Did I ever ask for it?"Paul's voice rang out. His face was a taut sculpture, chiseled out of stone-as she felt certain his heart was. "No," Domini threw at him, "but you're not quite so inhuman as to enjoy for very long the companionship of a wife who hates you!"She couldn't weep. Tears had set like ice in her and the sweetness of today had turned to bitterness. The rings on her hands felt heavy-like manacles, she told herself. Shackles that bound her to a man who had forced her into a loveless disaster of a marriage.

    At last, unable to bear seeing the two of them together, Tessa had gone away.Now, two years later, she was home again, expecting to hear that they were married -- only to learn that they had never in fact married, that after a terrible accident in which Paul had been blinded, Lucinda had walked out on him and he was now living the life of a recluse in Cyprus. So Tessa took her courage in both hands, went out to Cyprus pretending to be Lucinda, begged Paul's forgiveness -- and married him.Would her love be strong enough to stand the strain of living such a lie? And what if Paul ever found out?

    Even though her stalker is dead, he arranged for a hit man to kill her. Now the special government agent Millie has loved from afar for years has vowed to protect her. The man of her dreams seems finally within her grasp… In order to keep Millie safe, Tony Danzetta moves the prim librarian into his home. He insists on keeping her in sight 24/7, but their proximity causes Tony to question what he really wants for the holidays. Can the agent resign himself to keeping Millie at arm's length—or can their secret connection blossom into a real happily-ever-after?

    She wanted nothing more than to leave the bitterness of the past behind her, but evidently Blair Davenport wasn't going to let her. Blair blamed her for his friend's death and thought of her as a rich man's spoiled daughter. He was wrong--but even if she could get him to listen to her explanations, he wouldn't believe her. It was an impossible situation, made worse by Sian's determination not to succumb to the sparks of attraction between them ..

    He can't help but notice a bride in a crumpled wedding dress sitting on the steps of his hotel...Constantine's orchestrated marriage is over before the wedding night. A humiliated virgin bride, she longs to feel desired, and at Nico's skilled hands she experiences white-hot passion. But their one night brings more than just shame on Constantine and her family... Constantine has no choice but to reveal her bombshell to Nico - yet still her fingers tremble as she dials the number for Eliades Enterprises...THE SECRET OF XANOSTwo brothers alike in charisma and power' separated at birth and seeking revenge...

    But what about Mia?She had her own reason for agreeing to be Alex's wife--which was not financial gain, as Alex cynically believed. But how could the truth stay hidden, when she shared such intense passion with her new husband...and was now carrying his child?

    He'd even nicknamed her "Cinders."Well, handsome prince or no, she hadn't invited him to interfere. And although silently grateful for the added household discipline, Beatrice drew the line where Elliott seemed most intent on crossing--her personal life!

    But her faith was restored when her best friend was reunited with the husband she thought she'd lost for ever. It seemed like fate when Claire met the happy couple's closest friend, Romano Bellini. He was beautiful and broodingly handsome. But Romano had been married before -- and he didn't want his life complicated by a second wife.

    Financier Kynan Roth had all the superficial advantages. Briar was looking for other qualities in a husband--compassion, understanding and, above all, trust. But how was she going to convince the cynical Kynan of that, when, to rescue her father, she had just committed the cardinal sin of marrying him for his money....

    The intention was that after a short time at Carastrano, a quiet annulment would arranged.But now Leigh was not at all sure that she wanted their marriage to end.

    So when it comes into Angelina Littlewood's possession, Nikos Kyriacou must get the jewel back. But Angie has her own reasons for keeping it --- and for wanting to teach arrogant Greek Nikos a lesson!What better way than to agree to marriage? But then Angie discovers what being Nikos's wife entails ... He has one demand: he's her husband and she'll share his bed!

    "Maybe when I can think clearly I'll be able to offer an apology. Right now all I want to do is wring your neck!"Sabrina would not consider the possibility that Bay had been prompted by desire for her. Her blindness had touched him - his emotion was based on pity.All at once she could no longer regard Bay as a friend. She had started thinking of him as a man...and for her that was dangerously foolish!

    Yet Luc has defied the odds, and a contract for marriage is drawn up. This will be a union on paper first, and in the bedroom later....Except Gabrielle is just the same in private as in public -- well-bred, well behaved and a credit to her country. Luc is determined to find the wanton within and leave his pure princess in total disarray!

    A year on, Mandy still longs for the carefree Italian she fell in love with but believed was lost forever--until now!Discovering that Renzo has survived, Mandy goes to him--for he has her heart and she has his son! But Renzo has lost his memory. How will he react when he finds out the truth? Will he claim his English bride and his son?

    Aubyn had only haunting flashbacks and the evasive accounts of her family to bring back her past. Until she met Eliot Richardson.Torn between hostility and desire for Isobel, the cold intimidating banker was strangely determined to help her. 'If your past won't come back to you,'' he said, "you should go and look for it.'As they traveled from Devon to Morocco, revisiting scenes from her past, Isobel fell deeply in love. But there was so much more she needed to know about her life ... about Eliot.