He grew up on a thoroughbred farm in Kentucky, but he joined the Navy to escape the pain of watching his mom die a long, slow death of cancer. Since then he’s lived with the guilt and dedicated his life to protecting others, carefully guarding his heart along the way. Melinda Emerson loves chemistry but isn't so crazy about people. A pharmaceutical chemist with social anxiety, she’ll happily climb through a jungle canopy in search of medicinal plants, but put her in the middle of a party and she passes out. As the only child of older parents, she struggled watching her father fall victim to Alzheimer’s, and is determined to find a cure. Instead, she discovers a cognitive enhancer that has everyone from the CIA to the Russian mafia after her and her new invention. When Melinda's social anxiety spikes at a friend’s barbecue, she lands in Buck’s arms. After their one-night stand, Melinda makes a desperate call to Buck for help when her lab is attacked by Russian terrorists intent on kidnapping her and stealing her drug research. He blasts in guns-a-blazing, but under his watch, the relentless Russians manage to kidnap both of them, holding them hostage on board a container ship steaming toward the motherland. Now Buck must protect Melinda, her research, and his heart as he embarks on the mission of his life.

    SSgt. Ryder was born, bred, and enhanced as a warrior, but when he returns home to his new wife--exiled from the Army along with the rest of his disgraced team--he faces mounting anger and paranoia. Something shady followed Ryder back from the desert, and he disappears to protect his wife, but his departure leaves a vacuum filled with intrigue.Lauren Ryder married thinking she had finally found stability, until her new husband disappeared. In six months, she's lost everything that mattered, and now a madman has her in his sights. Ryder's return lands her in deeper danger from a formidable enemy. As the threats escalate, so does the heat, but even if Ryder can save Lauren from the forces mounting against them, will they survive what he has become?"The chemistry between Lauren and Ryder jumped off the pages. Exactly why we read romance." (Beth Rhodes)Military trained, medically enhanced, designed to kill. The Team Fear novels are fast paced, with twists and turns and a side of steamy. The surviving members of Team Fear are out of the military and in a world of secrets, lies, and cover-ups in this new romantic suspense series by Cindy Skaggs.

    A former Army Special Forces Captain, Cade leaves the military to create Custos Securities, a burgeoning protection agency that provides unparalleled security for both civilians and corporations across the U.S. After a string of disastrous relationships—and a narrow escape from an abusive partner—Braden Cross is finally putting his past to rest. Combining both his passion for baking and his knack for business, Braden owns the Sugar n’ Spice Café with his best friend who concocts exotic coffees and teas that pair perfectly with his decadent confections. When a stalker sets his sights on Braden, the young pastry chef’s world is turned upside down. More frightened than he cares to admit, and not knowing where to turn, Braden is relieved when Cade steps in to offer his protection. Caught up in a maelstrom of threats, break-ins, and vandalism, the two draw closer together. Braden eventually realizes that he can trust Cade with his life, but he finds himself wondering… can he trust him with his heart? Author’s Note: For those of you that prefer warnings (trigger or otherwise) for your books, please use the “Look Inside” feature to find the warnings within the first few pages. For those of you that hate warnings--don't “Look Inside” . . . Happy reading!

    But the old Victorian she bought needs extensive renovations and the one man who can help her—Theo Valentine—takes an immediate and intense dislike to her. Left scarred and mute after a terrible accident, the reclusive Theo is a brilliant contractor whose plans to renovate the building Megan bought are eerily similar to her own. As their paths cross again and again and Megan begins to see the man beneath the mystery, a part of her that she thought was lost forever slowly starts to reawaken. But when she discovers unsettling similarities between Theo and her late husband and strange coincidences begin to mount, Megan is forced to confront everything she believed about her past…and decide how far she’ll go to get the truth.

    To save and protect is a creed that goes beyond simply guarding their wards—it’s a way of life. And these guys are his heart and soul, his brothers…and the family he’ll never have. Now, his next call is to find the one woman who always had a grip on his heart. Eighteen years ago, he walked away from her. But she’s thrown back into his arms—and under his protection.As a JAG Corps Officer, Rose Kilbourn never expected to be kidnapped for doing her job. And there’s only one man who can save her. Back in the day, she believed Oz was the man for her. Then he vanished, leaving her with a secret she can’t confide to another soul on Earth.If Oz had chosen a different path, he might have Rose now. But a man who’s lied, cheated and killed to save those he guards doesn’t deserve the sweetness of a woman like Rose. Still, he can’t help but steal moments while he can, and Rose can’t bring herself to walk away from the happily ever after she always wanted. Now she must decide whether or not to share her secret before it’s too late. But she doesn’t want to lose the man she loves, the man who must protect her or die trying.

    Like santa. An honest politician. And gut instincts. That was, of course, until I woke up with one.And I knew.This was the day I was going to die. The cops, thus far, have proven useless and uninterested in my issues. When you couldn’t get help from legal channels, what other choice did you have but to look elsewhere?That was how I came across Quinton Baird. A “fixer.” Whatever the hell that was.All I knew was, I had a problem that needed fixing.Hopefully, before it killed me.QUIN-There were a few things I could put my faith to rest in. My team. People f*cking up, and needing my help. And my gut. So when my receptionist informed me that the woman in a case I decided wasn’t my kind of job was having a ‘gut feeling’ about being in desperate need of help, yeah, I dragged my a** across town to check things out.Not only did I not bank on the fact that she was in trouble beyond what I could have anticipated, but she was not what I was expecting either. Beautiful, resilient, and one hell of a distraction I didn’t need.As the pieces of her case start falling together, I was left wondering if maybe this new, unfamiliar sensation in my gut was telling me that Aven was much more than just another name on a case file…

    In her last mission, her risk-taking had finally caught up with her and she had now incurred the wrath of a Russian drug lord bent on destroying her. With assassins after her, one man had offered her his protection. But Jack McCord may be another kind of danger.Ex-Navy SEAL Jack McCord had everything: a thriving defense company, good looks, and no shortage of beautiful women. But what he coveted the most hadn’t wanted anything to do with him. Maia Pierce, his brother’s bodyguard, was the most intriguing woman he had ever met and he wanted her. When Maia got into trouble, he saw an opportunity to offer a no-strings attached arrangement and as she resists the idea, he is only left with one choice. He abducts her.Jack didn’t expect to fall hard. Now that he had, he has to convince Maia that she could be feeling the same in her heart. But the danger that Maia finds herself in, and the secrets she keeps from Jack threaten to derail their happily ever after.*Strong sexual content and language. 18 years+.

    He fought to protect his country, his family, and the men standing at his side, but it wasn't just being a soldier overseas that changed him. He watched his friends die in front of him, felt indescribable pain, and lost his sight in the very same moment. Badly injured, blind, and angry, he's done with war, but now he’s fighting his own battle. So, he’s waiting for it to end, spending his days and nights in a thick darkness no light can penetrate. Until Grace walks into his life and his broken eyes open to a woman that changes everything for him.A story about two flawed souls finding love amidst the grief. A love that shines vividly, even in the dark, and discovering that sometimes being broken is how the light gets in.For readers 18+ due to language, violence, and sexual situations.

    That was before she watched the love of her life die before her very eyes. Brokenhearted, her emotions on lockdown, she finds purpose and hope as an LCR elite operative rescuing victims from some of the most volatile places in the world.As a covert ops agent, Declan Steele was used to a life of danger and distrust, but when the one person he trusted and believed in above all others sets him up, he’ll stop at nothing to make her pay. Finally rescued from his hellish prison, Declan has one priority—hunt down Sabrina Fox and exact his revenge.Trusting no one is a lonely, perilous path. Sabrina swears she’s innocent and Declan must make a decision--trust his heart or his head. As memories of their life together returns, he realizes just how treacherous his torture had been and the target of his revenge shifts. But when Sabrina is taken, retribution is the last thing on his mind. With the assistance of Last Chance Rescue Elite, Declan races to rescue the only woman he has ever loved before it’s too late.

    . .reunited by duty… When Lieutenant Ambrosia “Sia” Soto returns from an investigation into a “pilot error” case aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. James McCloud, she comes face to face with NCIS Special Agent and former lover, Christophe Vargas, the man who was involved in an F-18 Fighter Jet accident that took her brother’s life six years ago. But when another incident aboard the carrier involves the death of a senator’s son whose plane crashed into the deck on a routine training mission, she’s now required to return to the carrier with Chris in tow to face a cunning and dangerous foe. Bombarded both personally and professionally, Sia must trust her instincts and suppress the feelings that surface for her enigmatic and sexy partner.

    Now a key witness in a murder trial, she’s been hidden away in the one place no one will think to look for her: Eton Preparatory School for Boys.It’s a stupid move. Insane. But she doesn’t have a choice.Instead of completing her senior year with the popular crowd, she’s being forced to hide in a school with exactly zero XX chromosomes. Even worse, she’s somehow supposed to act like the Neanderthals walking the halls.But then she meets the guys next door—the smoking-hot ones. And it doesn’t help that one in particular could unravel her in a heartbeat… and potentially blow her cover. How’s she supposed to resist Trey Calloway, the star hockey player who never backs down from a fight…and who never takes no for an answer?She’s supposed to be focused on staying safe, not on the guy who’s getting under her skin. Her chilling past isn’t going to suddenly disappear.In fact, it might just be catching up with her.

    If it weren’t for one outdated rule, I’d be the owner of the Hayden Cattle Company and my aging father could retire.When Dakota Wright shows up to buy and develop twenty acres of Hayden land, I see more than a pretty mouth and strawberry blonde hair. I see a way around the decree keeping me from getting what I want.And, as luck would have it, Dakota has a big problem of her own. We strike two deals: one for the land, and a second that’ll make both our problems a distant memory.It isn’t too long before I realize I’m in over my head. I’ve convinced myself the ends should justify the means, but everything begins to fall apart when my birthright is no longer all that I’m after.I never thought there’d be anything I could love more than my ranch and my country. I was wrong.Turns out, I want it all.Including her.

    But their flirting over the years never progressed as well as his career. He’s the Asher McIntyre, Mr. Rising Star Politician, the congressman who is soon to be the senator to New York State. He holds a spot on every magazine’s most handsome, most powerful, and most unattainable list. All while Jenny has followed her acting dream, waiting for her big break. Asher McIntyre has never had time for a serious relationship. Work is too demanding. But he’s also never stopped thinking about Jenny. When a stalker with a political agenda focuses on her, Asher can’t play the role of disinterested buddy any longer. The sparks are too strong, and his alpha gene is provoked. He wants her under his arm and in his bed. But can two hearts on opposite career paths survive while Asher’s enemy seeks to take them both down?

    But it’s not long before Logan runs into Grace Mason, his best friend from high school…and the woman who never answered his letters during his Army years.Grace was pleasantly surprised to see Logan return to Castle Rock, despite their falling-out ten years ago. Everyone always assumed they would end up together, including Grace, who had eyes only for him. But as Logan eventually escaped their town, Grace got pulled further into her family’s controlling grasp—and farther away from the man she loved.Now, united by scars both visible and not, the two must fight to free Grace from the suffocating hold of her family. But the Masons won’t let go easily—and they’ll do whatever it takes to keep the couple apart.

    Unable to accept his terrible injuries, he moves to a secluded cottage in France and hides from everyone, most of all himself.But when a bright, beautiful woman, who stirs his blood and steals his heart, discovers the ruined Chateau and estate on which home stands, it's more than his unerring control can bear. for her to flinch from his wounds would be terrible, but for to pity him would be the final insult. His only option is to ensure that she never sees him at all.Ellen doesn't give a damn what Patrick looks like. One glimpse of his shaded figure, one hint of his masculine scent and she is his forever. She ends her engagement and follows her heart, buying the Chateau to fulfil a dream that has been her only wish since her brother was blown up in Afghanistan. If she can capture the elusive Patrick while attaining her goals, her world will be complete.But Patrick is hiding from more than himself. Ellen is Devastated when he abandons her for a flame haired beauty and when her ex-fiance reappears, determined that he is surrendering neither Ellen or her fortune, she discovers that she is in danger of not only losing her lover but her life.Can Patrick escape in time to save the woman who loves and accepts him exactly as he is or will she be lost to him forever while he has been Running Scarred for far too long.