A Valentine's Day short story from the Chocolate Lover's gang.

    Her ex-husband, who just happened to be a cop, had a penchant for violence and, after Laney took their daughter and ran, he had a promise for revenge. She'd made a new life with a new name and had plans to stay hidden forever, but even the best laid plans go wrong… Forced to rush her daughter to the hospital Laney's location is revealed. Laney had vowed to never seek help from the man again, until Riser’s 200 pounds of packed muscle made her his own personal mission. He vowed to protect her and her daughter from her ex, but could she trust him with their lives when she'd been burned so badly in the past? Riser Malone was an admitted adrenaline junkie whose distraction on a crucial mission last year had resulted in complete failure of his objective: protect the girl. Unable to face his failure, Riser accepted every mission put before him, but a lull in the terrorist tempo left him with too much time on his hands back home. He needed a distraction, and he needed it badly. And that distraction showed up in the form of Laney and her daughter. With an abusive ex bearing down on her, Riser saw his second chance at redemption. And after one night with her, Riser knew his bachelorhood was over, but if he ever had any hope for a relationship with Laney in the future, he'd have to make sure her abusive ex-husband would never harm her again. *This book was previously published as Riser's Resolve.*

    At James & Peterson Investigations, that would be Cameron Grant: sullen, grouchy, intimidating, oh yeah, and sexy as hell. He can make your soul wither with a single disapproving glare. And he never, ever socialises with his co-workers.This is why Maisie Wilkins, happy-go-lucky ray of sunshine, can’t fathom why Cameron finally decided to show up at their annual office Christmas party. Every year he received an invite, and every year he failed to attend. But not this year.Curious as to why he’s there, Maisie can’t resist sitting next to Cameron. Before she knows it, she’s had one too many drinks and is drunkenly hailing a cab back to his place. Office party flings are not something she normally does, but despite his intimidating character, Cameron has a charm she can’t resist. Or maybe it was just those five gin and tonics blurring her judgement.Whatever the reason, Maisie now has to navigate the awkward, tension filled waters of sharing an office with someone she’s slept with.This story features Cameron Grant, Ellen's cranky and curmudgeonly brother from Fauxmance.

    I don’t even want to see his stupid, handsome face, let alone pretend to be a couple. Too bad there’s a blizzard raging, and the innkeeper won’t rent us the last room until Aaron convinces her it’s our honeymoon. Like I’d ever marry him! Sharing close quarters should be a nightmare after everything he’s done, but with him pretending to be a loving husband, I start to remember the good times. How it feels to curl up next to him. The way his strong hands rub my shoulders when I’m tense. He’s charming when he wants to be, keeping me from going stir crazy and holding me tight when the power goes out. When I see how great he is with the kids at the inn, it reminds me of the future I thought we’d have together. Is it possible I was wrong about him? He claims he wants a second chance, but that might be even more dangerous than the storm outside. **Stranded with the Ex-Boyfriend is a romance novel with steamy scenes, no cheating, and a happy ending. It can be read as a standalone.**

    

    A blacklisted journalist and desperate for money, Katie takes the only other job she’s remotely qualified for: nanny to the two adopted daughters of the youngest prince of Stolvenia. But just as she’s given up on her dream of becoming a legitimate journalist, the editor of a major Stolvenian newspaper approaches her. With a new anti-royalist movement growing in the small country, getting the dirt on the royal family could lead to big things for Katie’s career. She’s reluctant, but if she’d rather stick to her morals, then the editor will just have to let the royal family know about her scandalous past—ensuring she’ll be fired. With little other choice, Katie caves to the blackmail and agrees to spy on her boss. Problem is, the longer she works for Prince Armin Albericht Von Roth, the more she realizes what a good, selfless man he is. Worse, she’s falling hard for him and knows he’ll never forgive her if he finds out what she’s done… Armin always does what is right and believes everyone else should follow suit. Structure, rules, and protocol are what’s important. So he’s taken aback when he learns his late best friend named him guardian of his two little girls. What does he know about children? He’d thought a nanny would set things straight, but Katie is far too pretty, far too free spirited, far too distracting. She doesn’t follow rules. She doesn’t understand the importance of structure. She’s getting under his skin, disrupting not only his life, but his very thoughts—which seem to be centered more and more on her… But as Armin begins to fall for his daughters’ beautiful nanny, can he forgive her once he finds out what she’s really doing in the palace? Or will it be best for him and his daughters to forget the pretty American who made their lives a little brighter? This novel contains sexual content and profanity.

    The dress has been bought, the church reserved, and the band booked. Happily ever after here they come. But when the couple gets an unexpected surprise, plans have to change, leaving the whole town wondering if they will make it to the altar on time. Feels Like Family is Book 2.5 in the Southerland series and while it is a fun story on its own, readers may enjoy it more if it is read after Loving Bailey and before Practical Arrangement.

    "That woman has been on more wieners than ketchup." "Her legs open more than a refrigerator. " Yeah, the neighborhood slut, that's me. It drives some people crazy that I date and sleep with whoever I want. Men are allowed to do that exact thing without suffering the same judgment so I have no plans to stop living my life. Relationships are not for me. I just have to keep that in mind every time that sexy, bearded, construction worker tries to make me forget.

    Fans of both Mirror Lake series will recognize familiar elements and people along the way. It’s two days before Christmas and bestselling children’s author Grace Alberts needs to fulfill a promise—to make it to a book signing for the kids at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the place that did so much for her during a very rough time. But the weather’s getting awful and all flights are cancelled out of Boston, where she’s wrapping up her book tour. Then in walks her annoying but extremely sexy ex-husband, who (as usual) thinks he’s got all the answers. Graham Walker just stopped by to get a book signed for Grace’s biggest fan, his niece, and wish Grace a Merry Christmas—why not? But he soon finds himself troubleshooting her dilemma. He’s got a Range Rover that can plow through a hundred-year Nor’easter. He’s even headed home to Philly. Trouble is, Grace's and his past is a disaster, something he has no intention of reliving while driving through a winter storm, no matter how much he once loved her. And maybe still does. Bad weather has a way of bringing out the best and the worst in people, and when a run in with some deer antlers leads them to a forced stop in Mirror Lake, Connecticut, anything can happen, naughty or nice. Maybe a bit of enforced alone time and some Christmas magic can be just what it takes for them to face their past—and each other—once and for all.

    And with her high school reunion coming up, she has no intention of reliving the worst four years of her life. Especially when all she has to show for the last decade is how the shy bookworm blossomed into...the shy town librarian. Ditching the event seems the best option until a blistering hot alternative roars into Lacy's life. Perhaps riding into the reunion on the back of Paris Montgomery's motorcycle will show her classmates how much she really has changed...While growing up as a foster kid, Paris Montgomery only felt at home in Sweetwater Springs, which is why he picked the small town to start over after his divorce. He can't afford to ruin this refuge with another doomed relationship - especially one with a woman who is his total opposite. But when the town's sweet librarian offers to help him reconnect with his foster dad, he finds they have more in common than he thought. Both are about to discover that home is where the heart is.

    Embarrassing? Hell, yeah. Then something even worse happens. The Twittersphere erupts with outrage, and single women everywhere suddenly want to date him. Maybe being hounded by hotties is a dream for most guys, but the attention has Sam fleeing his overzealous fans.Annie Esposito thinks love at first sight only happens in the movies. She’s been humiliated in love before, thanks to the Unfortunate Incident, as everyone in her small town still calls it. Even so, when her book club friends cancel their meeting in favor of watching a reality TV dating show, Annie can’t help but be drawn to the self-deprecating and charmingly witty Sam. On a whim, Annie writes Sam a letter pouring out all her pent-up feelings, never dreaming that he’ll actually read it.As the publicity surrounding the show becomes too much to handle, Sam goes to Annie’s hometown on a double mission: hide out from the press and meet the woman who wrote him the smart and quirky letter he can’t stop thinking about. Sam and Annie have a less than auspicious first meeting, but their instant chemistry makes Annie wonder if maybe happily-ever-after really does exist. Still, reality TV and reality are two very different things, and her scarred soul and Sam’s family obligations stand in the way of a Hollywood ending. Can she put aside her painful past—and can he learn to follow his heart—so they can create a real-life fairy tale together?

    As Loa Mali’s sovereign, he is always in control, the final authority. Until his mother uses an ancient law to force her son into marriage. His prospective queen is a buttoned-up intellectual, nothing like Kash’s usual party girl. Still, from the moment of their forced engagement, he can’t stop thinking about her. Dayita Samar comes from one of Loa Mali’s most respected families. The Cambridge-educated scientist has dedicated her life to her country’s future. But under her staid and calm exterior, Day hides a few sexy secrets of her own. She is willing to marry her king, but also agrees that they can circumvent the law. Just because they’re married doesn’t mean they have to change their lives. It certainly doesn’t mean they have to fall in love. After one wild weekend in Dallas, Kash discovers his bride-to-be is more than she seems. Engulfed in a changing world, Kash finds exciting new possibilities for himself. Could Day help him find respite from the crushing responsibility he’s carried all his life? This fairy tale could have a happy ending, if only they can escape Kash’s past…

     When Kinley Connors-Berrington saved Reed's life, she fled the scene in both fear and self-preservation. A damaged woman with a terrible past, she has a hard time overcoming her fears and emotional baggage when Reed comes back in to her life. The attraction between the two of them is very strong but Kinley resists.Reed, however, won't take 'no' for an answer because something deep draws him to her. Finally discovering what the mysterious, beautiful woman is running from, Reed does his best to help her work through her painful past, but when history threatens to repeat itself, it's up to Reed this time to save Kinley's life. Follow Reed and Kinley's journey to the River's End.

    The neighborhood holds too many painful memories of his troubled childhood, along with the mistake that sent him running from the kindness of the ex-cop he’d come to consider his father. But when Pete suddenly falls ill, Storm is called home to face the past he tried to leave behind long ago… Breanna Collins never expected to see Storm again after he left town without a word, breaking her heart. She’s angry that he can’t seem to appreciate all the changes in their hometown. But she still feels a powerful connection to her old flame. And unless she can remind him of all the reasons to stay, she knows he’ll never stick around long enough to give their romance the second chance it deserves….

    He should have known that sharing a cookie with a sugar obsessed little monster would do the trick–it sealed his fate. So really, the fact that he’s sporting a black eye, a limp, almost got ran over by a car, and was nearly responsible for another person’s death? Right. HIs fault. Not mine. I made a pact with myself–this weekend would be different. I’d come home for my brothers wedding, smile, and Colton would naturally melt into my arms, we’d get married have five kids, live in a house by the river, and get a dog named scratch (clearly I’ve thought this through).What really happened? I punched my brother in the face, Colton kissed me and apologized, I lied about having a boyfriend, oh and everyone wants to meet the mystery man. They say laughter always comes before insanity–ha, ha. All I wanted was my brother’s best friend…instead I’m sitting in prison. Let this be a lesson to you all…life rarely happens the way you want it to. Damn cookie.