He hadn't expected to meet a woman whose very soul touched him, warmed him-- a woman he could grow old with.And now that he'd found her, he was about to lose her to an unknown assassin. Someone who wanted Ransom dead. Someone who was willing to kill Mandy to get to him...Writer Mandy Grant saw Ransom as a wounded warrior seeking shelter within her fortress walls and herself as the lonely princess, too frightened to love. Because for Mandy, loving mean losing. And unless the stopped the killer first, they were both going to lose...

    A statistic. A victim. A single teenage mother from the poor part of town. Most of the time I'm too busy working and struggling to care what people think. Survival doesn't come easy.I have a dark secret, a pressure valve, a rare moment just for myself. On these nights I visit a club. There I find men who give me what I need.Men like Colin.But he wants more than a few stolen hours. He demands more than my body. He wants my heart and soul--my happily ever after. I never thought I'd be Cinderella. I never thought a man that rough could be my prince.HARD (Book Two)What Colin doesn't know can't hurt him.At least that's what I tell myself about the secrets I keep. I don't have a choice, not if I want to keep my daughter safe. And keep him Colin safe too. There are enemies in the shadows waiting to strike from all sides. I'm holding them out with my bare hands, but it's hard not to get crushed in the process.And the truth has a way of coming out.If I'm not careful, the past I've been working so hard to hide, the pain I've been fighting so long to outrun, will wipe out the man I love.FIERCE (Book Three)I'm torn between what I want and what I need. Between the men in my past and the man by my side. Colin has tried to control me, to use me. But he also guards me so fiercely my heart aches.Raincheck. Business. Don't wait up. --CThat's the note he leaves for me, as if I could sit around while he fights my dragons. As if I could let himself get killed in some vain attempt to protect me.There's no protection left for me. No redemption either.This is my battle, and I've already lost.Boxed sets in the Chicago Underground series:Rough Hard Fierce - Colin and Allie's storyWild Dirty Secret - Luke and Shelly's story

    John Palmer takes over watching the twins for a night, and has some unexpected holiday company. Zeke is reminded what it means to be a father at Christmas time. Gabe reaffirms his chaotic relationship. And Sam Willet will get his purple Christmas miracle… psst! Her name is Sparrow!

    Now Maxine Cambridge is broke, unemployable and living with her mother and teenage son in a retirement village, with her self-esteem kicked to the curb.Until her geeky former classmate Campbell Barker returns, all grown-up- and off-the-scale smokin' hot. Campbell refuses to believe Max isn't that smart, funny girl he's crushed on since high school. The more Max tries to show him he's wrong, the more she rediscovers her long-retired mojo. Now, she's ready to throw down some payback on her ex-life and fight for what she deserves...

    Sometimes it's both. Tripp is sarcastic, fun-loving, and funny, with a habit of seducing every woman he says hello to. But the one who really gets him hot and bothered is Glory Brighton, the curvacious owner of his favorite sandwich shop. The nonstop banter between Glory and Tripp has been leading up to a full-body kiss in the back storeroom. And that's just where they are when all hell breaks loose. Glory's past includes some very bad men connected to Spectra, men convinced she may have important intel hidden in her place. Now, with the shop under siege, and gunmen holding customers hostage, Tripp shows Glory his true colors: He's no sweet, rumpled "engineer" from the Smithson Group, but a well-trained, hardcore covert op whose easy-going rep is about to be put to the test...NOTE: This is a novella, not a full-length novel. THE SHAUGHNESSEY ACCORD was reissued in July 2008 together with THE SAMMS AGENDA as IN DANGER, a Wal-Mart exclusive. (Click URL below to view the cover.)

    But now Kathleen Ryder is back in his life--still pursued by the deadly secrets that forced her to flee before. And even though Morgan swears to protect her, he is helpless against his own rekindled passion.Kathleen has never forgotten the achingly sweet hunger that bound them together years ago. Now, still on the run, all she dares ask is that Morgan keep her safe--never expecting that he has the power to breathe life-giving fire to an ember that has grown cold.

    Well, that, and the 12 Days—or nights, in this case—of Christmas Syd has promised him. When his Justice Team partners, Mitch Monroe and Caroline Foster, discover a Santa sneaking around behind the restaurant, Grey and Mitch uncover a theft ring that’s leaving kids without toys and families without a reason to celebrate. But taking down the Santas could put Grey in hot water…especially if it ruins Christmas at Sydney’s shelter for battered women and children. Can Grey pull off the ultimate sting operation and save Christmas for Sydney and the shelter’s residents? Or will giving the bad guys a dose of holiday justice leave him with nothing but coal in his stocking?

    Talking about sex, that is....Ian Carlisle has already seduced Erica's imagination. Now he's trying for the rest of her....Erica knows firsthand that you can hide a lot behind a microphone. Although she's earned a reputation for discussing every aspect of sex on her show, she's never had to back it up...until a sexy mystery caller proves to be even more irresistible in person. Their on-the-air chemistry sizzles and they heat up the airwaves, debating any and all provocative issues possible. As the ratings soar, so does the sexual tension. But what will Ian do when he discovers Erica's not the sex expert she professes to be?

    So when Molly Sheffield realized Alejandro Sosa needed a green-card bride, it seemed only natural for her to stand by his side....But the pretty widow could not predict the feelings she would have for her new husband. After opening her heart to Alejandro, Molly knew she was meant to spend forever with this man. But she and Alejandro had only so many passionate nights, so many warm and loving days, before they said goodbye.Or before they fell hopelessly in love...

    Now it was time for this old-fashioned girl to become an ex-virgin. Only, just as she was about to embark on her brand-new plan, bachelor cowboy Mike Fallon decided to step in and do a bit of rescuing. Too bad the only female this drop-dead gorgeous single dad would let into his heart was his five-year-old daughter! At least he agreed to help Nora find Mr. Right, a deal she was going to make him regret--especially since her sights were suddenly set on "him...."

    So it’s ironic she’s partnered with a hard-bodied, know-it-all scientist who treats her like a stoner instead of a stone cold business woman capable of running a large scale marijuana farm. Dr. Hot and Tattooed with the big…brain needs to stop sampling their product; he’s under the half-baked idea that he’s the boss. Dr. Liam Argent’s doctorate isn’t in chemistry, but from the moment he meets his sexy new coworker, there’s enough heat between them to short out all the grow lights in the greenhouse. First item on his agenda? Clearing up the sassy, blunt blonde’s hazy notion that she’s in charge. Sparks fly as their attraction blazes. But can they weed out their differences without getting burned?

    But was the iron-willed academic truly the one they sought? Beautiful psychiatrist Dr. Maisy Dalton was unwittingly brought in to hypnotize the ruggedly handsome Zach into talking about the "memories" hidden within him. But the innocent doctor couldn't control her feelings for the mysterious man who spoke of mistaken identity and something called the Extraordinary Five. In her heart, Maisy knew Zach was telling the truth, and was willing to risk her life and love to help him unravel the secrets of MEDUSA and the potentially dangerous X5...Five extraordinary siblings,One dangerous past.Unlimited potential.

    And Tyler Adamson is definitely one. Ordinarily this never-in-one-place-long girl would stay far, far away. Maybe it's the way he looks in jeans, or the way he looks at her, but suddenly Ally is breaking her own rules with dizzying speed. All that Australian temptation right next door...well, there's only so much resistance one girl can have. As she dives into a fling with Tyler, Ally assures herself she can maintain perspective. After all, he's only here long enough to care for his ailing father. That gives them a time limit, right? With each passing day, however, she falls for Tyler more. And soon she has the strongest urge to unpack her suitcase and stay a while.

    A dream man. And a nightmare that could destroy everything. Six years after Isabella Harper's unscrupulous boss destroyed her real estate career, her house-flipping business is on the brink of success--or it would be, if her main competition, sexy ex-SEAL Ian Parker, wasn't outbidding her on every promising flip in town.Finally, she lands a neglected Victorian home that will fix her ruined reputation. Except a persistent vandal threatens to derail her tight schedule and even tighter budget. Plus, Ian inexplicably starts showing up, offering to help. And making her heart hammer with desire.It's not just profits that drives Ian to keep plenty of flippable houses his renovation pipeline. Working himself to exhaustion keeps his deployment nightmares at bay. But letting Bella win that house is worth the smile she aims at him...and now he can't get enough of it. Or her. As they work side by side, Ian dares to hope he's close to bidding his heart goodbye. But when Bella suddenly disappears, his nightmare takes on a new face. Hers...if he doesn't reach her in time to save her from a threat no one saw coming.

    Baby & The Beast by Laura Wright released on Nov 22, 2002 is available now for purchase.