Why then had he asked Heron to marry him? More to the point, why had she accepted? True, he had much to offer her -- money and his fascinating house, the house that had meant so much to Heron all her life, the Glass Castle -- but Heron was not the type to marry for mercenary reasons. Yet her feeling for him was of fear and curiosity more than any other emotion. Could she ever understand such a strange, arrogant man? Or still less, make him a successful wife?

    After losing his best friend to marriage—completely crushing his heart—he deems it prudent to distract himself, and what better way than playing cupid?He’s already got his eye on two young men desperately seeking romance, and he has a plan to hook them up.Barbecues.Photoshoots.Reciting Shakespearean love declarations.Lake is killing it. Love is positively pulsing in the air. Anyone could see it.Well, anyone other than Knight, his best friend’s dad, who cautions Lake to stop meddling. To leave love to its natural course.Lake has always valued Knight’s frankness, but this time he’s wrong. Without him, two hearts might be doomed never to find love.Besides, what does Knight know about romance? He’s barely dated in all the seven years Lake’s known him. He’s clueless.Though, there’s a thought. Knight has everything going for him. Sensibility. Kindness. Generosity. And for a forty-four-year-old, he’s—objectively—freaking hot.Why is he single?~ ~ ~“. . . [T]here may be a hundred different ways of being in love.” ~ Jane AustenAnd a hundred different ways not to recognize it.

    Finally here's her chance to prove to her friends -- and herself -- that she's woman enough to entice a man and leave him drooling. After all, she's old enough to know what she wants -- and she wants Sam Ashton...badly.And Sam is more than willing to be wanted. The chemistry between them is powerful, explosive. Still, there's something vaguely familiar about Kasey, something Sam can't put his finger on -- although he's dying to get his hands all over her.... But he's not worried. He fully intends to enjoy uncovering all Kasey's secrets, one by one. But will the truth be too hot for him to handle?

    Once upon a time Kayla loved Christmas Now she’s more dedicated to her job than decking the halls, and can’t wait for the ‘most wonderful time of the year’ to be over.Until she arrives at the enchanting Snow Crystal ski resort, determined to win gorgeous owner Jackson as a marketing client.But wooing Jackson professionally quickly turns personal as they spend flirty festive nights in this glittering winter wonderland.With snowflakes swirling and sleigh bells ringing…could Jackson be the one to make Kayla fall back under the Christmas spell?

    She'd had to prevent her best friend from making the biggest mistake of her life... . Marrying Ryan Blair would have been disastrous. He was too rich, too powerful, too hot to handle!There was only one solution: to stand up in church and declare that she, Jane Sherwood, respectable businesswoman, was having a secret torrid affair with Ryan! It had worked. The wedding was finished. But now Ryan was determined to make Jane pay for his wrecked marriage - by making her his mistress for real!

    But that's the best way to find her true and less than proper self. So here she is in Australia, standing in front of a man who's clad only in a towel. Nathan Jones is so tempting he could be the ideal candidate to help this good girl be very bad! Sure enough, thanks to Nathan's talented hands, Elizabeth is living all her sensual fantasies. And while the sex is great, something more is developing. She trusts him, and wants to share her secrets with him. Suddenly this feels more like a real relationship than some fun in the sun. Luckily, there's a cure for too much commitment;more wickedness!

    and no sign of any forthcoming babies to rock in ol' Georgebury, Vermont. For Callie Grey, turning thirty means coming to grips with the fact that her boss (and five-week fling) is way overdue in his marriage proposal. And way off track because Mark has suddenly announced his engagement to the company's new Miss Perfect. If that isn't bad enough, her mom decides to throw her a three-oh birthday bash in the family funeral home. Bad goes to worse when she stirs up a crazy relationship with the town's not so warm and fuzzy veterinarian, Ian McFarland, in order to flag Mark's attention. So Ian is more comfortable with animals.... So he's formal, orderly and just a bit tense. The ever-friendly, fun-loving and spontaneous Callie decides it's time for Ian to get a personality makeover. But dang, if he doesn't shock the heck out of her, she might actually fall for Vermont's unlikeliest eligible bachelor....

    "And I always get what I want."Since Nick's cruel rejection, Abby had built a satisfying new life for herself and little Jonathan. And now Nick needed his son and was quite ruthlessly blackmailing her into returning him.But he needn't think he'd have everything his own way; this time Abby was determined to show that she was more than a match for him. If only the old attraction between them weren't still so powerful...

    He had been a reassuring figure in her childhood. But now she was grown up and making her own decisions. And the last thing she wanted was Ryan interfering in her life. How dared he question her choice of husband! How could he whisk her off to California to work for him without giving her time to even think about whether she really wanted to? And what exactly did Ryan want from her? The hard, arrogant businessman he had become was very different from the Ryan she remembered. But somehow he was even more exciting...

    He couldn't be serious!One day Amanda was happily engaged to Nigel, a flamboyant British car rally driver, the next she was the reluctant fiancee of his stern, laconic older brother, Malory Templeton.As if she hadn't been through enough. Hadn't finding Nigel in the arms of another woman been more than she deserved? The hard glitter in Malory's eyes told her otherwise.Malory was a virtual stranger to her, but Amanda had no choice. Her own foolish pride had caused the crazy switch in fiances, and Malory, it seemed, was going to hold her to it.

    First he will take her as his bride. Then he’ll lead her to the marriage bed, where he’ll make her his.Isobel may have no choice but to give her hand to Rafael in matrimony, but she intends to stay as free as a bird…not anticipating that her new husband will keep her caged once he discovers he’s wed a virgin…

    When things didn't work out between them, he said goodbye to Molly as well, vowing they'd have a great adventure when she grew up. Years later, dumped by her fiancé just before Christmas, she's finally ready to take Dylan up on his promise.A guarded Dylan always had a weakness for Molly, and when she waltzes back into his life—grown-up and gorgeous—he's stunned. So why not whisk her away for some no-strings-attached fun?Laughter-filled days and late-night kisses are changing Molly's life, for good. The only gift she truly wants now is Dylan's love, but when he discovers the secret she's been keeping, she may lose him again…this time forever.

    Lauren Alexander is raising her daughter alone. Abandoned by her family for her decision to keep her daughter Kristen, she has done a pretty good job for the last six years. Or she thought she had. That's why she is crushed when little Kristen gives up her wish for a toy or goodie and instead asks Santa for a present for her mother. But delivering Daddies isn't Santa's bag. But this Santa has a plan... Kyle Preston knows what it is like to be abandoned too. Luckily he found the support of loving adoptive parents and has turned himself into one of the most successful Real Estate developers in town. Building a house is easy. Building someone's trust is a whole other story. But a little Christmas magic can make all the difference in the world.

    If I've missed him way more than I expected when he left to train with a new skating coach, that’s because he’s so easy to hang with. And yeah, he’s gay, but he’s not into me. Why would he be? I’m straight.We're not boyfriends.But now Etienne needs me, so I’m rushing to the mountain village where he's skating in a holiday show. That’s what best friends do.EtienneI know Sam will never like me the way I like him.Never love me the way I love him.But now that my competitive skating career might be suddenly ending, I need my best friend by my side. Thank god Sam’s spending the holidays with me.It's okay that he'll never love me back.It’s okay that there's only one bed in this cozy little cabin.We’re best friends. Nothing’s going to happen.Only One Bed is a gay Christmas story from Keira Andrews featuring friends to lovers, forced proximity, bisexual awakening, first times, snowy holiday vibes, and of course a happy ending.

    But for her father's sake, now she must ask for his help."What are you asking me for, Heather?" he demanded. ''You want money from me ... a cash payment for the years you had to put up with me in your home?''There seemed to be no way to convince Kyle that she regretted what she had done. No way to make him believe that money was not her only driving force.