. . that was what Faulkner Scott's young son wanted. The motherless twelve-year-old was determined to appoint Shelly Astor his new mom after she saved his life. Then she met his dad! Who was going to save Shelly's heart from a new accident waiting to happen --- like falling in love with the boy's gorgeous father?The Apartment by Debbie MacomberNo matter that Hilary Sullivan was twenty-four years old, played flute for the Portland Symphony and had her own apartment --- Hilary's mother was overprotective. So how was Hilary going to convince her that mother didn't know best when it came to having a macho army fly-boy for a roommate?A Special Request by Judith DuncanSarah Jeffrie's son didn't want much --- just a dog and a dad. Nat Anderson had the dog --- and he'd be a prime candidate for dadhood, except Nat was just passing through. Sarah refused to fall for a sexy smile, but Nat wasn't leaving till he fulfilled her son's special request.Three touching, romantic stories celebrate the joys and surprises of motherhood, including ""A Special Request,"" in which Sarah Jeffries meets sexy Nat Anderson but thinks that he is too much of a wanderer to be a father to her son.

    She wants to prove to her former classmates that she isn't the lonely bookworm they predicted she'd become. So, naturally, Jayne turns to a book. It's called How to Pick Up a Man. And it works, even if she attracts the attention of good-looking Riley Chambers only because she's carrying that book, not because she followed its advice!Love by DegreeGoing back to college, hitting the books. That's Ellen Cunningham's new life. But money's a little tight and she's lucky enough to find inexpensive lodging in a house with three young college boys. Ellen plays housemother, a situation that works for everyone—except Reed Morgan, the absentee owner. He's not pleased to find his house occupied by a bunch of college kids and Ellen. Especially Ellen.

    After experiencing that with her late husband, she was happy to finally be in control of her own life. Sure, it could get a little lonely, but there were ways around that….FBI negotiator Nash Harmon was trained to be cool and detached in every situation. But when he came to Stephanie's B&B, there was something about her lively family that drew him in, and for the first time in his life he understood why people had ties.Only Stephanie didn't want ties…at least, not to him. It would be his toughest negotiation, the odds were against him, but somehow Nash would convince her that she had, indeed, found the one.BONUS BOOK INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME!A Dad for Her Twins by Tanya MichaelsKenzie Green wasn’t looking for a man to complete her family. Yet her enigmatic neighbor, Jonathan Trelauney, seemed to know just how to handle her children. Can JT make Kenzie see he’s the right man for her twins…and for her?

    So imagine their surprise when they were reunited to cover the great light-out of ‘93. All thoughts of keeping things cool were doused along with the lights!Steam Bath - Suzanne CareyThe elevator didn’t work and neither did the air-conditioning, so prim-and-proper Melisande Taylor was stuck in a sweaty office with the man not of her dreams ~ sexy, irritating Joe Carbone. And Joe had a lot more on his mind than passing the time with boring conversation . . .

    Meghan finds a baby and love on Christmas Eve, Phoebe falls for Santa while trapped with him in an elevator, Jessa flees an arranged marriage and finds her mate in the Highlands, and Andi turns a property dispute into passion, in four tales by Fern Michaels, Hannah Howell, Olga Bicos, and Jennifer Blake.Four holiday hits from four of the genre's favorite authors! "Merry, Merry" by Fern Michaels features a veterinarian who figures her holidays are going to the dogs--until she meets a handsome stranger; in "A Vision of Sugar Plums" by Jennifer Blake, Meghan Castle is a real Scrooge about the holidays--until she discovers an abandoned baby in her store on Christmas Eve and a chance at romance; in Hannah Howell's "The Yuletide Gift", a young woman flees an arranged marriage and finds shelter and love in the home of a Scottish laird; and Olga Bico's "Naughty or Nice" finds a nervous bride-to-be trapped overnight in an elevator on Christmas Eve with a handsome department store Santa she can't resist.

    But holiday cheer takes on a whole new meaning as their one-hour tryst stretches on. . .and on...Karen Kelley It's a Wonderful LifeHollywood hottie Jeremy Hunter is spending Christmas researching his upcoming role. But going incognito as a preacher in a tiny Texas town brings wicked temptation in the form of beautiful Bailey Tanner...Dianne Castell Home for ChristmasLuLu Cahill is having a terrible Christmas, until she heads home to O'Fallon's Landing, where jilted groom Sebastian Moore is going through with his pre-wedding holiday bash. All he needs is LuLu to fill in for the bride...

    Three sizzling stories from today's most sensual writers. Hot and sensual romance stories are one of the most popular genres amongst readers today so take advantage of the large reading audience that this brand-new collection--featuring three of today's hottest writers--will attract.From the back cover:You are cordially invited to experience...The first seduction...Linsay Scott has a bad case of the hots for her sexy neighbor Hunter Jordan. And hearing his nightly activities through the apartment walls is only making her hotter. That is, until she discovers Sexcapades, a book of erotic invitations, and decides to turn up the heat herself...The endless seduction...Proper Southern belle Regan Davis was groomed to be a blushing bride, not a jilted one. But after picking up a copy of Sexcapades, she decides she's had enough. She's going to prove she's woman enough to seduce sexy Sam Daniels. And there'll be no blushing allowed...The ultimate seduction...Bride-to-be Leah Burton desperately wants to learn how to satisfy a man. Her lackluster fiancé isn't offering his services...but Jace Rutledge definitely is. And with a copy of Sexcapades under her bed - and Jace in it! - Leah's sure she'll make the grade. Again and again...Invitations to seductionSome offers are too good to refuse...

    Ryerson to get better acquainted.But in a high-stakes poker game, they won a bracelet of uncommon beauty, and from that moment on they barreled recklessly into love - and adventure.Never before had they abandoned themselves to such joy. Or exposed themselves to such danger.Impulse - Vicki Lewis ThompsonApril Foster had almost married Dan Butler once, but his cautious nature had gotten in the way.Eight years later, he was still attractive but unimaginative, and yet ... something had changed.He now possessed an heirloom ring, a talisman of his parents' love, and it seemed to inspire Dan to act on impulse ... satisfying all April's fantasies.Trust - Rita Clay EstradaGrowing up in a truck stop didn't put a damper on Katherine O'Malley's aspirations. She was going to be top-notch secretary ... and convince millionaire Clay Reynolds that she was perfect for him.But Clay didn't trust his emotions, so Katherine was forced to use her most precious possession as a weapon.She gave him her priceless talisman earrings ... along with her heart.And he didn't stand a chance.

    If she had secrets, he would discover every single one….Million Dollar BabyWhen Chandra Hill is awakened by a cry in the night, she is shocked to discover an abandoned newborn in her barn. Emergency room doctor Dallas O'Rourke finds himself bonding instantly with the baby—and the intriguing woman who brought him in. And when the baby's adoption becomes national news, he's stunned to realize he wants a life with them both.…

    Convinced that she was another marriage-minded female sent by his matchmaking aunt, Harlan would have gladly thrown her out. But a whirlwind week end with the feisty beauty convinced him that this was the woman he wanted in his bed, and his heart. Now the consummate bachelor would have to try an honest to-goodness courtship, the old-fashioned way, if he ever hoped to make Phoebe his own.DARA JOY HIGH ENERGYPhysics. Zanita Masterson knew nothing about the subject, and cared little to learn. Until a reporting job led her to one Tyberius Augustus Evans. The rogue scientist was six feet of piercing blue eyes, rock-hard, muscles and maverick ideas, and the idea that he was seriously interested in her seemed insane. But a night of monster movies, cookie-dough ice cream and wild love was almost enough to convince Zanita that the passion-minded professor was determined to woo her-with his own masterful equation for sizzlingecstasy and high energy..

    A Handful of Gold / Mary Balogh --The Three Gifts / Julia Justiss --The Season for Suitors / Nicola Cornick.

    Yet when irresistible redhead Rosie Harrison drops into his life and disrupts his peace, Joshua's desires begin to change. Can he convince her to hang around long enough to meet him under the mistletoe? Snowbound Bride by Shirley JumpA Christmas Eve blizzard leaves Marietta stranded in an airport with Reed Hartstone, the only man to ever break her heart. Perhaps rekindling the past may actually be their perfect Christmas present. Their Christmas Vows by Margaret McDonaghFrazer McIntosh knows exactly what he wants for Christmas--Callie Grogan. Despite his reputation as a fun-loving Romeo, Frazer is serious about his beautiful colleague. Serious enough to love her forever, if only she'll agree to be his Christmas bride....

    And nowhere is this more apparent than in these extraordinary stories from four of today’s hottest authors. From a futuristic cop caught in a crisis of the heart to a smoldering vision of an unusual love triangle, from the hunger for a human touch on an alien planet to a witch’s desperate search for the love of one man, these tales of paranormal romance will transport you to a time and a place you’ve never been before….Featuring:New York Times bestselling author J. D. Robb—with a new Lieutenant Eve Dallas story: "Interlude in Death." At a police conference off-planet, Lietenant Eve Dallas is forced to forsake duty to take down a rogue ex-cop--and save the name she loves...New York Times bestselling author Laurell K. Hamilton—with a new Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter tale: "Magic Like Heat Across My Skin." It's been six months since vampire hunter Anita Blake has seen the two men in her life. Now a kidnapping brings them together--closer than a woman, a vampire, and a werewolf have ever been before...USA Today Bestselling Author Susan Krinard's "Kinsman." Searching the universe for a missing ship, two telepaths lose themselves in each other--mind, body, and soul...USA Today Bestselling Author Maggie Shayne's "Immortality." On an island in the Caribbean, a man pulls a drowning woman out out of the sea, a centuries-old witch with one last wish to share with him--and one last hope.

    Reissue.

    Instead, a run-in with Santa's most virile helper brings her the best gift of all: a heart full of love. Santa Reads Romance by Dara Joy — During a snowstorm, a romance writer is surprised when a handsome stranger dressed as Jolly Old St. Nick arrives at her isolated cabin—and stirs up a blizzard of desire. A Gift for Santa by Nelle McFather — With a dash of Father Christmas' magic, a generous widow saves her town's holiday celebration—and teaches the man she loves the true meaning of the season.