The last thing he expects is to be stuck on a bus loaded with senior citizens—and his ex-wife. Alyssa Scott thought she'd left the baggage of her old life far behind when she moved to Florida. Instead she's chaperoning the senior group and dealing with the one person she never expected to see—her ex-husband. Sparks fly and passions reawaken. Neither Connor nor Alyssa can deny the feelings they still hold for each other. But a sinister threat from Connor's past thrusts them into a perilous game of cat-and-mouse to stop a ruthless killer before time runs out. Will Connor gamble everything to save the woman he loves? READING ORDER OF NEW ORLEANS CONNECTION SERIES Desperate Choices Connor's Gamble Relentless Pursuit Ultimate Betrayal Keeping Secrets OTHER BOOKS BY KATHY IVAN Second Chances (Destiny's Desire Series, book #1) Losing Cassie (Destiny's Desire Series, book #2) PRAISE FOR THE ROMANTIC SUSPENSE OF KATHY IVAN: "DESPERATE CHOICES (first in the Big Easy series) is a powerful debut. Taut suspense and engaging characters make this a fast paced enjoyable read. Kathy Ivan is a talent to watch. – Addison Fox, author of The Rome Affair (House of Steele) "Max and Theresa are both characters that make you anxiously want them to have their happy ending while the suspense adds just the right amount of angst to keep you turning the pages. I highly recommend Desperate Choices. Readers can't go wrong here!" -- Melissa, Joyfully Reviewed Best In Romance 2011 “This is the first I have read from Kathy Ivan and it won't be the last. Desperate Choices had it all . . .” -- Night Owl Reviews “I loved how the author wove a very intricate storyline with plenty of intriguing details that led to the final reveal . . .” --Night Owl Reviews on Second Chances

    But on a humanitarian mission to aid an earthquake ravaged country, finally she finds a place where she fits, in Colin Davies' arms, and working for Global Humanitarian Relief, her big brother's company. But can the former SAS thaw Jess's stone cold heart?

    I wrote this series so one story picks up where the previous story left off, which makes it fun to binge read all together. Book 1: The Opposite of Wild Ex-cop Ryan O'Hare takes one look at buttoned-up control freak Liz Garner and just itches to loosen the woman up. Not that he’s into her. Because a woman like that comes with way too many expectations. Not to mention, she practically works for him, and he didn’t hire Liz to watch after his beloved Harley-stealing Gran so he could turn Liz loose in his bed. Still, there’s something about her, a hidden wild side, that makes him wonder what it would take. Book 2: Daisy Does It All Exhausted single mom Daisy Garner is shocked when her blog about her perfect life with husband and baby brings a national talk show to her door. Amazing! Except she made the whole thing up. Enter Travis O'Hare, her fake husband, who's intent on becoming the real deal. Book 3: Bad Taste in Men Rachel Miller knows opening a café will make her struggling bookstore the place to hang out. But when the bank turns her down and her best friend Shane O’Hare steps in, the café suddenly has too much riding on it—her career, her best friend, and her heart.

    They have kept in touch over the years and now, in their early thirties, their lives are drawing them back to Summer Lake and to each other. Book 1: Love Like You've Never Been Hurt Emma Douglas came to Summer Lake as an orphan twenty three years ago. After losing her parents so young and later suffering a disastrous marriage, she believes that love only ever leads to pain and loss. When she meets Jack Benson, the business partner of her childhood friend Pete, she sees everything she used to long for in a man; tall, dark, and drop dead gorgeous! Despite their undeniable attraction, Emma is too scared to risk her heart, especially on a man so much like her ex - sexy, smart, funny, successful and no doubt the same kind of cheat! When events lead them both to Summer Lake for the summer, will Jack be able to persuade her that he's nothing like her ex in all the ways that really matter? That the love she used to dream of isn't a little girl's fantasy, but a reality they can share if she can get past her fear and learn to trust? Book 2: Work Like You Don't Need the Money Holly Hayes is a realist, if nothing else. She's going to be Maid of Honor at her best friend, Emma's wedding in Summer Lake. Pete Hemming, self made millionaire, powerful CEO, all around good guy, is going to be the Best Man. If they're going to be able to get through their official duties, there's one thing they'll need to deal with first. Sex! He may be out of her league socially and financially, but one thing is clear. He wants her. She wants him. What's the harm in one night of passion? It's inevitable they're going to end up naked together. So it's best to get it out of the way early, right? So they can get on with organizing the wedding. Pete Hemming is a man with a plan. He's lived his life by the plan, built his business by it. The plan doesn't allow for a woman in his life, only in his bed. Trouble is, once he gets Holly into his bed, he can't get her out of his mind. But he can't let her into his life, can he? Book 3: Dance Like Nobody's Watching Missy Malone has had a great summer, watching her friends meet wonderful guys and fall in love. She even has a wonderful guy in her own life. Trouble is, he's only in her life to mentor her son, Scot. She just has to stop daydreaming that he could be as good for her as he is for Scot. What would he ever see in her anyway? She's a broke single mom who talks too much, while he's a quiet, shy, tech genius. And besides...he has a girlfriend! On paper, Dan Benson has a great life in San Jose. His software development company, his penthouse apartment, his car, and his girlfriend are all supposed to make him feel happy and successful. None of them do. Until he started visiting Summer Lake, he'd always been more comfortable around computers than people. These days he's comfortable hanging out with his brother, Jack, and his friends. He feels successful when he's helping Scot. Most of all, he's happier than he's ever been, when he can spend time with Missy. Will the attraction between them be enough to overcome the differences and obstacles that stand in their way? This book is intended for readers 18+

    I joined the Army and left behind everything. A life I hated. And the only woman I had ever loved. I thought I was doing the right thing, but my good intentions quickly turned into my biggest regret. One night. One kiss. One final farewell was all I was allowed before I was sent overseas never to return. I took my love for her to my grave. Year after year, I hide in the shadows and watch Lily mourn. She sits by a cold headstone and spills her secrets to a dead man. So many times I wanted to comfort her, tell her the truth, love her. But I couldn't. She'd never understand. The man she'd loved was gone, and it was my fault he never returned. But when a terrorist out for revenge threatens Lily's safety, I'm forced out of the darkness. My secret is exposed, and I'm going to claim the one woman I have no business loving. Freeing Jasper The moment Jasper heard Emily Jenkins' sultry voice he was transfixed. An instant and heated reaction that wound its way through his soul and warmed his skin. The inexplicable connection was broken as fast as it began. Emily has a son. Jasper doesn't "do" kids. When her life spirals out of control, will Jasper be able to let go of his tragic past and save Emily and her son? Or has the Special Forces Soldier found his weakness - a history he cannot let go of? Emily Jenkins lost her husband on the battlefield and was left to pick up the pieces of her broken heart while finding a way to raise her son alone. Jasper Walker is known for being the playboy of his team. Professionally, he is a tier one assassin - a trained killer. Personally, he blows through women giving them no more than a week in his bed as he privately struggles to move on from the woman that is forever lost to him. When their lives collide, Jasper finds out he's not the only one with secrets. There is more to the black-haired beauty Emily than a widowed single mother. Finally Free Blake Porter was one of the lucky ones. She’d met the man she was going to marry while she was in high school. She thought she was living a fairytale; the nerdy wannabe journalist dating the gorgeous star quarterback. One wrong move proved to irrevocably alter the course of their lives. Betrayed by the girl he loved, Levi McCoy left for the Army and never looked back. Blake’s deception pierced his soul and shattered his heart. He used the pain to his advantage and became cold and calculating - the perfect Black Ops soldier. Over a decade later, the 707 has been called in to rescue a reporter embedded in a deadly terrorist cell, and Levi’s shocked to learn it’s the one woman who’d once owned his heart. But Blake is no longer the naive teenager she’d once pretended to be. She’s something far more dangerous. With bombs exploding, blood being spilled, and the terrorists closing in, they both battle the memories of their beautiful beginnings and shared history. Levi and Blake face off in a showdown of wills. In one corner, Levi is determined not to fall for the woman he’s never stopped loving. In the other, Blake tries to hold on to her self-respect and not beg Levi to hear the truth. When the lies and deception are revealed will they survive with their hearts and lives intact? FREEDOM She’s the game changer he wishes he’d never met. Nolan Clark is the last man standing. While he is happy his teammates have found love, he’s even happier to be single.

    She hasn’t seen Jake in years but her former college friend told her he’d always be there for her and she definitely needs him now. Even though her feelings for him go far deeper than friendship and just being around him risks her heart, she would do anything to keep those she loves safe from a madman bent on unleashing hell.Only one man from her past can helpFBI Special Agent Jake Evers made the biggest mistake of his life when he let Rachel slip through his fingers over two years ago. It doesn’t matter that he hasn’t seen her since then—if she needs him, he’ll be there. When he learns that she’s the target of a domestic terror cell, he’ll do everything in his power to keep her safe. He’s never gotten over her and won’t risk losing her again now that she’s reappeared in his life. But the threat is more widespread than they realized and now it’s a race against time to keep her and scores of innocent civilians alive.

    One evening is all the enigmatic man can give her, and Rayne greedily takes it, despite suspecting it will never be enough.Heading home after another extreme mission, Keane "Ghost" Bryson hadn't planned to seduce someone during his layover, but Rayne is too sweet to resist. Being a Delta Force member means lying to protect his identity, which is unfortunate, considering Rayne seems made for Ghost, right down to the tattoo on her back. For the first time in his life, regret fills him as he slips away the following morning.Both are shocked when, months later, they meet again—under the worst possible circumstances. Seems fate has given them a second chance…if they can survive the terrorist situation they're in. If Rayne can forgive Ghost his lies. And if Ghost can trust Rayne to be strong enough to endure the secrets and uncertainty that come with loving a Delta Force soldier.** Rescuing Rayne is the 1st book in the Delta Force Heroes Series. Each book is a stand-alone, with no cliffhanger endings.

    But will their past, with its forbidden passions and impulsive choices, put them directly in the killer’s crosshairs?Deadly Deception:When passion ignites while undercover, the truth FBI agent Ronni Punto is hiding puts her mission with DEA agent Thomas Mann in jeopardy and tests their partnership. Can they learn to trust each other while deceiving the enemy? Or will their cunning foe lure them into a dark and deadly trap?Deadly Force:On the run from the very government they serve, NSA agent Bianca Marx and her estranged husband and SEAL, Cal Reese, only have each other. When they uncover a deadly scandal threatening the nation, they’ll have one chance to save the day…and one last chance at love.Deadly Intent:Immigration enforcement officer Nelson Cruz is assigned to protect the sexy, but oh-so-aloof, FBI Agent Sophie Diaz, but he can’t trust her and she doesn’t trust anybody. As the two fight their red-hot attraction, Nelson discovers a secret that could destroy Sophie’s world. Can he keep her alive, or will their careers, as well as their hearts, go up in the flames of desire?

    Uninterested in his white knight act, she’d rather take her chances without the ruggedly handsome, cold-blooded operative who boasts an alpha complex and too many guns.Colby Winters, former Navy SEAL and an elite member of The Titan Group, has a single objective on his black ops mission: recover a document important to national security. It was supposed to be an easy in-and-out operation. But now, by any means necessary becomes a survival mantra when he faces off with a stunning woman he can’t leave behind.When Titan’s safe houses are compromised, Colby stashes Mia at his home, exposing his secret—he’s the adoptive father of an orphaned baby girl. Too soon, danger arrives and Mia lands in the hands of a sadistic cartel king with a taste for torture. As hours bleed into fear-drenched days, Colby races across the globe and through a firestorm of bullets to save the woman he can’t live without.

    They're in a race against time to rescue her sister from a serial killer. And their uneasy working relationship flares into hot passion as they navigate the dangerous waters of a beach town where nothing is as it seems.CHAINED (a novella)When death is stalking, only a phantom can save her--and love her.Fleeing to her father's abandoned Arizona ranch to hide from political assassins, Isabella is attacked by a ghost haunting the property. Ghost lover may be brought back to life--if she risks everything. HOT AND DANGEROUS (a short story)What's more dangerous--terrorists or a hot and sexy werewolf?She's on vacation, hoping for some romance. He's a werewolf, trying to outrun his destiny. When they flee from a terrorist attack on their island resort, they end up in each other's arms. What happens when she discovers her lover is more than a man?AMBUSHED (A short story)She's a target. He's her shield.Sworn to protect federal witness Elizabeth Bannerman, Decorah Security Agent Jordan Stone fights the emotions building between them. When they’re ambushed by terrorists, Jordan realizes he actually does have something left to lose–-Elizabeth.

    Losing it, winning it back. Now, he’ll have to learn what it will take to keep it.

    While he might once have dreamed of a different future for them, everything changed the day her father tried to kill them both. Determined to keep her safe, Judd put his feelings aside and turned his focus to protecting her, always.She leads a double lifeNobody in their small town would ever dream that Autumn, Wishful's friendly librarian, is really successful erotic romantic suspense author, Rumor Fairchild. No one knows that the swoon-worthy hero of her series is based on her best friend, Judd. He's been fulfilling her rescue fantasies for years, and now she's ready to catapult them out of the friend zone to make her real life romance come true.Their nightmare returnsBut when the past comes full circle and Autumn's father returns to Wishful, even the power of Judd's badge isn't enough to keep her safe from the madman. If he wants the chance at a future with the one girl he's always loved, Judd may have to toss everything he's worked for aside to do the one job that matters.

    Five hours a day I've trained to go undercover to learn the truth.Four plastic surgeries to transform into a pinup to gain access to their world.Three shots of tequila I down before I take off my clothes to dance for the SEALs.Two years since I'd left my soul mate Grant, the only man who can help me now.One dead stripper found strangled and drugged.Zero room for error. I'm Joaquín's only hope for freedom. No sin is too depraved, no challenge is too great. Even if it means destroying my soul.Conceit is a novella of 25,000 - the first of Se7en episodes in the Se7en Deadly SEALs series.Chronic: Se7en Deadly SEALs Episode Two releases February 2015

    Then one night I was taken.But I survived, I escaped and I was saved. Eric didn't see me as damaged. He didn't see my baby as a monster. He protected me, he kept me safe ... he saved me.

    She and Jason are instantly attracted to one another but the evening quickly goes down hill when she ends up in the interrogation room of the local police. An unknown dead man had her address clutched in his hand. The authorities – and Jason – think she’s the key to finding a cold-blooded murderer. With a first date like that Brinley’s not sure she’ll survive a second. Then again she’s never met anyone like Jason. The ex-DEA agent is not the typical boy-next-door. He’s all man. And with a little luck, he could become all hers. They just have to stay alive long enough to catch a killer. HIDING FROM DANGER: Georgette “Gigi” Sidney is a woman on the run. Her ex-boyfriend’s love was controlling, obsessive, and deadly. Now she’s hiding out in Tremont, Montana spending her days as a waitress and her nights in West Anderson’s bed. She ought to be moving on to the next town but her feelings for the handsome detective have complicated her plans. When Gigi’s past interferes with the present she has to finally tell West the truth…about everything. She needs twenty-four hour protection and he’s just the man for the job. If West has his way there will be no more running, no more excuses, and no more lies. He’s determined to put the past to rest so that he can be her future. All he has to do is catch a madman and keep her alive while doing it. INDECENT DANGER: Successful businessman Travis Anderson is thrilled to be escorting Aubrey Grayson on a romantic and elegant weekend getaway in Florida. Unlike the women before her, she doesn’t care about the beautiful gowns and fancy jewels. What she does care about is bumping into a hateful man from her past who decides it would be fun to tell Travis all the shameful secrets she has tried so hard to hide. When a dead body shows up as an uninvited guest, Aubrey quickly becomes a suspect and has to come clean to Travis about everything. Nothing in the world could be worse than admitting the whole sordid story… unless it’s being branded a killer. But there’s no way Travis is going to allow Aubrey to go to prison for a murder she didn’t commit. If he has to catch the real killer himself, that’s just what he’ll do.