When that chance comes, she gets a whole lot more from the bargain than she’d anticipated—mainly a few steamy, mind-blowing encounters that include her other equally sexy boss, Cole Warner. Her body enjoys every bit of their attention, but her heart still wants more. She wants Des outside of the boardroom and the bedroom and in her life for good. But he’s hiding secrets and she’s hiding her feelings, and soon they’re drifting farther apart instead of growing closer.  But if anything can get them to come together, it’s Christmas Eve…  Author’s note: In this book, sex and candy is not a euphemism. And some of the ornaments from the tree have more than one use...just sayin'. Oh, and boys touch in this story. Often.  Author’s note part deux: Jingle Ball was originally published by Cari Quinn in 2012. It has been re-edited and includes an epilogue.

    So she strikes a deal. She has to spend a full month in the Wyoming wilderness and show her father she can handle being in a remote area while managing her Type 1 diabetes before he'll agree to fund the expedition to Africa and allow her to go. But her daddy isn't the only one convinced she'll fail... But she's not about to let any man underestimate what she can do. Especially not the sexy rodeo cowboy she's hired to help get her through the month in the wilderness.Yes, he knows what he's doing. But so does she! Yes, he's ruggedly handsome...well, he can't help that, can he? But no sexy cowboy is going to keep her down!Stoney Buxton needs to raise cash fast to save the family ranch after a barn fire injured his father and left the family finances in ruin. Re-entering the rodeo circuit seems like the best way to get the money he needs. That is until Melanie Summers shows up at his ranch flashing easy money. To everyone else, Melanie's offer seems like the answer to all his prayers. But one look at her long legs and pouting lips and Stoney knows this high society gal is going to be nothing but trouble...for his cowboy heart.Excerpt:His jaw tightened. Yes, there was something definitely wrong here. And money had nothing to do with it. It had everything to do with this beauty standing in front of him, who was clueless about what she was getting her pretty little hide into. "No," he replied tersely."Mr. Buxton, I need your help.""Tourist season is in full swing. I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding someone else." He turned his back to her and began walking along the fence toward the barn, almost forgetting... Abruptly, he glanced up and saw the charred remains of the barn. The place where all his troubles had started just one year ago. It hadn't taken but a second for him to hear her boots digging into the dusty gravel behind him, jarring him from his thoughts."Then I'll do it myself," she said to his back.His whole body stiffened. He angled back to read her face, to see if she was just being a spoiled rotten rich kid, trying to get her way, or if she was actually serious. Seeing her head held high and her arms crossed in front of her, he realized she was dead serious. And dead she'd be if she stepped one boot into those mountains alone."You'll do no such thing." Frustration flaring, he lifted his dusty hat and forced his fingers through the thick crop of black hair before returning the hat to his head. "You just don't get it, do you? You're not asking me to take you on a theme park ride where you'll get to see the wonders of the world at a nice safe distance. This is God's country. The creatures that live up there don't know civilization, and you are no better than them. You could--probably will--get killed if you go out there alone." His lips twitched, taking a good long appraising look at the woman in front of him. "You might even chip a nail on that pretty hand of yours."

    That's what she really wanted to write. Here was the truth:"Needy, insecure, overweight twenty-six year old Business Analyst with three cats, a corporate job with pension and no debt seeks Mr. Impossible for way more than friendship and lots of ice cream. I'm desperate for some physical affection and oral sex with a guy who doesn't view it as some sort of favor he's granting me, and then expects to be praised like he cleaned my toilet. One night stands are better than nothing as long as you brush your teeth. So call me, maybe!"So when hot firefighter Dylan Stanwyck responds and asks her out, it's just too good to be true. When she searches him online and learns he offers himself up for date nights in bachelor charity auctions, she wonders if she's on the right planet.Because what could a guy like that see in a fat girl like her?OR WOULD HE NOT BE WHO HE SEEMED?Trawling through the online dating profiles isn't Dylan's idea of fun, but it's been more than eighteen months since their lover, Jill, died, and Dylan and his unconventional partner, ski instructor Mike Pine, need to find a new love. While their threesome situation is more complicated than a contract from 50 Shades of Grey, at least one aspect is simple: Laura Michaels, the cute, soft blond from the online dating site, seems like a good fit for at least a first date. Soft curves, gorgeous hair, eyes that light him up from the computer alone, and a profile that makes her seem smart and interesting -- he has no problems asking her out.The problem is letting her in.Dylan and his not-quite partner have more secrets than their unconventional romantic relationships, and this latest snafu is a mixed blessing, for both became billionaires overnight after the third in their threesome, Jill, died. With her estate finally settled and Dylan and Mike the recipient of an annual income that gives them enough to buy entire towns in the Midwest, the two were left reeling. Months after the lawyer explained their new-found fortune, Dylan still works his regular shifts at the station while Mike remains on the slopes as a ski instructor, but with a caveat; now he owns the entire resort.But if they tell Laura everything, they risk losing a chance at a new bond...Two problems may have one lush, ample solution as Laura meets her first billionaire on her date with Dylan, but with a stunning twist at the end...

    After waiting five years for Garrick to notice her as more than his mother’s caregiver. The aggravating male might always have a place in her heart, but she’s determined to find someone who wants to build a family with her. She had no idea that writing a letter of resignation would bring Garrick back to the Wildlands. It will take a Christmas miracle to bring them together:Garrick can’t believe that Molly is willing to walk away. She’d not only become irreplaceable to his mother, but he’d become addicted to her letters when he was far away from home. He’d be damned if he was going to let her slip away. But once back in the Wildlands, Garrick is forced to choose between opening his heart to the female he loves or risk losing her forever.

    Not only has she been betrayed, but Natalie loses her belief in herself as a desirable woman. When she starts making mistakes at work, her career being the one thing she’s always excelled at, she’s in danger of losing her self-worth and her job.Lincoln Masters isn’t like most bosses. Instead of issuing a reprimand, he decides his sexy executive assistant needs a good spanking, something he’s been dying to deliver for almost a year. And afterward, he hatches a plan to help Natalie rebuild her self-confidence and show her wandering man the error of his ways; become the sexy dominatrix her boyfriend is looking for. Being a Master himself, Lincoln’s the perfect dom to help her execute the delectable punishment.Lincoln’s terms for helping her? He wants a piece of Natalie, too. Suddenly, Natalie finds herself with a growing fascination for her boss and all the exciting, deliciously naughty things he can do for her. When Van’s punishment is complete, can she go back to being just Mr. Masters’ assistant?

    Online games are the perfect place to look for liars and have fun at the same time.Seth Brantley is a fellow professor who can make even economics seem sexy. When he and Allison realize they've been "researching" in the same game, a face-to-face meeting seems inevitable. After all, they're practically neighbors-they've been working in adjacent buildings for years.Fresh from a breakup and afraid to take a risk, Allison wants to keep her affair with Seth strictly electronic... but she can't deny their virtual antics are hot enough to melt their keyboards. Can Seth convince her to give up the safety of cybering and take a chance on passion in the real world?

    She loves her family, but on the heels of a divorce and her ex’s new engagement, an evening of togetherness is the last thing she wants. Long-time friend, Sam MacLane has been in love with Cassie for years, and he isn’t about to let her have her pity party. There’s a blizzard on the way, and Sam shows up on her doorstep—bearing gifts....

    With every good deed done, and helping hand offered, we are making the world a better place. The dedicated women selected as this year's recipients of Harlequin's More Than Words award have changed many lives for the better, through their compassionate hearts and unshakable commitment. To celebrate their accomplishments, bestselling authors have written stories inspired by these real-life heroines.In this book, Jillian Hart honors the work of Mary Byberg, a committed volunteer for Nellie's Shelter for Women and Children in Toronto, Ontario.We hope More Than Words inspires you look inside your heart and to get in touch with the heroine inside of you.

    It's a pity her partner Dan is so useless, and she has to keep reminding him where he's going wrong. Luckily she's enrolled into the most exclusive antenatal class going - all the highest achieving, smartest mothers-to-be aspire to be taught by the legendary Petal Harmon. Like the other five women in the class, Ginny already knows exactly what she wants, and how she's going to handle motherhood.But when they turn up for the final class it isn't quite what they expect. As Ginny discovers what parenthood is really going to be like, she begins to realize the things that really matter...

    Housekeeping in a luxury Waikiki hotel is a refuge from her troubles. Once a carefree and spirited island girl, Abby has had to deal with responsibilities and grim circumstances beyond her years. But when a V.I.P. guest discovers there’s more to Abby than her uniform and cleaning cart, the glow of romance begins to brighten her life in ways she’s not sure she can trust—or live without.Set against a backdrop of pristine beaches and starlit skies, this intriguing short story delivers political banter, poignant realism, and delicious romance, all sparked by the visit of A Very Important Guest.

    Worse than that? She's broke. Her boyfriend recently left her, so she's stuck paying her hefty apartment rent alone. After two months unemployed, there's no money left. With no immediate family to turn to, Red reaches out to her estranged grandmother, a reclusive writer living on an island off the coast of Charleston. Several days later, Red receives $30,000 and an invitation to visit. James Wolfe is not Red's grandmother - but he's the only person waiting for her at the boat dock. Red has something he needs. He won't take "no" for an answer, and he doesn't mind screwing her over to get it. He lost his conscience six years ago, when he went off the grid. Since then, life is about him - and the renowned oil paintings he does under the mysterious pseudonym "W." Until the moment he sees her. Then Red is all he wants. And Wolfe will have her - any way he can. * This story is the first of three serials about Red & Wolfe. Red & Wolfe Part I was originally published in The BEND Anthology, a collection of stories from the authors of The Erotica Consortium.

    When she leaves a message on, her best friend, Kaye's answerphone she doesn't expect to see Kaye's brother Dominic on her doorstep half an hour later.She would never have called them friends, but times have changed and they're not children anymore.When Dominic Shaw hears Marty, saying she "needs" Kaye, he can't believe it. Marty has never needed anyone in all the years he's known her. When he arrives to find a drunken mess, he's even more concerned, what is so bad to have brought "Miss Dependable" to this, and why has he never noticed those beautiful jade eyes before?Can fifteen years of apathy really turn to love, or will Marty learn the price of perfection is too high to pay?WARNING: This book contains alcohol consumption that will make your liver cringe, swearing that a sailor would be proud of , and scenes of a sexual and sensual nature--So an average Saturday night down the pub then.

    Dark and deceptive...AnnieSo, I'm a small-town girl, but I can still dream big.Maybe I'm naive, but I'm in the audition of a lifetime.One that could launch my acting career into stardom.If I can navigate the director's couch.But sex and starlets are what drive men like Vicktor Rossen.He’ll say and do anything to get what he wants.Like so many other women, I saw it, and now I'm out for revenge.And my gay best friend, Daveed knows exactly what to do. But my world is shattered when a phone call from home changes everything.. .

    Not that she cares, though. This holiday season, like all the ones before it, she plans to spend curled up with her laptop, visions of pound signs dancing through her head. When a blizzard traps Janna in the country with handsome Alistair Randall, CEO of the UK's biggest Christmas tree supplier, Janna must either embrace the holiday spirit or risk losing her PR firm's biggest client. Can Janna muster up some Christmas cheer, or will her bah humbug attitude cost her dearly?

    There was a darker side to this story though. The urgency was due to several assassination attempts and Malik had to marry quickly and produce an heir. The stability of his country depended on constancy and conservative leadership. He couldn’t allow his enemies to win. But he wasn’t prepared for the silver clad goddess that caught his vision as she snuck down the servants’ hallway. Nor was he prepared for her resistance. In a room full of beautiful women, his interest was captured by a beauty that wanted nothing to do with him. Except that she caught on fire when he touched her and her soft, sensuous body inflamed him with need. What was a man to do? Accept the challenge of convincing the lovely Shanelle to fall in love with him. Over a weekend of passionate kisses and stolen passion, Shanelle and Malik discovered that protecting the kingdom could be quite exhilarating. A very short novella by Elizabeth Lennox! Enjoy!