By one of Harlequin's most popular romance writers.You'll laugh and cry with Beth Pendleton as she moves from big-city bustle and life-threatening problems to small-town serenity and small-town solutions. At least, that's the plan. But Ryan Walker and a not-so-small puppy take over her life and her heart in a very big way — and turn them upside down

    Returning to civilian life hasn't been easy, but Parker's new job with Corps Security and Investigations gives him purpose again--if he can keep Bailey alive. The privileged governor's daughter has been receiving threats--and they've just escalated into dangerous territory. Someone close to her wants her dead. Parker can handle any adversary, but handling Bailey proves more difficult--the stubborn, independent beauty stirs the passion Parker had thought long buried. Passion has no place in war, and the enemy is always watching, waiting. Now with desire blurring his objectivity, Parker must face the fact that the greatest danger to Bailey just may be him....

    No relationships. Guys are just for playing with!2. Self-sufficiency will get you everywhere.3. Work hard. Make your own money.4. Don't sleep with your work colleagues (like übersexy Aiden Landry). They're competition!5. Well. Okay, maybe just a little flirting…6. Business trips with a sexy colleague to exotic locations can be dangerous. And tempting. Resist him!7. Okay, at least restrict your trysts to nighttime naughtiness.8. Maintain professionalism at all times (e.g., no drooling on the hot man you're getting dirty with).9. And whatever you do …don't get caught!

    But after uncovering a dark family secret that cast suspicion on everyone close to her, she took off for a new life and never looked back.Chance Walker was the cool-eyed cowboy hired to bring her home by Christmas. But after catching her, he couldn't decide if she was a blackmailer or a victim. Was he tempted to protect her because she told the truth--or was he falling for her? Holed up in a remote Montana cabin with the bad guys closing in, two stubborn souls needed to trust each other if they hoped to survive the season.

    Only, when Will Foster dials her number, Rowan is the one who ends up getting all worked up....Will Foster can't believe that a woman as sexy as Rowan has to resort to giving phone sex to strangers...especially when he wants her to give it to him instead! And once she does, it doesn't take long to convince her that burning up the sheets is better than burning up the phone lines. Still, Rowan is fiercely independent and will give up the job only when she's ready.So what else can Will do but make sure Rowan is too "busy" to answer her phone...?

    He wanted an heir, not a wife. She wanted a no-strings affair…and delicious memories. Scandalous? Perhaps. And it was all going perfectly—until love got in the way. Sex Appeal Shadow Callahan sizes up sexy, successful Brent Bramwell as perfect hunk material, ideal for her shopping mall's contest. But take-charge Brent is much more interested in gorgeous, irrepressible Shadow, whose Sex Appeal shop and its, uh, eclectic merchandise make this in-control guy realize he's been missing out. He's got a wild side. And Shadow makes him want to misbehave….

    The tiny town is still buzzing about her crime and lack of punishment. Now back to lend her family a hand, Macy vows to hold her head high—especially at her high school reunion. But forget about the hottest man in Sugarville escorting her. Though she and fire chief Gabriel Donovan generate enough sparks to burn down the town, he's a law-abiding, line-toeing straight arrow. So not her type. But maybe—just maybe—he can change her mind about that.

    Charming Samantha Donovan into giving away corporate secrets would be even sweeter considering she was the enemy's daughter.The business magnate had been planning his revenge for years. Now the only thing standing between Brady and victory was a beautiful, innocent pawn. His head told him to forget about any possible future with Samantha. But his heart knew that in destroying the Donovan empire he would be ruining his last chance at happiness.

    One of the employees in the company his family just bought happens to be his one-night stand, Sinclair Mahoney. With their passion-filled encounter still fresh in his memory, Hunter wants to rekindle their connection. But Sinclair's sudden wariness of tangling with her new boss sets the CEO on a different course of action. First he'll show Sinclair how desirable she is in the boardroom...then he'll prove it in the bedroom.

    Daniel Corben, Lieutenant Colonel, Medical CorpsCurrent status: Distracted by sexy, willing female!Mission: Babysit visiting VIP to secure promotionObstacle: Taylor Milton. Gorgeous. Captivating. His ex!When it's revealed to Daniel that Taylor Milton, whom he nearly proposed to after graduation, is his high-level visitor, he knows he's in trouble. Taylor's a flamboyant risk taker, where he's a cautious realist--it was the reason for their breakup!Now, reunited, something else hasn't changed...their combustible sexual chemistry. In fact, it seems more intense, especially since Taylor is keen to play doctor. Tasked as her official escort, Daniel spends several wild nights keeping an intimate watch on her--until the powerful executive tries to pull rank on him in the bedroom!

    But now he needs just one-Julie Bartlett, the fiery redhead who'd once given him the hottest night of his life. Was she the mother who had left a baby on the Dalton doorstep? When a paternity test proves inconclusive, he needs Julie's DNA to determine if it is Alex or his twin brother who's now a father. But when Julie refuses to cooperate, Alex vows to tempt her into giving him everything he wants. Includes a bonus short by Susan Mallery: The Sheikh's Virgin.

    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....

    Their host is John Fallon, a handsome, enigmatic war veteran haunted by secrets and scars that may never heal.John Fallon never imagined he'd be playing host to this captivating teacher and her eight teenage charges. But when his solitude is shattered by their arrival, his world shifts on its axis. He needs Fiona--but does she need him? There's only one way to find out. The ex-soldier must find the courage to reach out to the remarkable woman who has transformed his life....

    Now that he had been hired to catch a thief at Forrester Stereo, how long would it take him to learn her secret? He was too close for comfort-- to the truth, and to Kelly herself. It was clear that his silence could be purchased-for a price. How could she resist this devastating stranger who challenged her to a duel of passion and wits-- and was moving in for the kill?

    Expecting! by Susan Mallery released on Dec 25, 2003 is available now for purchase.