She did what was expected of her and lived life between the lines. No one would ever accuse her of taking chances. Being a risk-taker was not in her DNA. But, the first time she saw Gavin Carpenter, all those things went out the window. Dating the father of a student wasn’t strictly forbidden and in Regina’s mind, that meant she had permission. When did he decide to believe in love again? Gavin Carpenter spent years shielding his heart from women who weren’t any good for him, or his son Riley. After a betrayal at the hands of his son’s mother, he swore off women, and relationships, which suited him just fine. Until she strolled into his life with her soft smile and beguiling eyes. Regina Perkins was the one woman who made him willing to risk it all for one chance of holding her in his arms.

    Considering she hurried off right after, he convinced himself the woman had no further interest. Then she does something quite heroic that causes him to desire her more.The chance of a romance proves to be difficult when threats arise at every turn, and exposing the culprit behind the plot seems impossible. But after several attempts on Xander’s life, doubts start to set in, and he wonders if he may have placed his trust in the wrong person.Note: This is part of a duet and does have a cliffhanger.

    When her boyfriend breaks up with her for ‘gaining a little too much weight’, Mia’s best friend decides that Mia is in desperate need of a new and private space away from the bastard. She finds the perfect house in the perfect place with, unfortunately, the worse possible roommate. When Mia first met the almost unbearably attractive Westley Nott, they were pretty much enemies from the get-go. But now, having already signed the tenants’ agreement, she has to live with him and not try murder him in his sleep for at least six months before she can get out of it. … Westley needs a quiet get-away a lot more than he needs to be able to get away from the headache that is Mia Rhodes. With her sharp tongue, proud attitude and sensuous relationship with food, he can think of a million ways of distracting her mouth but none of them would be advised. Westley’s skills in the kitchen however, seem to tame the vexing vixen and as they become closer, he finds that he wants to fill her mouth with more than just his delicious desserts. Mia is afraid of asking for seconds but Westley isn’t the type of man to let a starving woman go hungry.

    After a painful divorce two-years ago, her ex refuses to believe they’re done and fights for a reconciliation he’s convinced she wants no matter what she says. When he arrives unexpectantly at her job, she latches on to a stranger and pretends he’s the new man in her life to get her ex to leave. Entrepreneur Theodore Barnes recently learned that his mother was murdered 19 years ago and is searching for the truth. Imani’s name comes up during the investigation and he chooses to meet the beautiful woman personally to ask questions. When she uses him to escape her ex, he’s more than willing to go along with the ruse. Theo enlists Imani’s help to uncover the truth about his mother’s murder. Their search reveals things Theo wishes he never knew. When another person ends up dead, the pair learns quickly, knowledge without wisdom is deadly, and there are nuances and degrees to truth. Theo thinks he's got things under control but has no idea how out of his control everything really is. There are those who would stop at nothing to Protect the Seed.

    A burgeoning relationship with an equally boring boyfriend Carlton Gear, one of the best accountants in the musical industry, left her engine in a permanent idling state. Craving a shake up in her monotonous life, she joins her good friend Onyx for a fund raiser with The Lady Guardians biker group. The lady riders offered a day of excitement for Keoni, but the night turned into a magical experience, especially after she meets Carlton’s cousin, Dave, a scruffy biker with a sketchy past, a tenuous future and a very sexy presence. Digging in and wanting to be a part of the female biker group, against Carlton’s advice and comfort, clothing isn’t the only thing Keoni changes. Climb aboard for a high-octane ride as Keoni reorganizes her life by Shifting Gears and donning the pink and black leather as a Lady Guardian.

    But when unexpected tragedy strikes, they find another common thread: Stella’s newborn daughter, Blue. Overnight, they’ve become all Blue has in the world, leaving little room for the powerful tension blazing between them to spit even one more spark. Forced to put aside their differences for the sake of baby Blue, the two rivals find themselves living under one roof, fighting to juggle their careers and social lives as a baby they never planned on raising together works to uproot their lives. Try as they might, a world shaken to its core has a funny way of peeling back even the sharpest layers. Threatening to unveil a depth of forbidden love, explosive passion and dark secrets dangerous enough to destroy the only family Blue has left. And this time, forever. ---- ILLICIT is book one of a two-part series.

    But Noelle isn’t sitting around moping; she’s ready to get even. And when her drunken antics land her over the shoulders of a stranger, she’s not prepared for what the next several days will bring.Marc Easton’s not delighted about hosting the holiday party at his cabin in the mountains. It was a fluke that landed all these strangers in his home partying the night away. But when one feisty, foul-mouthed beauty threatens to ruin it for everyone, Marc takes matters into his own hands.Waking up at the cabin the day after the party, Noelle’s shocked to learn she’s snowbound and stranded with the moody and reclusive, Marc Easton. Her holiday isn’t shaping up at all as planned. But one kiss from Marc just might make this a joyous Noel after all!

    On the run from that disastrous relationship, the last thing Sahara needs is another billionaire bad boy... but Fate has other plans. When an anonymous fling with a quirky stranger turns into something more, Sahara is shattered to learn that her mystery man is none other than Hugh Lindsay the eccentric tech billionaire—a man, even richer and more powerful than the last one.Can Hugh convince her to look past all that money and love him for himself, or will Sahara’s fears about the power of billions keep her from the joys of performing for an audience of one?

    From her sultry brown skin to her luscious, berry-ripe lips, he can think of nothing else than to find a way to get to know her better. With loss so close to his own heart, he feels that Morgan could be his second chance at happiness. The only problem? Getting to their first date.For the first time in her adult life, Morgan Henderson does not have the resources to stand on her own two feet. After losing her job in Miami and having to move to New York to stay with her best friend Ashlee, the only thing she is focused on is regaining control of her life...that is, until Noah Adams comes into the picture. Completely caught off-guard when the dark-haired, blue-eyed epitome of rugged sexiness asks her out to dinner at a skating rink, she politely declines. Little does she know, that day on the ice won't be the last time she sets eyes on Noah.In the battle of love vs security, Morgan will be forced to choose between a terrifying, yet passionate romance with Noah in New York, or the assurance of her livelihood...in Miami.

    After the mysterious disappearance of her mother, Aaliya was left with no choice but to put her life on hold and raise not only her daughter, but her younger siblings, Harlem and Amelia. Cleaning up the messes behind a countless number of notorious thugs, Demetri Mikhailov was the go-to guy for any job— just as long as you were talking the right price. When a longtime friend of his sends him on a search for his children, Demetri willingly obliges. With little to go on, Demetri is shocked to face the vivacious Aaliya. He didn't have the slightest clue as to what he was getting himself into when he crossed paths with the chocolate beauty. As a bond is built and love is found, the pair finds themselves entangled in a web of lies, secrets, and betrayal. Trying his best to keep the truth behind his lies, Demetri finds himself in a situation he can't seem to get out of. When Aaliya finds out his secret, will Demetri's biggest fear come true? Will Aaliya call it quits and walk away or will love prevail and she choose to stay?

    He’s prepared to meet a woman that fits his taste exactly. He expected her to be tall, with a killer rack and long blond hair. That’s not who showed up. His date is attractive, but she is short, curvy with short kinky hair. She ends up saving his pitch with little effort. She offers to extend the fake date to continue helping him, in exchange for a piece of his company when the investors agree to give him the seed money.Gerald finds himself becoming more attracted to the curvy, Black woman who is unlike any woman he has ever known. She is selfless, sweet, and smart. Though he’s never been in an interracial relationship, he likes Asia enough to try it.Asia Gates has a big heart and loves her family, which is why she agrees to take her sister’s place on a blind date for hire when Lisa breaks her leg on the day of the date. She’s prepared to meet a White man who apparently can’t get a date without paying for one. He is not what she was expecting. Her pretend boyfriend is tall, dark, and handsome. He surprises her by being romantic and flirty even when they aren’t around his potential investors. Asia surprises herself when she volunteers to continue their romance charade in exchange for a piece of his future business.As Asia gets to know Gerald better, he steals a bit of her heart with each confession about his childhood. She wants to give him what he’s never had, unconditional love, and acceptance.Just as their romance begins to bloom, they are faced with obstacles, including a world pandemic that will change both their lives and their romance in unmeasurable ways.

    Then, she met Dustin “The Beefcake” Collier. One glance, and the career-focused businesswoman is stumbling over her words like a love-sick teen. What Greer thought was a one-sided crush took a thrilling turn when Dustin sent her a friend request on social media. Unfortunately, the more she saw of his life online, the more she doubted the attraction would ever be mutual. She was the wrong height. Wrong build. And wrong complexion. Little does Foxy know, Beefcake has a taste for chocolate and he’s craving her. Can colleagues from two different backgrounds find a way to release their inhibitions? Or will the struggle between work and family squash their shot at love?

    Be prepared to be captivated by the sizzling tales of heroic first responders for hours on end. These heroes will prove themselves worthy of your attention, and affection. From scorching hot firefighters to dashing police officers, there is something for everyone. Watch out! You might find yourself needing to be resuscitated. The stories in the compilation are exclusive and can't be found anywhere else. Don't wait, this box set will only be available for a limited time before it is gone forever! Note: This collection contains material for mature readers (18+ and older) only. Authors featured: Peyton Banks Donna R Mercer Reana Malori Theresa Hodge ML Preston Sydney Aaliyah Michelle Sade Rena Posey Parks Sedona Venez Erin St. Charles Yolanda Olson Kiarra M. Taylor

    The timing wasn’t right. Desiree is still mourning the sister she lost. The same sister I tried to help save in my own way but failed. Yet, when I see her the morning of the three year anniversary of her sister’s death, I can’t hold back anymore. She belongs with me, and this holiday season I’ll prove it to her, myself, her family and anyone else that dares to get in the way of the sweetest seduction I’ve ever known.

    Lured into the snare of a drug kingpin at a young age, she's been beholden to his every whim since her teenage years. When she does escape, however, she finds that freedom is only the first step to healing her wounded soul. The quickest path to her salvation seems to be cooperating with the FBI to put her Ex behind bars - and end any threat he poses. When she's paired with a foul-mouthed freelance agent with a chip on his shoulder, she begins to question the choices she's made. She's undeniably drawn to Hank Compton's rugged allure, but he's got armor five inches thick and a nasty streak a mile wide. There's no way a man like him can possibly be anything but trouble...is there? Hank has always liked things simple. Over the course of a life filled with violence, he's learned not to care. Caring makes you weak, and weakness gets you killed. When the newest assignment from his superior offers him the ultimate revenge, he jumps at the chance - even if it comes with some pretty substantial baggage. Juliet Brown is everything he's wary of - gorgeous, smart-mouthed, and undeniably damaged - and that only makes him want her more. Hank is long past the point of believing he can be saved, but Juliet promises to be more than just a distracting piece of ass. She could very well be his salvation - and that scares the hell out of him.