How would she ever pay for it, and how could she face its owner? When Mitch Brannon jogged over, his tanned, rugged body glistening, she froze. Then, patting her huge Great Dane for moral support, she made her case so convincingly that Mitch was captivated, insisting on driving her home, and determined to become her lover. Chelsey had always hoped that a fairytale hero like Mitch would want to make her his, but would the man she was learning to love be willing to wait for his princess to come to his arms?

    But he wouldn't take no for an answer. And once he'd crashed through her defenses and pulled her into his arms, he was tireless -- and reckless -- in his campaign to win her over. Maggie had found it tough enough to resist one determined doctor; now he threatened to call in his kids and hers as reinforcements -- seven rowdy snags to romance!

    They'd lost touch after college, but now he was coming back -- and he wanted to see her again. It took a dozen letters back and forth before they found a date, but as their notes to each other recalled the past, both were filled with a delicious apprehension over renewing old ties. When they met they knew their youthful feelings had deepened to passion and could no longer be denied. But making room in their lives for new love was tougher than they'd ever imagined. Was the key to happily ever after under their old pear tree?

    But one hot August night their antagonism gave way, as Justin's secret, smoldering passion erupted, provoking a scorching response from Stacey that left them both shaken -- and uncertain what the future might hold. For Justin, it promised the family he'd never had, with the woman he'd wanted for so long. But Stacey needed a life outside the political arena, a man she wouldn't have to share with the world. When the ballots were finally counted, would the victory be for love?

    Darius Chadwick felt his chest tighten with desire as Cygnet Melton, in golden silk, glided into his life. Their passion flared in a brilliant, unforgettable encounter. But a wonderful prelude was all they knew before Cyg fled in despair, certain she had shattered the dream they had made together. Dar pursued her relentlessly. In Saratoga, his words quieted her objections while his ardent embraces inflamed her.... Their hearts had collided in an instant; now could they seize the joy of enduring love?

    J. Jenkins first saw her, Kelly Morgan stood drenched in brilliant colored light from a stained-glass window -- an angel who took his breath away. But there were many sides to this special woman, he soon learned: the organized executive who'd built her wedding business from a bunch of orange blossoms arid white satin into a thriving concern; the adoring mother of giggling eighteen-month-old Sara who'd created a happy family just for two; and the exquisitely sensual woman who yearned for a love that would not end in pain. R. J. had never before wanted so to cherish and protect, to be part of another's life -- but was he ready to be husband and father, to make the picture perfect?

    and yearning to know his heart. Ryder was a man with a past full of secret pain, she discovered, of hurts only she could soothe. But could the tender lover who'd whispered his dreams learn how to give his trust?

    Besides, the ex-pro quarterback had a romantic game plan all his own, and Abby's defenses were no match for his teasing advances. But trying to get the ' lady alone was driving Joe to distraction, and sneaking around in the dark only made them trip over tricycles and wake the neighbors! Then Abby sent her kids to their grandparents for a few days, and the coast was finally clear. With the help of a small white dog with no sense of direction, love might just find a way...

    

    Having bid for and won the services of Damon Dance to appraise her aunt's villa full of antiques, she was stunned to discover that her "prize" was determined to possess the lovely winner for himself. His knowing caresses inflamed her senses, arousing unspoken longings in her secret heart, but Chrystal resisted the fantasy, afraid that Damon's mercurial passions masked a scheme to steal her beloved possessions, and shatter the mirror-bright dreams they'd shared...

    — Adam Grayson was captivated by the aura of mystery that surrounded Tracy and her beloved Shadow Mountain. Not quite strangers, not yet lovers, Tracy and Adam camped on the mountain, learning its secrets and revealing their own. Adam offered love and a life beyond the mountain, but did Tracy have the courage to walk out into the world again?

    During her week in the Sierras Luke showed her the beauty of the wild, teaching his city girl its special lessons. Needing to prove herself equal to any dare, Kyla struggled to scale his mountains, freeing her spirit and opening herself to love. Then, in an appalling twist of fate, her gentle lover was replaced by a fierce adversary. Could her mountain man rescue her?

    — Since the death of her young husband, Barbara had lived just for the present, refusing to dream of forever with another man. Now Linc offered her love, but demanded commitment -- and a promise to surrender her past. Barbara was torn between choosing a safe life that cast no shadow, that left no wake, or risking a new dream in Linc's arms.

    But when, in the middle of rescuing a trapped cat, she found herself in Chip Chandler's arms, she felt for the first time how good it could be to depend on someone else';s strength. Chip wanted to make Jill's life as full of joy as her warmth and tenderness had made his, but his efforts to help her realize her secret artistic dreams filled her with uncertainty -- would his love give her the courage to risk making her wishes come true?

    When James Halloran opened his door to find her selling vacuum cleaners, he sensed that his utterly safe life had been burst wide open, and his fate somehow joined to hers. But even he never suspected the madcap scheme he'd been drawn into, the wild goose chase they'd be sharing. Then somewhere between San Jose and Sacramento a breathless caper to recover missing documents became a head-over-heels tumble into love. Dempsey couldn't deny that James had won her heart, but her instincts told her to run. Would she see that her only escape led straight back to his arms?

    Both have secrets that need healing; both find the way to love through the maze of this funny, sensuous romance. [2nd place in the Waldenbook best-seller list]

    What could Susan tell her, that he was right there beside her, but they still were worlds apart? Raised in a large, loving Jewish family, Susan Posten was all passion, emotion, and glorious energy--so different from anyone Dr. Logan Reed had ever known while growing up in Kansas. And he was the golden prince of her fantasies, the only man who'd ever capture her heart--but he was so much a part of another tradition. Susan tried to believe it was hopeless .. but it felt like a match made in heaven...

    But when they went for coffee later, the image vanished, replaced by that of her dear best friend. Always there for her each time a romance turned sour, he was just her confidant, her shoulder to cry on ... or was he? When he asked for her help in courting another, Pippi felt her heart clutch in surprising distress, but she vowed to teach him to woo his beloved--she owed him that much! Yet the "practice sessions" seemed compellingly real, and Pippi's confusion grew. As the rehearsals became more intimate, Jeremy's natural ability surprised his instructor--and almost broke her heart. Just what was Jeremy trying to do?