What is it about this secretive redheaded beauty that intrigues him as no woman has before?After learning her fiancé's true nature minutes before her wedding, Meg O'Brien drives as fast and as far away from her world as she can. Stranded with no money, and nowhere to go, the city girl must learn to fit in to small town life and all its quirky trappings. Too bad falling in love with her handsome rescuer is not an option.

     Sweet Christmas Kisses 5 brings you contemporary romances that celebrate the joy of the season around the world, including snowy Maine and the sun-kissed skies of Florida, the mountains of Colorado to small-town Illinois and Virginia, New York to San Francisco, and even the glittering lights of Paris and the old-world charm of Florence. Sweet Christmas Kisses 5 features nine all-new, standalone novellas that will make you smile and warm your heart with the Christmas spirit.

    Her signature aphrodisiac cookies have been flying off the shelves...and giving Jodie some delicious ideas of her own.Behind his owlish glasses, Jodie's business partner, Dr. Dan Ellison, is the male equivalent of the Naughty Professor. Jodie is more than ready to indulge her fantasies with this wolf-in-geek's-clothing as long as they set some ground rules: sex is sex, business is business and nothing will change. Yeah, right! After that first addictive kiss, it's time to see if they can really satisfy each other's appetites....

    Lacey was the golden girl with the bright future. And Sherra always looked like the princess in a fairy tale. The three girls each seemed charmed-until one tragic night shattered their hopes for normalcy. Now, fifteen years later, the women are returning to their hometown of Madison, Ohio, where three men await them-each dangerous in his own way. And when each of the women succumb to desire, they may also find the safety they've been searching for.

    After three years, the notorious bounty hunter Tyler Calhoun catches up with the elusive lady outlaw. The intensity of their dislike for each other is only matched by the growing passion they cannot seem to control. A loner by nature, a cold hard hunter by choice, Tyler fights his feelings for his prisoner the only way he knows how--by denying them. He's not prepared for how deeply his feelings will run, or how hard it will be to hold her life in his hands. Pursued by two hapless cowboys bent on taking Nicky in themselves, Nicky and Tyler are forced to turn to each other for aid, trust, and comfort as their journey progresses on its rocky road. Caught in a web of lies and murder, they hold on to each other as they travel to Wyoming to confront the man that brought them together. Tyler has to decide if his love for her is worth more than the bounty he was sent to find. Warning, this title contains the following: explicit sex, graphic language, some violence.

    Then he met Teddy Spencer. She was smart, sexy...and terrified of commitment. But she also needed him--to play the role of her lover at the company Christmas party. Austin was willing to take the job...as long as he could convince her to make it a full-time position!

    This is a boxed set of three full-length contemporary romance novels: Jessie Belle, Taylor Lynne, and Rachel Laine. Come journey with the Women of Merryton as they discover love, hope, second chances, forgiveness, and most importantly, how much women need women.Jessie Belle - Book One: Jessica and Blake Summers know a thing or two about what it's like to be the latest and greatest news on the Merryton grapevine. Their thirteen year marriage has had more than its fair share of heartache and loss. Then the past comes knocking, in the form of a teenage girl, a daughter Blake never knew existed. The news sets the Merryton grapevine on fire.In the wake of this revelation and firestorm, Blake and Jessica are forced to reevaluate their own relationship and priorities, all while learning that raising a teenage girl is not for the faint of heart. But in the midst of the chaos and uncertainty, they discover that Madeline may be just what the doctor ordered to heal their broken hearts and mend their own tattered relationship.Will they have the courage to look forward and find a greater love than they could ever imagine? Or will past hurts and the town grapevine tear them apart?Taylor Lynne - Book Two: Determined not to repeat the same mistakes as her mother, Taylor Cole left her husband with their toddler in tow fourteen years ago and vowed never to return to Merryton. Now she is finally ready to face her demons and put the past and her ex-husband behind her, but to do that, she and her daughter must return to the place that haunts her memories. A place where she lost not only the love of her life, but her childhood hopes and dreams.When they move back, Taylor can't seem to remain apathetic toward her ex-husband or his nine-year-old daughter. She discovers that maybe all wasn't as it seemed so many years ago. And maybe--just maybe--she and her ex-husband need each other now more than they ever have before. But can the exes put the past behind them and find a way to forgive each other? Or will they let past mistakes and misunderstandings keep them from future happiness?Rachel Laine - Book Three: Rachel Whitney's life changed forever when Drew, the son of her twin sister, Sydney, was placed in her arms--and there he stayed. At twenty-two, she had no idea what she was doing, but in that moment, she knew that raising Drew was what she was meant to do with her life.Fiercely independent, Rachel makes her own way managing her family's insurance agency. Decidedly against introducing any men into her life, or Drew's, she protects her heart against all romantic entanglements. But what she didn't count on was a letter from her sister that leads a famous secret to her door eight years after her sister's death. A secret with the same eyes as her son's.Desperate not to get the courts involved, Rachel allows Drew's previously unknown father, Andrew Turner, into their lives, and to her surprise, little by little, into her heart. But for Rachel, taking that step could open her family to a firestorm of media attention that not even Merryton can protect them from. Is love worth the risk? Or will Andrew's fame and ambition ruin their chances?

     The Skye Preston. The daughter of the wealthiest businessman in the world, and the most beautiful woman I've ever known. Her looks don't compare to her golden heart. And her heart doesn't compare to that big brain of hers. But I could never tell her. Because we've been best friends for twenty years. She has a jerk for a boyfriend, and I'm not the only one who thinks so. The rest of the gang can't stand him either. But I'm not the kind of guy to intervene. I respect her too much to pull a stunt like that. But then I spot her at a party, too drunk to even walk. The men are eyeing her like easy prey so I take her home. But when we get there Skye is different. She looks at me differently. She touches me differently. And she wants me differently.

    He’s an introvert. Can polar opposites find happiness together? As a teenager, Rose Rogers couldn’t wait to get out of Frazier Falls. She took the first chance she got and left for New York, where she made a name for herself at Flair Magazine. Until now, she’s never looked back. But when her heart is crushed by the man she thought she’d grow old with, she heads home to lick her wounds. The last thing she expects is to find Paxton Cooper—the boy she teased relentlessly—all grown up and gorgeous. After surviving the bullies of high school, quiet and intelligent Paxton Cooper has made a good life for himself as a partner in Cooper Construction. He’s his own man and confident that he’s left the past where it belongs. When Rose Rogers shows up in town, it all comes flooding back—the hate, the hurt, the attraction. Will Rose be able to mend the fences she tore down in her youth? Will Paxton send her back to New York empty-hearted? Find out in Defend Me.

    Original.

    Vibrant Ink.Meet Mr. January. Winter’s never looked so hot…Certified bachelor Reece Walker wants two things — to save the local bar he manages and to get Jenna Montgomery into his bed. He has a few ideas for the bar. But Jenna... well, he’s going to have to rely on cold showers, because she’s been his best friend for years, and that’s a line he just can’t cross.Until one wild kiss on a dark night changes everything. Now Reece is certain Jenna’s meant to be his. And with long nights in bed, sensual caresses, and deep, lingering kisses, he sets out to thoroughly convince her that friends can be lovers, too.

    Slade Bower and Mustang Jackson are living the high life on the professional bull-riding circuit. The prize money is big, the bulls are rank and the women are willing. But something is missing. Romance writer Jenna Block’s agent thinks a cowboy book will jumpstart her career. A born New Yorker, Jenna doesn’t do cowboys. Not on paper and definitely not in real life. Luckily for her there are two cowboys ready, willing and able to take her out of her comfort zone in every way that counts . . . and some ways she hadn’t counted on. Unridden was originally published by Linden Bay Romance and Samhain Publishing in 2009. This edition is a reissue, reedited but without any substantial additions or changes to the story.

    . . Piper Jamieson needs a man. And not just any man. She needs someone to play her significant other when she heads home for her family reunion. Thanks to a self-imposed period of celibacy, she has no prospects. . .except for her sexy best friend, Josh Weber. Since there's nothing between them, kissing him will be a breeze, right? But he wanted her permanently! Spending an entire weekend with Piper sounds perfect to Josh. . .it's the whole family thing that doesn't. Lately his dates haven't been as exciting as they used to be, and he knows why. His best friend's been on his mind--day and night. But Piper has made it clear she's not looking for a relationship. Luckily, he's hers for the weekend, and he has three full nights to change her mind!

     From an aspiring country music singer to a world champion in the horse show ring, the women have one thing in common—a deadbeat dad who has made them leery of men. Can they break through their distrust and find lasting love?

    A practising lawyer, Wade is forced to confront truths that challenge his most basic notions of justice and good.Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection Ford County.