That was the only explanation that she could come up with. Why else would she feel this way for the biggest SOB in town? Granted, he was also the hottest man in town, but he was also arrogant, callous, and determined to drive her away even as he drove her crazy with his touch. She should just walk away from him and probably would if it wasn’t for this connection that she’d always had with him that kept making her want more with the one man that couldn’t give her anything more than heartache.He should have left and never looked back when he’d decided to finally do the right thing and push Marty out of his life, but instead he stuck around to torture himself by staying close to the one woman that he could never allow himself to have. She deserved better than him, better than the tortured existence that he led and better than the horrifying future that waited for him.

    Enjoy the season with the first half, books 1 to 6, of this omnibus of festive romantic (and hot!) tales ...Book 1: Angel In Moonlight by Ashleigh RaineBeing a Polgaran Pleasure goddess isn't all it's cracked up to be. Sex isn't exactly boring, but it is just sex, limited emotion involved. Lita craves the intrigue of strong human emotions. Her wish is granted, to spend a year among humans, learning and experiencing their emotions. Then destiny throws her for quite a loop when she's pulled into Ben's arms and discovers just how wonderful love is. But the clock is ticking. If she stays, she'll lose everything, but if she leaves Ben, she'll lose even more.Book 2: August Heat (Men of August) by Lora LeighJoin the August Family for Christmas. It's been a little more than a year since Cade, Brock and Sam wrestled their lives back from the woman determined to destroy them. Join them in this first August family Christmas celebration and see if their wives have been naughty or nice, or if the brothers must show them once again how proper August wives should act.Book 3: Make Me Believe by Shiloh WalkerChelly is going nuts - she thinks. And she's fighting for the right to keep her little boy. Right before Christmas, her ex announces he is going to sue for custody of their child. Because she is losing her mind. She is talking to a man who doesn't exist. A tall, sexy creature with wicked blue eyes and magic in his hands. And he can't possibly exist. After all, elves aren't real.Book 4: Just A Little Magic by Kate DouglasBeth Adams expected a proposal of marriage on Christmas Eve. What she gets is a wanna-be Santa Claus who's just gotten pink-slipped. Dominic Claus isn't merely good looking, he's perfect - he's just not Santa material. Beth could care less, especially once she discovers that Dom is a lot more than a good looking guy in a Santa suit - he's the lover of her dreams, toys included.Unfortunately, he actually thinks he's an elf. Differences aside, Beth discovers that all it takes is Just a Little Magic to find true love. Book 5: Ringing In The Season by Rachel BoChristmas is only two days away, and Traci Campbell has never felt more miserable. Her seventeen-year marriage seems on the verge of failure. Rick makes no time for the kids, for her - they haven't made love in four months. She can't stand the thought of losing Rick, but her heartfelt appeal a month ago appears to have meant nothing to him. But a determined husband can make a lot happen in a few short weeks, and a very unusual treasure hunt leads Traci on an erotic journey down memory lane. Can love, determination, and five tiny golden rings save a marriage?Book 6: The Toymaker by R. CasteelSamantha, widowed with two small children on the Missouri frontier, struggles to survive through the harsh winter. When she gives the small toymaker named, Claudius, shelter from a storm, little miracles begin to happen. But, are they enough to restore love, and her belief in the Magic of Christmas.If these stories lighten up your season, look for 12 Quickies of Christmas series, Volume 2 - available now!

    Each story was specifically written for this anthology.The goal of the Cocktales Anthology is to raise funds to fight against obstruction of creative expression. Specifically, what we believe are obstruction attempts through the trademarking of common (single) words for titicular use in books / or as a book series (eBooks, print, and audio).*ALL* net profits will be donated to:1) Authors already impacted by creative-obstruction (10%), and2) Romance Writers of America (RWA) (90%) as a general donation intended for their Advocacy Fund.Disclaimer: This anthology is not being conducted on behalf of RWA, nor does RWA endorse this anthology or effort. They have, however, graciously agreed to accept the funds.Authors with material included (as they appear in the anthology):Nana Malone, USA Today Bestselling author – ForewordDylan Allen – 'Cocked and Loaded'Jana Aston, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Double Cocked'Whitney Barbetti – 'Cocksure Grin'Author Sawyer Bennett, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'A Wicked, Cocky Plan'K.f. Breene, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Magical Cock and Bull'Ruth Clampett, Amazon top 20 Bestselling Author – 'Don’t Get Cocky'L.H. Cosway, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Illusionist Seeks Neanderthal'Mariah Dietz – 'Landmines'Amy Daws, Amazon Top 25 Bestselling author – 'Cock and Balls'BB Easton, Amazon Top 100 Bestselling author – 'Cocky BB: Two Boys, One Prom.'Jaymin Eve, USA Today Bestselling author – 'The Cockier the Dragon, the Harder They Fall'Emma Hart, NYT and USA Today Bestselling author – 'Tricky Bond'Staci Hart, Amazon Top 10 Bestselling author – 'Cockamamie'Jessica Hawkins, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocky Couture'Julie Johnson Amazon Top 100 Bestselling author – 'Culinary Cock-Up'Karpov Kinrade, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Crimson Cocktail'Adriana Locke, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Swag'Lex Martin, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Love & Hate at the Stallion Station'Aly Martinez, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Going Down'Katyi McGee - USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocksure Co-Star'Corinne Michaels, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cockblocked'Liv Morris, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Getting It Up'Red Phoenix, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Her Cocky Russian'Daisy Prescott, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Confessions of a Cockblocked Wingman'Jessica Prince – ‘A Cocky Corruption Engagement’Meghan Quinn, Amazon Top 20 Bestselling Author – 'Fight or Flight'CD Reiss, NYT and USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocky Capo'Penny Reid, WSJ and USA Today Bestselling author – 'Beard and Hen'Julie Richman, USA Today Bestselling author – 'The Color of Love'Aleatha Romig, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Aligned'Kennedy Ryan, Top 40 Amazon Bestselling author – 'All'Kylie Scott, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Short Story with Mal and Anne from The Stage Dive Series'Sierra Simone, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Until the Cock Crows'Tara Sivec, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Chocolate and Cockup'Kate Stewart, Amazon Top 30 Bestselling author – 'The Golden Sombrero'Leia Stone, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocky Alpha'Karla Sorensen – 'Tristan & Anna: A Bachelors of the Ridge short story'Rachel Van Dyken, NYT, WSJ, USA Today Bestselling author – 'Cocky Mafia'April White, Amazon Top 100 Bestselling author – 'Code of Conduct'

    This is writing which is more direct, less euphemistic, and frankly accepting of sexuality.

    Now Aimée Carter pulls back the curtain on how they became the powerful, petty, loving and dangerous immortals that Kate Winters knows.Calliope/Hera represented constancy and yet had a husband who never matched her faithfulness....Ava/Aphrodite was the goddess of love and yet commitment was a totally different deal....Persephone was urged to marry one man, yet longed for another....James/Hermes loved to make trouble for others - but never knew true loss before....Henry/Hades's solitary existence had grown too wearisome to continue. But meeting Kate Winters gave him a new hope.... Five original novellas of love, loss and longing and the will to survive throughout the ages. Contents:The Goddess QueenThe Lovestruck GoddessGoddess of the UnderworldGod of ThievesGod of Darkness

    For the first time together in one volume, here is the complete short story collection starring Louisiana’s favorite telepathic waitress, Sookie Stackhouse—from #1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris. New fans can fill in the gaps in their Sookie lore while old friends can revisit some of their favorite moments and characters. From investigating the murder of a local fairy to learning that her cousin was a vampire, from remodeling her best friend’s house to attending a wedding with her shapeshifting boss, Sam, Sookie navigates the perils and pitfalls of the paranormal world.Belly up to the bar at Bon Temps’s favorite watering hole and hear stories that will make you wish Sookie never left, including...“Fairy Dust”“One Word Answer”“Dracula Night”“Lucky”“Gift Wrap”“Two Blondes”“If I Had a Hammer”“Small-Town Wedding”“Playing Possum”“In the Blue Hereafter”This definitive collection is the perfect binge read for people who like their stories with bite!

    Totally. But mean fairies? Fairies weren’t supposed to be mean! But they are, and she really thought she was gonna become fairy dust if it hadn’t been for the super hunky vampire that saved her. Had she mentioned hunky? And, hey, giving him a little snack in return was no bigs. He helped, after all. Except she wanted one nibble to turn into two and then…oodles. And she’d tell him so…just as soon as she finished tasting all of those yummy muscles.Big Bad Vamp – Tory has more bug-out bags and escape plans to get out of Atlanta than there are stars in the sky. And it appears she’s gonna need them. With her habit of digitally visiting different servers across the globe, she always figured she’d piss off the wrong people at some point. It looks like that day has arrived. Some crazy glitter throwing, wing-wearing weirdos are on her tail, and screaming “it wasn’t me” at them isn’t making them go away. With the sparkle freaks closing in, Tory has no choice but to call her fang-banging BFF for help. Finally, an über hunky vamp appears to whisk her to safety. Except she dies. Really. Dead-dead. Almost. See, the thing about it is…Want book three for free? Book three–Poking the Vamp–will be released in FREE INSTALLMENTS through my newsletter.

    No exceptions. But magic is so addictive...and my inner Goddess Lilith is hard to resist. Besides, restraint isn't easy when you manage Wisconsin's premiere occult bookstore, and get customers like Sebastian Von Traum--piercing brown eyes, a sexy accent, and a killer body in denim and black leather. The only thing missing is an aura. Which means he's dead...And that means trouble. I guess I'm a sucker for it. The Vatican witch hunters are on to us. My long-lost vampire ex has crawled out of the woodwork looking for action. And Sebastian's frustrated ex is stirring in her grave.So what's a girl to do if she's hot for a dead man walking? Run like hell--and take full advantage of the nights...

    This half-human, half–Drow private eye investigates paranormal crimes by day and is an elite Tracker of demons by night. She prefers working solo—and playing rough. So when a terrifying force starts murdering innocent humans and paranorms, and leaving strange demonic symbols burned into their buildings, it’s a case Nyx takes very personally… Meanwhile, Nyx’s fellow Trackers are being killed one by one—and a sexy new Tracker named Torin is shadowing her every move. Torin has powers Nyx can’t read, and sometimes she wonders whose side he’s on. Nyx’s instincts tell her something’s brewing in the city’s meanest supernatural streets, and that it’s ready to unleash hell on Earth. Who can she trust? Now it’s five minutes to permanent midnight…and Nyx’s last chance means risking everything—even her own life.

    Gray is less than thrilled that his little sister volunteered him to help her friend with her construction woes - that is, until he sees how Temperance has grown. Now he wants her more than ever. He's even willing to use her ridiculous idea of an interrupted sex spell to convince her how good things could be between them - leaving Tem to wonder if love is stronger than magic and worth the risk to her heart. Ronan's Grail Ronan, bastard son of Lancelot of the Lake and last of King Arthur's knights, has been charged with a quest - find the Holy Grail. Merlin sends him forward in time to seek the relic, promising he'll know the keeper of the grail by a sigil. If he fails, all is lost. Morgan Foster bears the magical symbol in the form of an ill-conceived tattoo but has no idea what to make of this hot, possibly crazy man who lays siege to her body and heart. Timeless magic and breathless passion bring them together, but is their love strong enough to survive when the battles of the past rip their fragile future apart? Mystic Circle When Becca stood up Jack for what promised to be the hottest one-night stand of her life, she never expected to see him again. Over the years he's haunted her dreams and occasionally her psychic visions. After another vision reveals a kidnapping, she must go to the police. Instead of saving a life, she becomes the prime suspect. Detective Jack Duritz, is investigating a series of ritualistic murders. He never expected his investigation to lead him to the woman who's starred in too many of his fantasies. Becca claims to be psychic, but he doesn't believe a word of it. Soon, however, it becomes clear that Becca is the next victim and Jack is the only person who can protect her. He must keep her close, but he finds himself keeping her far closer than any investigation would require.

    Blame it on the moon? Sure. But who's complaining, anyway...Lori Foster "Once in a Blue Moon"It's all because of that stupid blue moon. That's what Stan Tucker thinks as he walks through Delicious, Ohio, suddenly privy to everyone's innermost thoughts, a gift courtesy of a rare blue moon. What most people have on their minds is boring-grocery lists, work woes, appointments. But not Jenna Rowan's super-private thoughts. The pretty, shy bookstore owner is having decidedly hot thoughts about Stan...naked, sweaty, not-for-primetime thoughts. Stan's lusted after Jenna for ages, but he never thought the proper lady was interested. Now that he knows, he intends to do something about it, and this time, he won't be the only one howling at the moon...Lucy Monroe "Moon Magnetism"Ivy Kendall dreads the full moon. For generations, women in her family have been extremely magnetic on that day-which was fine fifty years ago but not in the age of hard drives and cell phones. That's why the hotel manager has resisted the technological improvements her boss wants her to implement. Now, the sexy, dynamic Blake Hawthorne is coming to insist on the upgrades in person. Shoot, he'll probably fire her. Being around Blake makes her body go as haywire as a full moon, maybe even more. And as long as she's going to be out of a job soon, there's no reason not to use a little of that magnetism to her advantage, luring him into an elevator where the only electricity that will work is the kind they generate themselves...Dianne Castell "Moonstruck"For years, Julia Simon has had the worst luck, married to a man who cheated on her left, right, and center. Now, the pretty divorcee is ready for her luck to change, and it is...big time. Ever since she unknowingly performed a Blue Moon ritual, Julia's wishes seem to be coming true. So why not wish for wild, unbridled passionate sex with hunky P.I. Marc Adams? Well, because when it happens, it's so amazingly good, that's why. Now, with the blue moon due to end in three days' time, Julia can only wonder if it's just a spell or the start of a whole new life... Be careful of wishful thinking. It just might get you everything.

    . . New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh delivers a smouldering story with Secrets at Midnight, as the scent of Bastien Smith’s elusive lover ignites a possessiveness in him that’s as feral as it is ecstatic. And now that he’s found his mate, he’ll do anything to keep her.In #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews’ novella, Magic Steals, when people start going missing, shapeshifting tigress Dali Harimau and jaguar shifter Jim Shrapshire must uncover the truth about the mysterious creatures responsible.From Milla Vane—a warrior princess must tame The Beast of Blackmoor to earn a place among her people. But she quickly discovers that the beast isn't a monster, but a barbarian warrior who intends to do some taming himself. It’s seer Makenna Frazier's first day on the job at Supernatural Protection and Investigations, and her first assignment is more than she bargained for when bodyguard duty for a leprechaun prince’s bachelor party goes every which way but right in national bestselling author Lisa Shearin’s Lucky Charms.

    Unfortunately, she's a Guardian now, and her visions of the future have grown so intense she's blind to the world while in their grip. Her Watcher, Hanson, is sleeping on her couch and scaring her roommates when he's not shepherding her through the visions and calming her worsening nightmares. Then the earthquakes start, warning of an even bigger disaster--a cataclysm that could level her beloved city and claim countless innocent lives. A disaster her visions say are triggered by Hanson, even though he's sworn to protect her . . . The Watcher: Hanson joined the Watchers to atone for a life of lies, but the only way he can stay close enough to Mari to protect her is to use some of his less-than-honest talents. She is the only witch who can ease the agony of being a Watcher, and the only woman in the world he wants. Then Mari's house is broken into and her roommates slaughtered, and in order to save his witch, Hanson is going to have to become more vicious than the Dark--even though it might mean losing her forever. Bounced around the world as a military brat, Lilith Saintcrow fell in love with writing in second grade and never looked back. She currently resides in Vancouver, Washington, with two children, a menagerie, and books. Find her on the web at lilithsaintcrow.com.

    He's felt her soft gentle curves writhing in pleasure beneath his own hard powerful body...Morganna! For centuries, towering Marrok, once the mightiest of King Arthur's warriors, has endured a terrible curse cast upon him when he spurned the witch.She's a modern woman about to discover ancient magic....Olivia shares a mystical - and irresistible - connection with brooding Marrok. Soon after the sexy warrior appears in her erotic dreams, he abducts her, demanding she uncurse him. Their intense passion is more powerful - and intimate - than either of them has ever known. Olivia may be the key to unlocking the diary that will break Morganna's hold on his life. But in the wrong hands, the book also holds the power to destroy all magickind. As they search for answers, a ruthless wizard returned from exile is building an army of evil. When he discovers Marrok and Olivia have the diary, only their love - with the help of a powerful group of magical Brethren - can save them.

    She hit the big-time, money-wise with her paranormal erotic romance shifter titles that are all the rage. She's a success!With her finances secure, she is taking a break from the genre and revisiting a former dream of writing the great American novel. First, she needs to get her latest book completed and in the hands of her publisher, ASAP. There's just one problem, she's switched out the last three chapters and needs them to be edited. But her editor isn't available. What's an author to do?Help comes in the shape and form of Abe. New to town, a seasoned editor and ruggedly handsome, he's not only willing to take on the editing job, he can do it fast. When they meet, the chemistry is instant and Abe is drawn to the curvy writer.