining in the sexy loner's eyes. But as she and Steven trailed after their respective relatives, Lenore soon learned that even a tall, dark and crabby Cancer couldn't resist a ...COSMIC ATTRACTION

    David couldn't believe the gawky teenager he had teased had become the tall, elegant woman before him. But she sure hadn't lost the ability to drive him crazy!PISCES WOMANHow could she have done such a thing?Eugenic Jones kept asking herself. David was the same obnoxious, irritating, cocky... gorgeous hunk she'd always known. He could still make her angry, but now David stirred another emotion in Eugenic--passion! Was she really hooked for life on this exasperating, irresistible Pisces man? Love him or hate him, she couldn't deny that what they had between them was a . . .COSMIC ATTRACTION

    His brother was murdered, his family disgraced. Now it was left to Joseph to save the family honor and, as the trail of destruction continued, their lives.The FBI had jurisdiction, but as an outsider, Special Agent Glenna Day was shunned by the Hopi Nation - and by Joseph. She'd come to help, but memories stood in the way. Between them burning the embers of a long-ago love...and a past transgression that had never been forgiven.With an uneasy alliance, FBI Special Agent Glenna Day and Hopi Indian Joseph Payestewa followed the forbidden trail to the sacred objects. But with each setting sun, the ancient Hopi curse inched closer to its victims...

    But what was she to do? She simply refused to marry a man who wasn't dashing and mysterious. And no man in her sleepy village so far from London fit the bill, until handsome and very mysterious Jared Prescott moved into the neighboring estate. Jared had come to the country seeking privacy. He hadn't counted on meeting pretty, persistent Rachel, much less wanting to court her! Suddenly, his reputation as a hermit was a damned nuisance, but he couldn't risk coming clean with his suspicious neighbors especially when there was a killer on the loose.

    Defense mechanisms went on full alert the moment she laid eyes on her new boss. Helen had a family to protect, a job she needed and a past that left fear and uncertainty where there should have been flesh-and-blood woman.But Ross dared to tread where her door had closed, unable to quell his longing for this fragile beauty with the strength often. Was he strong enough to crack that fortress around Helen's heart--and offer refuge in his own?

    Especially when she realizes he's nothing like the man she imagined - in fact, he's totally irresistible! And that's before he kisses her...

    A short time later, they divorced in a fit of fury. No one would have dared to bring them together again.... — Except a woman who'd had an even more notorious past. When Megan and Devlin met at the run-down California Victorian they'd inherited from Devlin's grandmother. it was any9one's guess how the runion would end.But, Devlin and Megan couldn't have been more surprised when their hands-on renovation project unleashed the torrid flame of temptation.And just about the time they learned about the scnadalous past of Gram's house, it began to have an equally scandalous present....

    How would he like it if she turned the tables on him for a change? Only, Lindy thought hesitantly, the fact that he was convinced she was married to another man did complicate the matter somewhat. But she would find a way out of that, too...

    And sly Meg was sure she would have escaped, if not for Villa's American bandido, Timothy Carson, whose piercing blue eyes and mysterious charm held her captive as surely as any bonds.

    Kendra Davis was having a terrible vacation so far--no heat in the ski lodge, a noisy party in the next room keeping her awake--but she felt even worse when she pounded on their door in her flannel nightgown only to be greeted by the handsomest hunk in town! MacKenzie O'Conner's eyes sparkled with warmth as he called her "darlin'" in a dangerous drawl and invited her to join him. When Mac's bold foray down the ski slope left him with stitches and a concussion, Kendra played angel of mercy--but spending the night in his room was just too seductive. Mac's kisses made her dream of black velvet nights and tangled sheets, but shed never learned how to be spontaneous, reckless... until her passionate patient taught her how much fun it could be! Could she believe that he'd want her always, not just one night?

    She found the refuge so long denied her on an isolated ranch in Idaho's tranquil Sawtooth Valley. The proud, hardworking people of the Double H offered the city-bred stranger what she needed most-a welcome that asked no questions. And it was on the Double H that she found a man who made her believe that even she could dream of love. Boone Harlow was a true man of the West, a plainspoken rancher who valued the truth above all. And yet it was the truth that threatened the ,only home, and the only love, that Lucie had ever known...

    — She had naively declared her love for Leo, had given him her heart, her body. He had taken both and then abandoned her apparently without a second thought. — Six years later, matured by life and engaged to another man, she should have been able to face him on more equal terms. But , in fact, she couldn't. And that, Rowena decided, was the reason her heart pounded in Leo's presence -- it had nothing to do with her old feelings for him. Or did it?

    Now the gift she had bought for her young daughter was missing. In its place was a leather dog collar studded with diamonds!He Had the Wrong IdeaJames Leigh would never have believed the beautiful American tourist was a common thief. But she had made off with his diamonds and left him with a child's bracelet. Unless he recovered the collar, his cover would be blown.James needed to find Sarah. His life - and maybe hers - depended on it.

    And on that fateful day at Little Big Horn, Cody took Elizabeth Lawrence captive without firing a shot.Elizabeth searched high and low for the raven-haired stranger after their timeless encounter. When she met him by chance, she almost wished he was the ghost she'd believed him to be.Descended from the great chief Sitting Bull, John Cody was as ferociously proud of his Indian heritage as Elizabeth was of her ancestor, George Custer.A hundred years after the most famous battle of the West, was there any hope that the descendants of two bitter enemies could at last make peace?In this modern-day Romeo & Juliet tale, Cody and Elizabeth must defy generations of bad blood and families who cannot accept the possibility of their romance. Can the star-crossed lovers survive a war that still rages?

    Now she was all woman, all curves--and still driving him crazy, though this time, with desire. Yet the straight-as-an-arrow account-ant suspected his zany childhood chum was up to her old tricks, and she--and his favorite aunt--were headed for trouble.Sagittarian womanStephen Whitfield was as impossible as ever! Jill couldn't understand how a handsome hunk of a man like Stephen could be such a stuffed shirt. Granted, all her moneymaking schemes combined couldn't save his aunt from financial ruin. Jill needed Stephen's help, and she hoped he'd see that when it came to the logic of love, one heart plus one heart equaled a...Cosmic attraction

    — A chance encounter in an elevator had left Jazz Talbot breathlessly yearning for a spellbinding stranger...a man she never expected to see again. But fate intervened and brought her together with Dare McLaclin. The small-town doctor aroused in Jazz a soul-searching desire for which there was no cure.Dare ached for Jazz, and he grew to love the child who had been left in her care. So when she needed a husband to help her keep custody of the little boy, Dare offered his services. But Jazz was wary of love. What would it take to make this wife-in-name-only believe in this man with the midnight eyes?

    Three years ago his wife had thrown him out. Rozlyn hadn't understood that the rodeo flowed in his veins. She'd made him choose--her or the circuit--and fool that he'd been, he hadn't chosen her.... Rozlyn had always put her ranch first, and without Jack she'd struggled alone. When she'd given him her ultimatum, she hadn't known that her sigle-minded obsession with the ranch would drive her husband away. But when Jack returned, she realized--maybe too late--that she needed more than the land...she needed him. Now that she had a second chance--they both did--and maybe this time they could have it all.

    But a lifetime spent confronting the unexpected made it quite natural for Shiloh Reese. However, her control was almost shattered the night she found a nearly naked stranger--obviously in need of her help--sprawled across her bed. For Shiloh knew he was from a world she'd long since left behind ...Connor McQuade used people. Got them talking. Exploited them. And left. In the world of espionage, there were no attachments, no regrets. Until now. Now there was Shiloh. Cool, unflappable Shy, who helped him without question because there was need. Daring, courageous Shy, who stared unblinkingly into the face of danger. Because of him.But with his life of uncertain tomorrows, how could Connor promise her forever in return?