Then in the shelter of a wayside inn, she meets the man the centuries and the fates have prepared her for. From the moment the coldly handsome Nicolas Talmage, Earl of Shelbourne, lifts his dark eyes to hers, they are drawn together, spellbound, into each other's arms, and into a night of passion that claims her innocence and melts his heart. But Tess refuses to become his mistress. Enraged and yet unable to let her go, Nicolas takes her to an old cottage on the outskirts of his estate. Here, in a place haunted by whispers from the past, they will discover Tess's true identity, a tangled web of family secrets, and a magical love that can transcend the boundaries of time and space...

    James, her violet eyes blazing with resolve and her raven-haired allure disguised under drab servants’ clothes, flees her privileged life rather than be married off to some unfeeling English gentleman. But after encountering Julian Morrow, Viscount Lynden, she is caught in his spell. With the face and form of an Adonis, and the charisma that comes only with wealth and good breeding, Julian is undoubtedly an aristocrat. Yet his soul bears the scars of war and of a woman’s treachery, and his searing blue eyes speak with a passion that belies his noble blood. Blaise trembles at his very touch, helpless to his sensual kisses. He will have her–whether she is the innocent runaway she claims to be, or the skilled seductress he suspects. But his proposal is not one a gentleman makes to a lady. . . .

    It may not be the best plan, but it seems workable, at least until she realizes she has hidden herself inside entirely the wrong coach.Worse, the man now being held at pistol-point is maddening, unflappable, condescending, and quite unimpressed that his would-be assailant holds his life in her hands. In fact, he seems to find her amusing.Callie escapes the encounter, but not the man, as it falls out that Simon Roxbury also has a bone to pick with Noel Kinsey, and it would seem Miss Johnston and her bloodthirsty plans could serve him very well. An unholy alliance is struck, the two conspirators battle each other, a matchmaking mama, two interested and not above interfering friends, and a poor soul (who doesn't look his best in pink), in this delicious tale of revenge gone wrong and romance definitely gone right!

    In an innovative new twist for anthologies, each author is reintroducing a secondary character from a previous book to star in his own story!A resourceful beauty's determination to locate the true father of a poor foundling sets off a society scandal—and ignites a fire in handsome Reggie Carmarthen's world-weary, aristocratic heart in Stephanie Lauren's unforgettable Lost and Found Captivated by the fetching, marriage-wary noblewoman he finds concealed in his shrubbery, Harry Chamberlain, the roguish Earl of Granville, agrees to help the delightful lady escape...while hatching a plan to woo and win her himself in Christina Dodd's smoldering The Third Suitor A wounded hero, James Reyburn has no expectations of romance—until a storm-tossed beauty with a secret blows into his life in Elizabeth Boyle's enchanting The Matchmaker's Bargain

    But the virtuous Sheriff Hale has never told anyone about his shocking desires. Will he give in to the surprising temptation of the young widow?Meet bestselling erotica author Holly Summers in Victoria Dahl's contemporary romances, TALK ME DOWN (January 2009) and START ME UP (July 2009).

    Despite her involvement in his various public appearances, she feels shut out of his life, especially with their one-year anniversary looming. When Henry hires a highly recommended French lady’s maid without consulting her, Eleanor’s anger can't be contained—until she meets her. With Babette’s help, Eleanor arms herself with the one weapon that will make Henry notice her as a woman—her inner siren.

    She is determined, as ever, to shunt me to the periphery of her existence, even on this, our wedding night.I touch her. Her skin is as cool as marble, the flesh beneath firm and resilient. I turn her face to look into her eyes, haughty eyes that have scorned me for as long as I remember.“Why are my hands tied?” she murmurs. “Are you afraid of them?”“Of course,” I reply, “A man who stalks a lioness should ever be wary.”“And what does a man do when he has caught said lioness and put her in a cage?”I brush aside a strand of hair that has fallen before her eyes. “He teaches her that captivity can be wonderfully enjoyable."

    HillSavannah was groomed from birth to take the reins of her father's manufacturing empire. Her emotional armor is as tough as the steel used in her factories, and nobody is allowed past it. Business partner Matt realizes that the key to entry is to command her submission. Calling on the unique sensual talents of his four-man management team, he engineers an aggressive and erotic takeover, determined to rescue the woman he's loved from the steel cage she's manufactured around her heart. Masked and lost to the sensations the team arouses in her, Savannah is theirs, at least for this one night.Hidden Desires By Elizabeth LapthorneLily had to admit she was desperate. Here she was in New Orleans on a two week vacation, she made the trip especially for the Mardi Gras, and she didn't have a mask! Everything she found seemed wrong.As a last ditch effort, she entered a small shop and found the perfect mask…until it showed her visions of herself getting ravished by a masked highwayman.But when that highwayman turned up at the Mardi Gras bash, she knows the chemistry between them could only lead to one place.The only things between them that remained hidden were their true desires.Mardi Gras By Lacey AlexanderMia Sanderson has been in love with her boss, Ty Brewer, for years, but ladies' man Ty only sees her as a friend and even worse, a good girl. So when Mia and Ty are invited to the same Mardi Gras party, Mia decides to live out a fantasy. Donning a Mardi Gras mask and wig, Mia masquerades as the seductive Mistress Mina, the bad girl of Ty's dreams. But what will happen if Ty discovers her true identity? Mina's risking their friendship and her job, but for a night with Ty, it's worth it.

    "The Greatest Gift" / Stella CameronWith Christmas approaching, a kindly nanny and an impish little boy conspire to help a gentle Cornish maid win the heart of a lonely widower."Falling Stars" / Loretta Chase'Tis the season for forgiveness, as a gallant gentleman renews his acquaintance with the enchanting lady who spurned him ten years before—and rekindles Yuletide fires of love and longing."The Scent of Snow" / Linda Lael MillerIn America's West, a desperate woman trapped in a web of lies discovers new hope for romance at Christmastime through an act of faith...and the steadfast devotion of a handsome farmer."Footsteps in the Snow" / Joan Hohl A Christmas Eve miracle transports a sad and beautiful innkeeper two hundred years into the past—to discover the glorious ecstasy of true and timeless love in the arms of a dashing colonial spy.A collection of romance stories features the tale of a Cornish maid who finds love with the help of a kindly nanny; a gallant gentleman begins anew with the woman who spurned him years before; and others.

    IN A MOONLIT GARDEN by CATHY MAXWELL Posing as a tea merchant, Colonel Michael Sanson infiltrates an eccentric chemist's household in search of a stolen formula. But as soon as he lays eyes on the thief's niece, Lady Jocelyn, he is sidetracked into doing the fair lady's bidding. Little does Michael know that assisting in Jocelyn's scheme to make her former suitor jealous will send him into a tailspin of love and white-hot passion.HUNTING SEASON by LIZ CARLYLE Christian Villiers, the Marquis of Grayston, returns to England determined to ruin the man responsible for his beloved sister's suicide. Seducing the cad's intended, Lady Elise Middleton, would be a bonus. But during an elaborate house party, Christian realizes he has met his match in the fiery and passionate Elise...and soon he must decide whether a moment of vengeance is worth risking a lifetime of love.

    She's been disowned by her London family and finds herself desperately in need of a job. Lord Ashbourne is equally at ends, his fiance having jilted him for a commoner and run off to the Continent. Her powerful society family is determined to delay the breaking scandal in order to save the younger sister's prospects. When a servant leads Lily to his parlor, James is astonished to discover how closely she resembles the missing lady of the manor.He hatches a plan, convincing Lily to play his absent wife; to keep the gossips at bay. He reassures her it will be in name only, but soon enough, playacting turns to real attraction, and friendship to aching, mounting desire. The strictures of society and unforeseen tragedy combine to test the pair's forbidden love, even as they are driven ever closer into one another's arms;This novel contains spanking, light bondage, and light BDSM elements.

    Propelled through time into situations rich with possibility and fraught with danger, these sexy, sassy heroines each seek their dreamed of happy ending.Will souls separated by time be reunited—or kept apart—forever?

    Darius Rourke and his burning passion for a woman. The gentle Marianne…as beautiful as she is mysterious.When presented with an opportunity to make her his bride, Darius takes it, and knows Marianne will finally belong only to him.Or will she?Marianne carries a secret. Something she believes will prevent her from ever being worthy to be loved by any man—even the masterful Darius, despite the fact he captivates her utterly.A look… A caress… A kiss… A brooding sensuality. A lushly passionate tale of lovers entangled in the discovery of each other’s sins and secrets. As Darius and Marianne embark upon the journey together, they will find that learning to command is just as important as learning to surrender.A man who knows what he wants...A woman who needs him in order to know her worth…‘Ti amo, mia cara’2nd edition© Raine Miller Romance, September 2016Originally published with the title: His Perfect Passion

    Handsome and possessive, it’s not long before Ivy falls for him. But Mr. Markham has dark secrets, secrets that may put Ivy in danger...I am afraid...As Ivy unravels the mystery surrounding her cousin’s death, she falls deeper and deeper in love with Julian, who opens her body and her mind to his indomitable will. But even as he draws pleasure and desire from her night after night, Ivy can’t shake the feeling that their passionate affair may end in violence…And I'm completely his.***The Awakening of Ivy Leavold is the first book in the Markham Hall Trilogy. It is 40,000 words. ***For Mature Audiences only**

    But Venetia has never experienced true desire. Not until she meets Michael Wyndham, the Earl of Trent - a powerful man who holds her future in his hands and awakens her curiosity with one searing kiss. His expert touch is only the beginning of her carnal education, but something more dangerous than submission may be the price she pays for such unimaginable delight...