Instead, she has a mother who lives in her head, a stepfather who’s on death row, and the stigma that comes with being the child of an extramarital affair. Writing has always been her escape. Knowing the reception her books receive will be tainted by her personal life, Kensey secretly writes under a penname when she’s not working part-time at her godmother’s bar. Her world might not be exciting, but she likes it exactly as it is. When she meets alarmingly compelling businessman Blake Mercier, the snap of attraction is instant. She doesn’t like it. Doesn’t want to be drawn to this man who is blatantly dangerous, carries dark secrets, and lives life by his own rules. Neither of them make a great first impression on the other, so she’s more than surprised when he begins to pursue her with a single-minded focus that is unsettling, thrilling, and infuriating. Her gut tells her to keep her distance, but Blake won’t let her run. Won’t give her space. There’s another person who won’t give her space. Someone who has discovered the secret of her penname and who seems intent on taunting her. And as Kensey struggles to identify her persecutor, Blake is by her side, determined to keep her safe … because Blake Mercier always holds tight to what’s his. Always.

    Being free of her family and the restraints they put on her only adds to the pleasure of exploring Paris on her own. Except that James, her best friend's older brother, is in Paris too, in the same apartment, and claims his side of the only bed.They can't deny their mutual attraction and soon a one-night stand only leads to more temptation, but James has a secret. A secret that can kill their budding relationship. Can James steer clear and deserve Mila's love without revealing it all?

    I’m all for it.The electricity between us has me taking one step back and three forward.This is the woman I want beside and beneath me for the rest of my life.But her father thinks I’m riffraff. And he just might be right.Maybe if I just keep things professional, which is almost impossible.Heat blazes in and out of the kitchen as we try to work together, and I’ve got one thing on my mind.Owning every part of her.No matter what her family or anyone else thinks about it.This woman is my uptown girl.

     Connor Stevens fit that bill. His reputation preceded him. With a hard body and vivid tattoos dispersed across his flesh, he certainly drew the judgmental eyes of conservative tight-asses. Even I had those same thoughts…regardless of how highly Blake spoke of him. But those opinions were about to be challenged. I’d promised to pick Connor up from prison—where he’d served eight years for manslaughter. When Blake passed away, I had every intention of honoring our agreement. Taking Connor home would be my ultimate show of gratitude. Blake never disclosed why Connor killed a man, and I never had the guts to ask. Ever daunted, and against my better judgment, I soon grew to feel close to Connor, in spite of how perverse it was. Still, I vowed to brush off those feelings at all costs. At least I thought I would. Until all hell broke loose… Diving head-first, I relished in the time spent in Connor’s damnation. But when he was thrust into hell, it didn’t matter how wrong it was to love him. It was immaterial what he’d done…or why. I came out swinging and clawing, and submerged into the inferno with him, refusing to leave until we both walked out hand in hand. My instinct was to fight. Connor wouldn’t burn alone. I would save him. Or turn to ash right beside him.

    When what should have been her happiest moment turned out to be anything but, it sent her plummeting. But she has one reason to claw herself back up... her baby boy. Because of him she pulls herself out of it and makes a new life for them, far from the man that turned her life upside down. She even begins to trust again when she meets Ryker, a man that brings her back to life. But will her past ever let her go?Ryker Allen has been through hell and it's left him believing that love isn't in the cards for him. Finding your girlfriend in bed with another man will do that. So, romance and relationships? Not his thing and he makes sure every woman who gets near him knows that. But when he meets Claire, everything changes and he finds himself wanting exactly that, romance and a relationship. But will Claire's past get in the way of that?Sometimes the odds seem insurmountable. Can Claire and Ryke find their way through it all and find the one thing they both need? Each other...

     Gwen Bennett As an operative with a hidden talent, I know how to keep my clients safe. It’s ingrained in my unusual DNA, and I’m damn good at my job. So, when a thief swindles my grandmother out of a fortune and flees to a private island that’s by invite only, I’m determined to find access, even if that means taking a job I don’t want for a family I’d rather avoid. Maxwell Pierce She needs me. There’s desperation in her eyes. I have something she wants. And I know it. When my brother sends me to recruit Gwen Bennett for a job after she’s turned him down, I thought it would be more difficult to make a deal. Offering to share my island suite and my bed was more than enough to get her to agree. Now I just need to get her to realize that my sister's life is on line and that's worth more than any money she can hope to recoup. They’ll have to get creative to keep from losing it all when lives, a family fortune, and their hearts hang in the balance.

    Letting someone in could be devastating for my family.For the most part, isolation isn’t a hardship. I haven’t been looking for love or any kind of serious relationship.But then I met Logan. I tried to keep my distance. He won’t let me.Logan is gentle, kind, and loving. Everything I never knew I needed in my life.He’s also a cop—exactly the kind of man who’d never understand my truth.So, while he has shared his deepest, darkest secrets, I keep mine hidden.Too bad I can’t keep my heart locked away, too.Because now I’m falling for a man who can never be mine. Not truly, anyway. How can I ask him to be my future when I can’t even let him help me survive my present?******A steamy girl next door romance featuring a former-military, grumpy hero temporarily relocated to a resort island with a small-town atmosphere, right off the coast of North Carolina. First Light is a standalone steamy contemporary romance. The Haven Island Series can be read in any order; you do not need to read any of the other books in the series to enjoy First Light.

    I may be flawed; we all are.But I'm smart, driven, and ready to take on the world. No one needs to know the rest.I wasn't counting on him, couldn't imagine someone like him coming into my life.The blue eyes, the chiseled body, the man I can't resist.Truthfully, I have no plans of ever resisting him. He has the carefree, playboy life he wants, The one he created and refuses to give up.But he didn't count on me waltzing in and changing everything.Gray can't deny his passion for me—all parts of me, Even the truth I try to bury—the flaws he knows I'm hiding.And trust me, he's imperfect too.But sometimes, we need more than love—more than we can give.

    He’s trying to escape his. Love may be their only hope.Ten years after leaving home, the last thing Summer Thompson expects is to inherit her estranged father's half-renovated mansion. And the last thing she wants is to face the memories of the night her brother died, fleeting as they may be. Now a San Francisco museum curator, she plans to stay east just long enough to settle the estate and get rid of the house. Until she finds it occupied by a hunky handyman who's strangely reluctant to talk about his past.Damian Knight has been hiding his mother and sister from a violent ex, and Whispering Pines is the one place they’ve found peace and safety. He keeps to himself. He tells no one about his past. Yet when the lonely, haunted Summer steals his heart, he finds himself opening up to her in ways he should never risk. Especially to a woman who's planning to leave town after selling their refuge out from under them.As their attraction grows, the past begins to catch up with them. Summer's mounting flashbacks leave her confused and determined to uncover the truth about the night her brother died. But that truth will cross paths with the man Damian and his family have been avoiding for years.Can new love help them defeat the pain of the past? Or are some scars too deep to ever heal?If you love small towns, memorable characters, and swoon-worthy happy endings, then you'll love this sweet romance by a USA Today best-selling author! (Note: this book was previously released as Summer's Song. Revisions and updates accompany this new version!)

    Impossible when your husband’s the one man it hurts your heart to touch...but the one man you can’t resist...

    Not when the pull of serving our country is my competition. With no other choice, I rebuild myself and focus my attention on the clients of the Broken Rebel Brotherhood, the people who need the club’s help. I even date other guys in an effort to circumvent the heartache. It works for a while but eventually, the past comes back in the form of muscles, tats and so much baggage.Isaiah is no longer the boy I loved. He’s a man that oozes sin and pain. His eyes tell a story that I’m not sure I’m up to hearing. Why then is it so hard to turn my back on him? And why in the hell is he the only person my soul calls out to when I’m in trouble?Isaiah…Leaving my family and Tillie was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But duty called and I had to answer. Especially if I want to be the president of the Broken Rebel Brotherhood and fill my dad’s very large shoes. When a bombing sends me back to the only place I’ve ever called home, I mistakenly think that everything will magically be the same. Not only has everything changed, but Tillie has moved on. She’s become a woman I don’t recognize, a woman who spends her days proving she doesn’t need me. But I know her better than she knows herself. And danger lurks in the shadows, threatening her existence, whether she wants to admit it or not. I will stop at nothing to protect her, to show her that we still belong together. Fighting for my country was my duty. Fighting for Tillie is everything.

    Already she hates it despite its beautiful landscape.Between riding her dirt bike through the sacred lands of the natives, plotting against those she meets, and holding greasy truckers at gunpoint, Lilith makes no time for love or friendship. Forever the walking mystery (read misery) of her new home and school.That is until Nokosi Locklear catches her eye with his arrogance and a hard, toned body that she’s certain she doesn’t want to climb.Shoved up against a locker by him in her first week, she sets him in her wicked sights.Life is only fun when you have somebody else’s pain to focus on. So long as you stay detached. Something Lilith will find is impossible to do when it comes to Nokosi. A guy with looks but no charm. Strength but no power. Love but no morals. With a serial killer roaming the States, taking victims one by one, a past in Nokosi’s eyes that he tries to hide, and a mother that would rather work than keep her daughters happy, Lilith finds plenty of time to spare and plenty of things to keep herself occupied. Note: This is your only trigger warning. Read at your own risk.

    He was my downfall.They say your parents are the two people who are meant to love you and keep you safe.So what does that say about mine?My father gave me to a man as a gift.A man who wears many masks.A man who terrifies me.Why then do I want to know what lies beneath?Why does a single touch send shivers down my spine?I know what he wants.My body. My words. My mind.I can’t run. I can’t hide. And I can’t give in to him.My name is Liora Stewart.And Dante Benson is my Master.A dark captive romance set in Sarah Bailey's Dark Universe.This is a DARK romance and therefore comes with a content warning. Please see authors website for full details.

    Every step of my life has brought me to this moment, and I'm prepared to do whatever is necessary to protect the woman I love.Even if that means the ultimate sacrifice.If you love over the top Aussie alphas, sultry summer nights, and happily ever afters, Rough Edge is the book you're looking for.Trigger warning: This book contains some violence and references to drug use.Note: This book was previously published under a former pen name. It has been rewritten and updated before release.

    I can’t submit to her TEMPTATION no matter how sweetly she begs because she’s the GOLDEN CHILD and I’m the BLACK SHEEP.