She never expects that her new client, software mogul Deacon Whitney, would see more in her than just a talented gardener. Deacon has paid top dollar to the crews he’s hired to renovate the desolate Whitney estate—he had to, because the bumps, thumps, and unexplained sightings of ghostly figures in nineteenth-century dress are driving workers away faster than he can say “Boo.”But Nina shows no signs of being scared away, even as she experiences some unnerving apparitions herself. And as the two of them work closely together to restore the mansion’s faded glory, Deacon realizes that he’s found someone who doesn’t seem to like his fortune more than himself—while Nina may have finally found the one man she can trust with her bruised and battered heart.But something on the island doesn’t believe in true love…and if Nina and Deacon can’t figure out how to put these angry spirits to rest, their own love doesn’t stand a ghost of a chance.

    This is an audio version of the short story "One Word Answer" that was originally published in the anthology "Bite" and was reprinted in "A Touch of Dead." It is set between books 5 & 6 of the Sookie Stackhouse series.__________Unabridged, 1 disc, 45 minutes

    This doesn't end well. And it's going to get much worse before it ever gets better.Cole:I push her buttons. I want to push them in the good way. Dirty, up-against-the-wall, my-hand-in-her-pants kind of way.But that’s not possible, because I’m dark and she’s light, and we both know it.So I push her buttons in the bad way, making her hate me. Hailey:If a genie granted me three wishes, I’d ask for Cole Parker to never look at me again, that I’d forget the dark promise in his eyes, and that just once, before he vanished from my life completely, that he’d push me up against a wall and fuck me.Then I’d go wash my mouth out with soap.

    The next thing I knew, my entire world crashed and burned.I used to wake up at night in a sweat, crying because I’d dreamt my husband was cheating on me, or he hated me, and resented our kids. He’d always hold me close and tell me it was all just a dream, that he loved me and our family and he’d never let me go.He was a f*cking liar.Now I spend my days taking photos of scum just like him, trying to be a champion for others who are being taken advantage of by the losers in our town, and my nights being a single mom to my beautiful twins.I've got great friends who always have my back, and a sexy, mysterious motorcycle man who keeps showing up when I need him. Things are finally starting to look up. And, one thing's for sure... There's always room for cupcakes.WARNING: THIS BOOK CONTAINS FOUL LANGUAGE, SEX, SOME VIOLENCE, AND SHENANIGANS. IF NONE OF THAT BOTHERS YOU, GRAB A CUPCAKE AND READ ON!Cupcake Series - Should be read in orderAlways Room for CupcakesCupcake OverloadLei'd with CupcakesCupcake ExplosionCupcakes & Macarons: Honeymoon ShortLei'd in Paradise: A Cupcakes Series Novella (Carmen and Bran)Crazy for Cupcakes - Coming Soon

    With swords, through sorcery, and in the course of some of the hottest nights ever experienced on the Inner Hebrides, Scottish heroes stake their claims, both in the bedroom and out. Dreams come true and legends are born as ancient prophecies are fulfilled by time travelers from the future, in a Scotland where real historical figures exist side by side with Pagan magic and werewolves. Dashing lairds and Scottish barbarians fight for love and honor in a wild, magical world.Let Julianne MacLean, Patricia Grasso, Lois Greiman, Marta Acosta, Donna Grant, and many more lead you into the fierce, sexy, irresistible heart of a Scotland that is, was, ans might still be.

    Stern, enigmatic Edwin Yorke simmers with a heat Gwen longs to unleash. But Edwin knows all too well that forbidden love can end in tragedy….

    HamiltonAnita is attending a friend's wedding when Nathaniel, her pomme de sang, makes known in no uncertain terms that he wants to take the relationship to the next level. Anita's subsequent actions take her to a place she has hitherto carefully avoided.***This short story is a condensed version of Incubus Dreams, book 12 in the Anita Blake series! "Dead Girls Don't Dance," by MaryJanice DavidsonVampire Andrea Mercer is literally dug up by an old crush, Daniel Harris, and during a trip to Minnesota to see the vampire queen, her desire for him reignites."Originally Human" by Eileen WilksSuccubus Molly Brown discovers a gorgeous, naked man in the woods and decides to help him recover his memory."Burning Moon" by Rebecca YorkAll werewolf Grant Marshall wants to do is rip out the throat of the man who killed his wife–then swim out into the Atlantic Ocean and never come back. He tracks his wife’s killer to a small New Jersey seaside town, where he meets Antonia, a blind tarot card reader--the woman with the power to change his fate.

    But all that changed when he met “Greta,” a beautiful stranger ready to explore her hidden desires. From a blue collar family, Gia Angelotti wore a badge, fought for right—and opened herself utterly to love him. Blindsided and falling hard, Jason does the first impulsive thing of his life and hustles her to the altar.Until a second chance proved that forever could be theirs.Then tragedy ripped Jason’s new bride from his arms and out of his life. When he finds Gia again, he gives her a choice: spend the three weeks before their first anniversary with him or forfeit the money she receives from their marriage. Reluctantly, she agrees to once again put herself at his mercy and return to his bed. But having her right where he wants her is dangerous for Jason’s peace of mind. No matter how hard he tries, he finds himself falling for her again. Will he learn to trust that their love is real before Gia leaves again for good?

    Vampire enforcer Dan is bound by a promise to guard the hellhounds. Werewolf Tess Sirella is charged with making sure no hellhound is trained to tap into its evil, murderous potential. Vampires and werewolves aren't supposed to be attracted to one another… but for every rule, there’s an exception.Erin McCarthy - Russian Roulette (Vegas Vampires #5)Alistair Kirk is a bar owner, a musician, and a vampire. When he hears that a fledgling vampire is being held captive and faces certain death, he rushes to the rescue.Sasha Chechikov, once a vampire slayer, now a vampire herself, is on the run from her former associates. Sasha’s past leaves her wary of trusting anyone, but she can’t deny the sparks that fly between her and her sexy saviour. Will Alistair be able to protect Sasha from her enemies? And will two vampires who seem so different from one another learn what it means to truly love?Chris Marie Green - Double the Bite (Vampire Babylon #3.5)On a hunt to find the cause of his brother’s mysterious death, Ben Tyree finds himself at the infamous Studio 54, and soon in the path of two preternaturally beautiful women. Ginny and Geneva aren't just twins, they're vampires. Their connection is put to the test when Ginny falls for Ben, much to Geneva’s anger. How can Ginny choose between the man she’s falling in love with and the sister who won't let her go?Meljean Brook - Thicker Than Blood (The Guardians #3.5)Six years ago, Jack Harrington was in love with Annie Gallagher, until her sudden death turned his world upside down. But when an intruder breaks into his home one night, the former FBI agent can barely believe his eyes – Annie’s alive... and a vampire.After her sudden transition, Annie couldn't bear to let Jack see all that she had become. One night she gives into temptation and decides to feed off a man who resembled Jack, only to find herself face to face with the man himself. Now that they're together again, Jack’s not about to let Annie go, vampire or no. And Annie needs Jack’s help to find a missing girl named Cricket. Danger swirls around the pair as they search for Cricket while a demon bent on destroying all vampires closes in on the pair. Will love lost and found be able to overcome supernatural odds?

    His job is to protect her, but with every look, every touch, and every simmering kiss, she's in danger of not only losing her life but her heart also.

    Their sustained wealth has afforded them prestige and privilege—as well as a hard-won division of class on their sprawling estate, Easterly. Upstairs, a dynasty that by all appearances plays by the rules of good fortune and good taste. Downstairs, the staff who work tirelessly to maintain the impeccable Bradford facade. And never the twain shall meet.For Lizzie King, Easterly’s head gardener, crossing that divide nearly ruined her life. Falling in love with Tulane, the prodigal son of the bourbon dynasty, was nothing that she intended or wanted—and their bitter breakup only served to prove her instincts were right. Now, after two years of staying away, Tulane is finally coming home again, and he is bringing the past with him. No one will be left unmarked: not Tulane’s beautiful and ruthless wife; not his older brother, whose bitterness and bad blood know no bounds; and especially not the ironfisted Bradford patriarch, a man with few morals, fewer scruples, and many, many terrible secrets.As family tensions—professional and intimately private—ignite, Easterly and all its inhabitants are thrown into the grips of an irrevocable transformation, and only the cunning will survive.

    The millennium bug plays matchmaker!When the millennium bug gives a crash course in romance, anything can happen--in these spellbinding stories by five beloved romance writers."Arts Magica" by Kay HooperWhen apprentice wizard Felicity Grant conducts a reckless experiment on New Year's Eve, she's hurled from present-day Seattle to 1899 London--and into the arms of a singular man--."Gabriel's Angel" by Marilyn PappanoFor Gabe Rawlins, the new year holds little promise--until he awakens from a harrowing incident to discover by his side a beautiful, tender woman who offers hope--and much more."Stuck with You" by Michelle MartinWhen a blackout strikes San Francisco's most glittering party, a softhearted defense attorney gets stuck in a stalled elevator with her most implacable adversary--and finds herself in a free fall of a different kind."Close Quarters" by Donna KauffmanThe daughter of an ex-president finds her peaceful holiday turned upside down when she's trapped in a surveillance truck with a former secret service agent, the same one she'd had a hopeless crush on as a teenager."Trouble at Midnight" by Jill ShalvisWanting more in life than a predictable beau, a young woman vows to seek adventure--until a near disaster makes her wonder if her bland Clark Kent is really Superman in disguise.

    Claire, Jill Shalvis and Maureen Child bring you three classic stories of sexy Irishmen and the women who love them...The Sins of His Past by Roxanne St. ClaireFor one incredible night, Kendra Locke gave Deuce Monroe everything she had. Then he walked away without a backward glance to chase his big-league dreams. Now after one too many daredevil stunts, he's back in his hometown ready to pick up where they left off--but Kendra has no intention of giving in so easily...Tangling with Ty by Jill ShalvisDr. Nicole Mann, a child prodigy who graduated high school at the age of thirteen, has no room in her mind or her schedule for romance. But when the architect renovating her apartment turns out to have a charming Irish accent, all bets are off--and Ty Patrick O'Grady plans to use every trick in his book to stay in her life for good.Whatever Reilly Wants by Maureen ChildConnor Reilly only has a few weeks to go in his "no sex for ninety days" bet with his brothers--and he figures no woman is safer to be around than his best friend, Emma Jacobsen. Until Emma shows up at a bar in a short skirt and high heels, and suddenly seems anything but safe!

    As the director of the Leafbrook Glass Museum, she's been asked to travel to Frog Cove Island -- an artistic haven near Seattle -- to catalog an important collection of art glass. But thanks to unsavory rumors surrounding the collector's death, the museum insists that Eugenia take along Cyrus Chandler Colfax -- a rough-hewn private investigator whose taste in glass runs to ice-cold bottles filled with beers.When Colfax declares they must pose as a couple, Eugenia protests in a manner as loud as his Hawaiian shirts. She fears that her secret mission will be discovered...while he hopes that she will be a mask for his own hidden agenda. But soon their very lives depend on making an utterely convincing couple. Because among the chic galleries of Frog Cove Island lurks a killer, and their only chance for survival is the boldest, most artful collaboration they can dare to imagine.

    if anyone asks, that's all that's in your trunk. Definitely don't say anything about the dead guy you just found back there!Jodi Morgan is having a bad weekend.After partying a little too hard, she wakes up with a monster hangover and almost no recollection of the night before. So imagine her surprise when she looks in her trunk and instead of finding a spare tire, she finds the last guy she'd danced with before blacking out.Who is he? How did he get in there? How did he die? And oh dear lord, did she kill him!?When her older brother's best friend offers to help, things start looking up. They've known each other since she was thirteen, and ten years later, he still treats her like a little kid - surely, committing felonies has to trigger some sort of spark. Together, they wind up going on an adventure that takes them all over Los Angeles. From raves to penthouses to strip clubs. All in the search for the answer to her question.Who is the dead guy in my trunk!?Warning: This book contains some dark humor, a lot of witty banter, and two characters making more bad decisions than good ones. Also contains adult themes, language, and graphic sexual activity.