That and the fact that he liked her daughter - and was the sexiest guy she'd ever met. But as Jess found out, no one got to know the elusive Mr. Carpenter. He was a master at dodging questions...and igniting her desires. With just one of his searing kisses, Jess was hotter than the Florida sun.But then the murders started - all women who looked like, her. And the profile of the killer matched Rob... Was Rob an innocent victim - or had his burning kisses only been a smoke screen? One thing was certain: Rob Carpenter was no ordinary man.

    Despite his heavenly name and matching beauty, Gabriel was anything but angelic. Rich, spoiled, and far too cynical for his age, he could easily charm the skirt off a prim beauty or a young teacher or two. Gabriel Gordon was mad, bad, and ...well, you probably know the rest.The years hadn't changed him, despite taking over his father's company and expanding it into a multinational corporation. Unfortunately, it was just my luck that I found myself working in Gabriel's building. Although I had managed to avoid him for the better part of a month, a chance encounter in the elevator proved he was still an arrogant man who showed far too much interest in the shape of my mouth and nape of my neck.From then on, Gabriel bedeviled me, teased me, and more often than not, made me want to throw things at his head. Still, just as in high school, I couldn't help but see the pain behind his lazy grin and the shadows in his crystalline gaze. When Gabriel confessed his love for me, I should have been the happiest woman in the world. Too bad I couldn't believe him...Emma Adams had always considered herself level-headed, even-tempered, and most of all, sane. So how did she become someone who couldn't seem to push Gabriel Gordon away? No matter how sweet his words could be or how easily passion exploded between them, getting involved with the outrageously wealthy playboy had to be the height of insanity. Given their tumultuous natures and personal demons, there was only way a relationship between them could survive: in madness.

    While she heard the words, her heart wasn't listening, and she left with more than the memory of their blissful night together…Two years later, Ramon finds Lauren again. She's independent, strong, and mother to a little boy. One look at the child and Ramon knows he's his. There's only one thing for it: a marriage of convenience—or the sake of his son and heir!

    But, having taken her virginity, the Brazilian billionaire wants nothing more to do with her--until he discovers she's pregnant!Diogo will accept nothing less than taking Ellie as his bride. Their marriage is passionate by night, but tense and empty by day. Ellie realizes that she's in an impossible situation: Diogo's dark past has frozen his heart, but she's fallen in love with her husband....

    Now, as the face of his next cosmetics campaign, Holly will prove she’s a more than worthy adversary for the intoxicating CEO…On the surface Drago is the epitome of precision and power. Yet he is haunted by the memory of a seemingly innocent girl and the moment he discovered she was just like all the rest. But Drago’s about to uncover the secret Holly’s been hiding, and all of his carefully laid plans will come undone!

     Being the best means making sacrifices, but do vows made at 16 hold true at 24? Duty First, Duty Only… As a teenaged Sea Cadet, Sam Morelli joined the elite club his brother formed with other teens, focused on a single goal: to become Navy SEALs. Membership required a vow that once he became a SEAL, the team would be his only commitment. Distractions like relationships or dependents would be forbidden. Eight years later, on the cusp of achieving his goal, Sam has forgotten that vow. But Bryanna Spencer hasn’t. Sugar, shoes, and a sexy SEAL… Numbers whiz Bryanna Spencer loves chocolate, designer shoes, and Sam Morelli. She’s always dreamed of one thing: being Sam’s wife. Raised in a Navy family, she knows the rules: to be a great SEAL, a man can’t have a woman weighing down his thoughts. Bryanna’s been nibbling on sweet, sexy, better-than-chocolate-covered-caramel Sam for four years, but Sam’s dream of being a SEAL has been with him longer. His dream is her nightmare. Some vows are made to be broken… With Sam home on leave for Christmas, Bryanna has one last chance to prove to Sam that he wants her more than he wants his SEAL Trident. But time is running out. Once he finishes the last phase of his training, she may lose him forever. But Sam may have different kind of vow in mind…

    Getting a job there was easy enough, but confiding in the ranch's owner that she's really her daughter? That task is daunting. Especially with Elijah Turner watching her every move. Elijah can't deny his deep attraction to Cora. But there's something about the ranch's newest employee that has him questioning her motives. If she's there to hurt his family, there'll be hell to pay. Yet, if the feelings the lovely teacher awakes in his guarded heart are any indication, Cora's appearance might be just what they were all waiting for.

    That was before the news of a failed IUD. Before the plus sign. Before Jordan showed back up determined to make that night up to me.I didn't want a baby or a payday or a sexy, stubborn man in my life. I wanted to go back in time and pretend none of it had happened.Unfortunately, my life had become all about that plus sign... and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it.Bad BreakupThe first sign of trouble was the rough, masculine voice. The second was the Scottish accent. God, Cecelia loved Scottish accents. Colin McGregor was her every fantasy come to life. And Cecelia had been in love with him. Twice.Then had her heart broken. Twice.Well, the third time wasn't the charm and CeCe wasn't going to be stupid about Colin. Not again. Not now that she knew better.But had anyone informed Colin of that fact?Bad HusbandHeather O'Keith is the biggest, baddest female CEO around. Known for being tough as nails, fair to a fault, and a shark when it comes to securing contracts for her business, RoboTech, she's also lonely.Not that she would tell anyone else that... least of all one Clay Steele--sexy, smart, cold, and a man with a business acumen that both matches and sometimes surpasses her own.But then Heather realizes that she may not be the only lonely one. The big lug who seems to enjoy tormenting her in the business world also has a soft side. And when that part of him is wholly directed at her, she gets stupid.Stupid finds her waking up hungover and naked in Clay's bed. With a giant diamond ring. On her left hand.Oh lord, what has she done?Bad Date: A Never Before Released NovellaBlind dates were the absolute worst.Awkward, filled to the brim with small talk, and they never, ever worked out. Kay knew all that. Yet for some reason, she still had agreed to let Heather set her up.Maybe it was because Heather O'Keith had rescued her when some idiot had dropped half a Venti Frappuccino on her laptop, saving her nearly-completed novel and befriending her in the process. Maybe Heather was just a force to be reckoned with. Or maybe, it was because Kay had serious pushover tendencies.But when the date came, Kay found herself alone at a table for almost an hour before she called it quits. She'd been stood up. Yup, that was just perfect.Her night was shot, she was behind on her word count, but then . . . she quite literally ran into tall, dark, and handsome outside the restaurant. One look at him and Kay thought that perhaps her night might be salvaged after all.Until she discovered tall, dark, and handsome was a jerk. Until she discovered that jerk was her missing blind date--her rude and insufferable date who blew right by her as if she didn't exist.What. The. Hell?

    Then her pregnancy changed everything. Though the Russian tycoon made the baby his heir, he disappeared from Caliope's life. Now, he's back, offering everything he didn't in the past. But the shining promise of a happy ending is eclipsed by the shadow of his tragic past…and his dark future. Will Caliope's heart break again? Or will Maksim risk everything to claim this woman and child as his own?

    Strong characters, believable storyline and true romance makes Some Kind of Wonderful, well, wonderful!" — Romance Readers ConnectionWhen investigative reporter and determined bachelor, Matt Winters, discovers a newborn baby girl on his doorstep, he desperately turns to his temptingly pretty neighbor Caitlyn Devereaux for help. Caitlyn's aching vulnerability as she holds the precious baby piques his curiosity. Clearly, she has secrets. But then so does he…Caitlyn doesn’t need a man or a baby in her life. Despite the fact that she designs wedding dresses for a living, marriage and motherhood are not for her. But as the sweet baby binds Matt and Caitlyn together, they are both tempted with the image of a future they are afraid to believe in. The baby has a mother somewhere, and she might be coming back. Falling in love with the baby, with each other, could break both their hearts. Is either one willing to take the risk to find happily ever after?#1 NYT Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy is known for her unforgettable stories, where ordinary people find extraordinary love--and where unexpected soulmates are sometimes found right next door...PRAISE FOR BARBARA FREETHY BOOKS"An emotional roller-coaster, SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL is also tender and charming." — Heartstrings Reviews"The title says it all: SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL is exactly that. Ms. Freethy delivers another powerful and moving story that includes a touch of the paranormal for a very poignant and satisfying ending. But start this book early — it’s an all-nighter!" — AOL Fiction ForumDon't miss Barbara's other popular standalone contemporary novels:ALMOST HOMEASK MARIAHDANIEL'S GIFTJUST THE WAY YOU ARELOVE WILL FIND A WAYONE TRUE LOVERYAN'S RETURNTHE SWEETEST THING

    Raised in a strict traditional family household, he seeks a woman who is sweet, conservative, and eager to settle down. With his well-known protective and dominant streak, he needs a woman to offer him balance in a world where he relishes control.Too bad the newly hired, gorgeous, rehab addict is blasting through all his preconceptions and wrecking his ideals…one nail at a time…Charlotte Flowers knows who she is and refuses to apologize. Growing up poor made her appreciate the simple things in life, and her new job at Pierce Brothers Construction is perfect to help her carve out a career in renovating houses. When an opportunity to transform a dilapidated house in a dangerous neighborhood pops up, she goes in full throttle. Unfortunately, she’s forced to work with the firm’s sexy architect who’s driving her crazy with his archaic views on women. Too bad he’s beginning to tempt her to take a chance on more than just work…one stroke at a time…Somehow, some way, they need to work together to renovate a house without killing each other…or surrendering to the white-hot chemistry knocking at the front door.

    Scott. Wildlife conservationist Jade Sinclair isn’t used to having money. But when she and her siblings learned they were part of the mega-rich Sinclair dynasty, they became billionaires overnight. Jade doesn’t even know how to act rich, especially when she’s dealing with an arrogant, privileged, unreasonably sexy snob like Eli Stone.Unlike Jade, Eli grew up rich, and he just keeps getting richer. Eli is always looking for an adventure, and he’s found an inviting one in Jade—as resistant as she is irresistible. His less-than-honorable plan? Get her alone in the wilderness by buying out all the spots in her survival class.Calling a truce, they strike a bargain: Jade will teach Eli basic survival skills, and he’ll teach her how to navigate the world of the wealthy elite. Jade has only one condition—she will not let herself be seduced by him. But some things are easier said than done…

    She's given herself T-minus 24 hours to change her life. 8:00 a.m.: Call out sick from library. 8:01 a.m.: Scour phone book for Emergency Beauty Technicians. 10:00 - Noon: Hair. Goodbye, mousy. Hello, auburn. Noon - 5:00 p.m.: Nails. Makeup. Clothes. Be bold! 10:00 p.m.: Arrive at The Hot Spot. Pretend you've gone clubbing before. 11:00 p.m.: Fight polyester lizard's advances - and the disappointment of a failed mission. 11:30 p.m.: Revel in being rescued by Ethan Banks. Don't let the sexy club owner's chivalry prevent mission completion. When the lights go down: Lose virginity...finally. In the light of a new day, something had indeed changed for Gwen: She was in over her head....

    So she does what any self-respecting geek-girl looking to get laid would do: she programs her own app for landing a hot guy. After a few failed attempts at making contact, beta testing leads her to Caleb Anderson.Caleb is used to female attention, but finds himself attracted to Evie because of her unique brand of awkward. A master of one-night stands, he's more than happy to show her what she's been missing in the bedroom. But he quickly discovers that one night with a woman like Evie will never be enough for him…

    When the power comes back on, the two find themselves in a passionate embrace that leads to a single night together. Shocked by her own recklessness, Laney disappears the next morning. Months later, she receives an even greater shock: Deke shows up with an astounding announcement. Unable to forget the chemistry between them, but afraid that she's just another notch on this wealthy playboy's bedpost, Laney must face an even deeper fear . . . or forever lose the one man she can't resist.