It can also be an exchange, a betrayal, an assault, a promise, a hope...or it could be a goodbye. The intimacy of a kiss cannot be denied. Whether shared, stolen or simply dreamed of, its recipient will be affected. Thirty-one stories by authors from around the world will tease your imagination as you anticipate ‘The Kiss’ in each weird or wonderful tale. This cross-genre anthology contains stories by Kate Aaron, Saxon Andrew, Jacques Antoine, Alison Blake, E. B. Boggs, Shirley Bourget, Ben Cassidy, Jason Deas, Sharon Delarose, Meghan Ciana Doidge, Suzy Stewart Dubot, Corrie Fischer, Brandon Hale, Traci Tyne Hilton, Colleen Hoover, Mona Ingram, J. L. Jarvis, Elizabeth Jasper, Anna J. McIntyre, Jess Mountifield, C. A. Newsome, S. Patrick O'Connell, Suzie O'Connell, Jeanette Raleigh, J. R. C. Salter, Molly Snow, Holli Marie Spaulding, Cleve Sylcox, Robert Thomas, Chris Ward and George Wier. 130,000 words

    H. Croix, Tess Thompson, Tessa Layne, Stefanie London, Jean Oram, Dylann Crush, Erin Wright, Suzie O’Connell, Bethany Lopez: Love in a Small Town by Zoe York (Pine Harbour #1) Happily Ever His by Delancey Stewart (Singletree #1) Diamonds and Dirt Roads by Erin Nicholas (Billionaires in Blue Jeans #1) Falling Into Forever by Elena Aitken (The Springs #2) Just For This Moment by Kait Nolan (Wishful #4) Give Me Back My Man by Sidney Bristol (The Love Barn #1) Second Chance Charmer by Brighton Walsh (Havenbrook #1) Home in Heartsfield by Margaret Ethridge (Windy City Women #3) Burn For Me by J.H. Croix (Into the Fire #1) Marred: Kyle and Violet by Tess Thompson (Cliffside Bay #4) A Hero's Honor by Tessa Layne (Resolution Ranch #1) It Was (Only) A Kiss Stefanie London A Pinch of Commitment by Jean Oram (Veils and Vows #2) Lemon Tarts & Stolen Hearts by Dylann Crush (Lovebird Café #0.5) Accounting for Love by Erin Wright (Long Valley #1) The Road to Garrett by Suzie O’Connell (Two-Lane Wyoming #1) A Pinch of Salt by Bethany Lopez (Three Sisters Catering #1)

    Lucky for him, she has no idea who he is.Catherine Sparrow is obsessed with caves. She spends nearly every day at Alden Caverns with Otto, her eighty-year-old best friend. Known to most of the boys in town as Cave Girl, Cat long ago decided to leave dating to her sisters. But then Otto’s gorgeous grandson Jesse arrives.Jesse Relic, the hottest movie star in Hollywood, needs to get out of LA. Burdened by guilt and weighed down by sorrow, he runs to the only person who can possibly help him get his life in order, his grandfather Otto. Hoping to hide from the world in his grandfather’s caves, he does not expect to find a beautiful, intriguing woman working there. The best part? She doesn’t recognize him.While hiking a passage of the cave together, Jesse and Cat are trapped inside when she injures her knee. The intensity of their predicament ignites sparks in the tiny cavern. As they grow closer, Jesse knows he has to tell Cat he’s an actor. But she loves her simple, quiet life, and his life as a celebrity is louder than most. If he tells her the truth, will he lose her forever?Broken Hollywood is the first book in the Sparrow Sisters Series. If you want an intense slow-burn romance that will make your heart race, you’ll enjoy this celebrity meets ordinary girl love story!

    Brody’s my friend - just a friend. He’s also my autistic son’s favorite teacher.He’s as off limits as they come, no matter how drop dead gorgeous he is. Falling for him would be wrong. Resisting him though, is becoming pure torture. After being burned by men who can’t handle dating a single-mom of a special-needs child, I refuse to date anymore. Not until my son is grown. My plan is working fine until my trouble-making bestie presents me with a dare that I can’t resist. I’m a sucker for a good dare - especially when margaritas have been consumed. And she’s just dared me to plant a surprise kiss on Brody’s sexy lips, while she records it for a trending TikTok challenge video. But if I do this, it could change everything. My life is already pure chaos and maybe now is not the best time to shake things up even more. Is it worth risking our friendship and his important role in my son’s life for one kiss? What if he wants more? What if I do? Love & Other Chaos is a hilarious, steamy, friends-to-lovers romantic comedy featuring a drop dead gorgeous and seriously buff teacher with the hots for a single-mom of an autistic pre-teen son... who happens to be one of his students. This story also includes wise-cracking grandparents with zero respect for personal boundaries, swoon-worthy beach scenes, a jerky boss with no concept of personal space, nosey siblings and a foul-mouthed best friend who loves to instigate trouble. If you don't like sarcasm, steam, sexy-times, heroines who drink copious amounts of margaritas and laugh-a-minute dialogue, then this might not be the book for you. It’s a stand-alone novel with a happy ending, because cliffhangers will kill your margarita buzz.

    Middleton Sinclair Jeffries thought she knew what she was getting into when her zany, gay friend, Jesse Eddington, talked her into portraying his girlfriend during his parent's anniversary party on Huntington Beach. That is, until she met Reed, Jesse's sexy as hell older brother, and ends up getting much more than what she'd bargained for. Reed Eddington assumed his future was settled until he met Sinclair, his brother's so-called "girlfriend", but the raw, sexual tension between them is hard to ignore. As he watches their ruse from the sidelines, he finds himself wanting to uncover more than just their amusing little facade. Hunter by C.J. Pinard Recent college graduate and rich bad boy Hunter Jenkins has defied his parents yet again by not only getting his degree in Criminal Justice, but seeking out a job in law enforcement. But when he meets beautiful Reece Morgan at his family's elaborate yearly summer kickoff party, he begins to wonder if his priorities should change. Reece Morgan came from nothing and has nothing. When she meets Hunter Jenkins, she thinks he's nothing but a spoiled jerk who doesn't know what real struggle is. Unfortunately for her, he's also extremely charming, and doesn't think she'll be able to resist those charms for very long. When Reece finds herself in danger, will Hunter be her ultimate protector? The Billionaire's Fake Girlfriend by Sierra Rose Rebecca is an aspiring actress. While at a fancy cocktail party, the socialites begin to pick on her. And that’s when she claims she’s dating the billionaire host of the party. When he goes along with it, Rebecca is in shock. And when this billionaire offers her a proposition she can’t say no to, she dives straight in. Boss by Lexy Timms Jamie Connors has given up on finding a man. Despite being smart, pretty, and just slightly overweight, she's a magnet for the kind of guys that don't stay around. Her sister's wedding is at the foreground of the family's attention. Jamie would be fine with it if her sister wasn't pressuring her to lose weight so she'll fit in the maid of honor dress, her mother would get off her case, and her ex-boyfriend wasn't about to become her brother-in-law. Determined to step out on her own, she accepts a PA position from billionaire Alex Reid. The job includes an apartment on his property and gets her out of living in her parents' basement. Jamie has to balance her life and somehow figure out how to manage her billionaire boss, without falling in love with him. This anthology is for reader 18 and older and some stories continue on in separate books.

    A scorching summer. Danger lurks... After a raging media storm nearly destroys him, financial whiz Nick Cameron finds himself isolated and laying low on a barrier island off the Florida coast, far away from the reporters and scandals that threaten him. But when little Ronnie Whitcomb shows up on his doorstep, all grown up and breathtakingly beautiful, he tries to deny his feelings for her. Fate intervenes when a hurricane strands them on the island together, and suddenly, keeping Ronnie at arm's length becomes almost impossible. But daredevil TV reporter Veronique Whitcomb has an agenda of her own -- an agenda that could quite possibly get her killed. Recalling the hunky boy who rescued her at summer camp, Ronnie knows there's more to Nick than the hot and juicy scandal he's embroiled in, and she is determined to get the exclusive interview with him that will expose the real criminal. Whether Nick likes it or not, Ronnie refuses to sit by while the world slanders the most honorable and decent man she's ever known...and loved.THE HEARTTHROB SERIES: Book 1: Heart Raider (Nick and Veronique) Book 2: Heart Melter (Ian and Natasha) Book 3: Heart Tamer (Alec and Kate) Book 4: Heart Hunter (Cameron and Evie) Book 5: Heart Tempter (Leo and Teddy)

    After all, Holly is one of those wide-eyed optimists, and Evan is a man who deals in practicalities. Things would never work out between them. But two cups of coffee, a pair of shopping bags, and a touch of sexy Christmas magic just might help them find their common ground.Hometown Miracles by Patricia BatesThe holidays hold little interest for Leanne Wilson, a single mother who receives devastating news mere days before heading home. Once she arrives, she runs into the one man who holds her heart. But she can’t reach out to him now…after all, this may be her very last Christmas. Jay Locke has loved Leanne for years. When she left town, he forced himself to move on, but now she's back with a darling little girl and a Christmas wish he just can't say no to.Believe in Me by Aimée DuffyLeona Sharp and Ryan Lee have been friends forever, it seems. Although there's an attraction between them, they've never acted on it. On New Year's Eve, Leona finally allows herself to give into the temptation, but she vows that it will only be for one night and as soon as the clock strikes midnight they will put it in the past and go on as if it never happened. Ryan, however, has other plans…His Holiday Lifesaver by Hazel GowerBrad isn't looking forward to Christmas dinner with his family as they are always trying to set him up with women. This year he has a plan involving Hailey, a female tourist he rescued at the beach, posing as his girlfriend for the next couple of weeks. The only problem with the plan is he didn't expect to fall in love with her.Drawn To You by Tara MillsIf a picture's worth a thousand words, what does that make a series of sketches? Drawn to the same beach over and over again to secretly sketch this quiet, contemplative man, Rachel is about to find out.Reunion by Ashlynn MonroeYears ago, Shayla left her small hometown to pursue her dream. When she did, her family turned their back on her. Leaving also meant she had to forget about the boy she loved. When her mother dies, Shayla realizes that while some things change, other things are doomed to remain the same. She returns home, but doesn't feel very welcome until the boy who haunts her memories steps into her present. Luc is no longer the farm boy she'd fallen for—he's grown up, and quite nicely too. Can Shayla rekindle what she lost with the man she never stopped loving?Winter Break by Kaylie NewellHarper Smith is a horrible skier. She can't stand it, almost as much as she can't stand her irritatingly sexy ex-boyfriend, who also happens to be a member of the ski patrol. So when she finds herself in a life-or-death situation on a cold, dark mountain, she has mixed feelings when Justin Noble shows up to rescue her. Part of her would rather freeze to death than accept his help. The other part can't help but warm up at the sight of his messy, sun-bleached hair and cocky grin. Without her consent, Harper's heart tips dangerously close to falling for him again. But will this time be any different?Mistletoe & Holly by Tamaria SoanaZoey is going through the normal Christmas Eve ritual with her three-year-old twins. The only difference is that her husband Preston isn't there to share it with them. He's been deployed overseas and won't be home for the holidays. After Zoey tucks the kids in for the night, she places the gifts under the tree, snuggles on the sofa to watch It's a Wonderful Life, and falls asleep. She's startled awake by a loud noise. Is she dreaming, or is her Christmas wish standing under the mistletoe?Katrina's Christmas by Sidda Lee TateChristmas has always been just another day to Katrina Bryant. She works hard and expects her employees to do the same. When her sexy assistant, Grant Ward, quits on Christmas Eve she becomes worried she will never see him again, and she wonders why that bothers her so much. To her surprise, he arrives at her home hours later and whisks her away for a Christmas she will never forget.Merry Christmas, Mrs. Todd by Elise WhylesRecently widowed, Mary Todd isn't looking forward to spending Christmas alone. She's determined to keep a low profile during the madness—that is, until she meets her sexy neighbor, Walter. He seems intent on helping her get into the holiday spirit, and she just might let him.The Gift Beneath the Tree by Lacey WolfeTara won't be spending Christmas with her family this year, but she's not entirely alone. Her roommate, Brad, who's currently single, is also at home with her. Tara goes to bed Christmas Eve with hopes Santa might bring her what she most desires. After hearing a loud crash, she goes to investigate, and underneath the tree, she finds the present she's been dying to unwrap.Content Warning: some stories contain explicit sex

    Something that I longed to have in my life every day, and when I found it at a young age, I clung to it. I snatched up the boy as fast as I could, intending to make him mine forever. Commitment I never expected my marriage to turn out the way it did. I never expected for my husband to let me go. For that love that I had invested in to come crumbling down around me. Something that once gave me such great joy. Him After the pieces of myself broke, I was surprised to find a man who was willing to pick them up, to catch me as I fell. What he wanted from me though, I didn’t know if I could give him. All he wanted was for me to let him in.

     Awarded a medal for a mission that almost turned disastrous by betrayal, Levi “Mac” McCall leaves Delta Force and his poor judgement behind. Determined to move on, he gives 110% to his new investigation company…except whenever his brother’s sexy sister-in-law is near. The sassy woman followed him from central Texas and is a distraction Mac doesn’t want. So why the hell can’t he get the hot kiss they shared out of his head? Stefanie Davis did NOT follow that stubborn wall of muscles to Harland County. She relocated because of work, and thanks to endorsements from his father and his cousin, she has enough clientele to open her own graphic arts business. Too bad it’s near the sexy as hell security expert whose kiss is as amazing as it is dangerous…to her own good. Before long, their off-the-charts chemistry leads to more embraces than arguments and has Mac considering a new mission: Prove to Stefanie that sass and alpha are a perfect match.

    Suffering through loss after loss has left him a shell of the man he used to be. He’s unable to move on but he’s learned to survive. As the VP of the Bayou Devils MC, he finds solace in the work they do to rescue people from dire situations and it’s enough to keep the lurking darkness at bay. Just barely.After being cheated on by her ex, Alison James isn’t interested in dating. It’s more hassle than it’s worth as far as she’s concerned and she’d much rather focus on getting ahead in her career anyway. There’s less of a chance of getting hurt that way. But when her mysterious neighbor barges into her life, Alison finds it hard to stay away.Alison brings a spark of light to Logan’s life and he will do whatever it takes to hang on to her, but there are some things that are just out of his hands. His past rears its ugly head, putting Alison in danger and thrusting Logan into a hell he thought he had escaped years ago.Can Logan force himself to let Alison go if it will save her life? Or will she become just another loss he has to endure?ADDICTED TO LOVE:At sixteen years old, Carly Mills was taught a very valuable lesson about just how cruel people can be. In the years since, she's carried that with her, closing herself off from the world to avoid experiencing the same heartbreak she endured at such a young age.Enter Chance Turner. On the outside, he's everything she should avoid - biker, rebel, heart breaker - and yet, she finds it hard to stay away.Chance has spent his life looking for the one thing that's always been missing, and the moment he sees Carly, he knows he's found it. She can try to resist him but he's a determined man and nothing will get in his way.When someone close to her is in danger, Carly has no choice but to go to Chance for help, but being around him presents an entirely new threat.Can Carly resist Chance and save those she loves? Or will she lose everything in the process - including her heart?EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE:Tatum Carter is a warrior. She hasn’t lived an easy life but any obstacle that is thrown in her path, she perseveres. When her mother, Sarah, is killed in a car accident, Tatum is presented with a whole new challenge and this time, she’s struggling to keep her head above water.When he was fifteen years old, Lincoln Archer lost his father and shouldered the burden of taking care of his mother and two younger sisters. He’s a rock – always there when someone he loves needs him, but it has taken its toll on him and now he’s drowning under his mistakes.Sarah’s death unearths long buried secrets, thrusting Tatum and Lincoln together as Tatum wonders if she ever really knew her mother at all. They bring each other peace but danger surrounds them and what looks like salvation may very well be their demise.IT ENDS TONIGHT:Nineteen years ago, everything in Lucas Smith’s life came crashing down around him. In the blink of an eye, his childhood was gone and he was forced to step up for his little brother, Clay. They are the only family each other has left and there isn’t anything Lucas won’t do to protect that bond.Quinn Dawson knows a thing or two about loss and family. After her parents’ death when she was a child and the passing of her grandmother only a year before, her sister and daughter are all she has left and nothing is more important to her.When a truck runs a red light, it brings Quinn and Lucas together and for the first time in his life, Lucas considers a whole new meaning of the word family but nothing is as simple as it seems.A chance meeting tears open old wounds and thrusts Quinn and Lucas into turmoil, bigger than either of them have ever known.

    Well, maybe he does—he’s never encountered a riff he couldn’t handle, a treasure he couldn’t score, or a woman he couldn’t conquer. No one, especially not a buttoned-down rule-follower like the band’s new tour accountant, is going to change him. Accountant Sara Anderson is an unabashed stickler for the rules… Sara’s worked nine long years to make partner, and only one thing stands between her and her goal—Hunte. Now she’s going on their tour to whip the band into financial shape. So long as she gets them out of the red, the promotion will be hers. Those bad boys of rock will be tamed, no matter how yummy their lead singer is. When rebellion confronts discipline, fireworks explode. Passions collide, and lives are permanently altered, in this enemies-to-lovers, slow burn standalone romance set in the mid-1990s—when grunge ruled the airwaves and women partners were as uncommon as those new mobile phones.

    With Christmas approaching, she realizes she might want even more from her sexy, damaged artist, but the boundaries around their relationship make anything deeper than sex impossible.Matt was the rising star of the art world, but he hasn't painted since a tragic accident two years ago. His passion for Carrie finally inspires him, but first he must convince her that the heat between them is far more than just sex. Originally published as part of the Love for the Holidays bundle.

    At least, that’s what her sister tells her when she drags her off for an impromptu Christmas getaway in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Hope’s plans to keep her nose in a book the entire vacation are thwarted when she meets Jack Freeman, the gorgeous and enigmatic Army helicopter pilot staying at the same resort. What was supposed to be a quiet Christmas holiday turns into a life changing event for Hope and Jack. The only problem? Jack is headed off to war, and there is no guarantee he will come back.

    When she was sixteen, he became her hero, and she fell head over heels for the boy with a ring through his eyebrow, a big heart, and an unending sense of justice. But two years ago he left for college without a backward glance, leaving Grace to wonder if she'd imagined everything. With no reason to wait for Asher to return, Grace moved on, and Asher's brother, Adam, stepped in to help her pick up the pieces. But Asher never left her thoughts... or her heart. Now, two years later, tragedy brings Asher home and back into Grace's life. The boy who left her behind is now very much a man - a licensed tattoo artist, much to his parents' dismay, and still carrying a major torch for Grace. But two years apart has changed them both, and the things that happened during their separation may create a divide that can't be crossed. Asher and his brother both left their mark on Grace's heart. Will Asher's be able to stand the test of time? * This is a New Adult Contemporary Romance featuring characters who are 18 years or older. However, this title does NOT carry a warning for readers younger than 18.

    Her new job as a summer nanny to the ultra-wealthy could make all the difference.Richard manages international relations for his family’s massive candy company, and coming back to the family’s New Hampshire lake house for the summer is like coming home. But this time the house contains more than just family—his sister has brought along a nanny. A cute nanny.When circumstances pull Richard’s sister back to the West Coast, Richard and Emma agree to share responsibility for the kids.As attraction flares, Emma and Richard have to face their differences and decide: Is this just a summer sizzle, or can they each change perspective enough to make whatever’s between them last?