But is it really an aphrodisiac instead?Motorcycle mechanic Sam McGuire is surprised to find a gaily wrapped box on his doorstep with a piece of fruitcake inside. The note on the present is an invitation to a holiday party.Intrigued, Sam attends the party -- mostly to get more of the fruitcake he falls in love with -- and meets his new neighbor, Jay Merriweather. The lure of Jay’s big family and its holiday tradition of enjoying Grandma’s fruitcake hook Sam, as does the sexy man himself.But Sam can't imagine why handsome, college-educated Jay would want someone like him, who was raised in a children’s home and barely graduated high school.Can the magic of the holiday season help two men who seem so different come together like the ingredients in a well-made fruitcake?

    When the pair journey to Indianapolis to spend Christmas Eve with Merle and her family, will an ex-hitman learn the true meaning of Christmas? Or just get drunk on eggnog?

    He leaves to pursue a graduate degree only to discover love and loss. Home again, the last thing he expects is for Logan to confess his feelings for him. Can their friendship survive a cold winter one night stand or is Logan looking for more than Jake is ready to give him?Note: Need You Now was previously published with this title as well as Midnight Clear. Other than title there are no significant changes to the story.

    Don’t they know silence is golden?Johnny Strong is the expert; he hasn’t spoken in two years. Not one word to anyone except the ghost. The main purpose of life is to avoid people and not get noticed. Friends? He doesn’t need them; and certainly nobody wants him despite what the ghost says.Until a new boy appears at Windybank—Finn Lyons, teenage wizard. He eats frogs, concocts potions, and is always hungry. Not only does Finn stand up for Johnny; he actively seeks his company and soon becomes part of life.First love; family and words; a heady mix to go in the potion but how will it all turn out?Hubble bubble; Johnny Strong’s in trouble! Silence is not always golden in this sweet, zany story of the purest magic at Christmas. Release date: before Dec 1

    He dresses like it's Casual Friday every day of the week.2. Everyone loves him, even though I'm pretty sure he doesn't actually get any work done. It's the smile, I think. Definitely the laugh.3. He's so relaxed, sometimes I can't even tell if he's awake. Or conscious.4. He doesn't respect my office space boundaries. Stay in your own office and stop messing with my stuff!Okay, the list is actually really long, but none of it matters because it's time for the annual Secret Santa exchange, and guess whose name I draw.Hunter freaking HollidayAnd he knows this because, I repeat, he won't stay out of my office and leave my things alone.Even though I didn't ask, he has no problem telling me exactly what he wants.Me. For one nightThe Holiday Hookup is an MM Christmas short story with high heat and low angst.

    LUKE I have two mortal enemies - Max Stephens and whoever decided opposites should attract. He’s everything I despise. Perfect looks, easy charm. The world falls at his feet the second he flashes a smile. We started our jobs at the same time, but we’re up for the same promotion even though I stay all night while he leaves at five. I’m pretty sure I’m in love with him. I can’t explain it, other than possible brain damage. He’s everything I’m not. Everything I wish I could be. If I hadn’t lost my parents so young. If my whole life wasn’t about making my grandparents proud. If I still hadn’t come out for fear of losing them. At least that keeps me from embarrassing myself with Max. But then life throws a curve-ball. Close confinement with my archenemy. Days on the road together for work. Forced to get to know him. Learn we’re not so different, that the person beneath his charm is even hotter, because it has actual substance. Depth. Hopes. Dreams. Suddenly my crush isn’t so bizarre. A future with him isn’t just a fantasy. I could have the guy of my dreams…but only if I risk losing my last real family… MAX Everyone thinks my life’s so perfect, but if that’s true, why does my office crush hate my guts? Answer me that! It’s not like I dream of a white picket fence and a dog with the guy. Much. I don’t even know if he’s gay. Every attempted interaction earns me a death glare, and I have no idea why. Then we’re crammed in a car driving cross country. I get all the answers I ever wanted, and no idea what to do with them. Luke is gay. He doesn’t really hate me. He likes me, maybe even more than likes me. Maybe a lot more, judging by the way he kisses me. But he’s still in the closet. Even he doesn’t know if he’ll ever leave it. And he might not hate me now, but that could change the second he learns he wasn’t totally wrong about me having advantages he doesn’t. After all, the boss deciding which of us to promote is my uncle… This 50,000 word office feud turned road trip romance has some sexy pit stops on the way to its HEA, so be eighteen and over before you buckle up!

    Bailey’s had enough upheaval in her short life, and Cory doesn't want her to get attached to a “friend” who won't be sticking around. Even so, Cory finds himself continuing to let Ken into his life, but a one-night-stand gone serial isn’t what Cory wants, and so he makes The List: his requirements for the perfect partner.Helping out during a difficult time, Ken finds himself being pulled into the family unit despite Cory’s previous emotional distance. He hopes he's finally breaking through, on the verge of convincing Cory to make their relationship more than a casual one. Then, while helping Bailey write to Santa, he finds Cory's list and takes it as his cue to bow out—just when Cory needs him the most.

    As far as Quin is concerned, Christmas is a giant waste of time. Quin's on the fast track to partnership, and the season of goodwill is just getting in the way of his next big project. But when Quin's boss, Marley, confiscates his phone and makes him take an unscheduled day off, Quin finds himself being forced to confront his regrets, past and present, and think about the sort of future he really wants…and who he wants it with.

    Two lonely men, destined for each other—if only they knew it.Alfie Carter grew up in New Milton, caring for his sick father and keeping their auto repair shop on its feet. He’s touchy about his poor education and doesn’t take kindly to snide remarks from the town’s prickly bookstore owner—no matter how cute he looks in his skinny jeans. Left to run the family business alone, Alfie spends his lonely evenings indulging his secret passion for classic fiction and chatting online with witty, romantic ‘LLB’ as they fall in love over literature.Leo Novak’s new life as owner of Bayside Books is floundering. And he could do without the town’s gorgeous, moody mechanic holding a grudge against him after an unfortunate—and totally not his fault— encounter last Christmas. Still reeling from a bad breakup and struggling to make friends in New Milton, Leo seeks comfort in his blossoming online romance with thoughtful, bookish ‘Camaro89’. But as the holidays approach, ‘LLB’ and ‘Camaro89’ are planning to meet, and realities are about to collide… This novella is approximately 39,000 words and comes with a HEA guaranteed.

    Of course, we had to deal with the man who didn’t want us to be together, and then we ended up back in LA, and we had to figure out what was going on with my brother, and, and… Okay, deep breaths. FYI, Philadelphia is nowhere near our home in northern Washington. Additionally, I wonder how Viagra really works, and what’s it gonna take to get a proposal around here? Honestly. I’m not saying Henry jinxed us, but I’m writing the damn card next year. Warning: This story contains more sugar than the cookies you leave for Santa, and it's chock-full of greetings and updates from other characters written by Cara, titles including Noah, Home, Path of Destruction, Uncomplicated Choices, and more. (A 40k words long Christmas-themed sequel to Out. Not a standalone.)

    So when Joe says Adam is straight—and Joe’s not—and they’re just best friends and roommates, Adam is more than a little confused. But as Adam starts to fill in the gaps, the one thing that becomes apparent is that Joe is the missing piece that can’t be replaced.

    It’s December in Perth, Australia and it’s stinking hot. He's lonely, he’s homesick, and it really doesn’t feel like Christmas. The one bright point is his cute disaster of a co-worker, Travis, except Levi can’t figure out why Travis keeps running away whenever Levi talks to him. Working at Booze Barn over the Christmas period is hell, but at least Travis has maple-syrup flavored eye candy Levi to brighten his days—except Levi’s miserable. To cure Levi’s homesickness, Travis comes up with a brilliant plan. After all, how hard can it be to recreate a Canadian Christmas in the cool room? One thing’s for sure—between cranky customers, fake snow, and a deflating reindeer, this Christmas Eve is going to make for a cool story one day.

    Naturally, I don't hesitate to volunteer as tribute to be his first kiss. He politely declines, but then we run into each other in the hotel bar. Thus begins a hot holiday fling with Bennett. Bennett's on the rebound and I've never had a serious relationship. This thing between us can only be casual. But just because this is temporary doesn't mean I can't help salvage what's left of Bennett's Christmas. If only I didn't have to keep reminding myself not to catch feelings. A sweet and sizzling-hot holiday vacation romance set in Honolulu, Hawaii.

    He’s also a vampire who prowls the dark corners of San Francisco looking for entertainment and his next meal. Lately, he’s been spending lots of time watching a tattoo parlor in the Mission District, where someone tall, artistic, and handsome has caught his eye.Santiago Alvarez, the forty-three-year-old owner of Iron & Ink has a huge secret. He lives a quiet life, finding joy in his career and his friends, but it’s caused him to shut himself off from dating and getting close to anyone romantically. When he bumps into Jeff on the sidewalk near his shop, he’s intrigued but hesitant to let anyone get close.An unexpected event one night will change everything for both men, and neither of their futures will ever be the same.

     Chase Kalinowski: Coffee Shop Owner and Former Army Ranger Chase owns Double Shot, a coffee shop that looks out onto the courtyard of New Gothenburg’s mall. His job is great, with the exception of Christmastime. Each year, all hell breaks loose in Santa Land, directly outside of his store. The holiday rush keeps Double Shot in business, but the crowd always leaves Chase, a scarred former Army Ranger, surlier than usual. This year, however, there is a treat Chase didn’t anticipate in Santa Land, in the form of a sassy little blond elf he can’t rip his gaze from. Chase can tell the elf is a brat from their first interaction, and he wants nothing more than to turn the blond over his knee and spank some manners into him. Lyndon Hollis: Brat Extraordinaire Lyn has had a bad month, and it’s about to become even worse. He can just sense that this job as a mall elf is going to disappear long before he can find a new one because everything goes wrong from day one. The final straw? A huge, scary—yeah, okay fine, beefcake—coffee guy manages to dump drinks all over his elf costume. Lyn rants, says a bunch of things he shouldn’t, and eventually feels remorse for his outburst, but what will it take to get Chase Kalinowski to forgive him? More importantly, Lyn can’t figure out why he cares so much. This holiday novelette is full of steamy hot coffee and even hotter punishments for bratty little elves. Happy holidays!