Their first date ends in disaster as Brooke gets cold feet and leaves him standing in the doorway of a popular restaurant. But fate brings them back together when Dax hires her to represent him in a case of false arrest. Brooke finds herself drawn to Dax in a way that she’s never been before, but their sexy trysts create an ethical conflict for her and the mysterious threats on her life start to make her doubt that Dax is innocent. When Brooke goes to check out a lead that might exonerate Dax, she finds herself in a precarious situation that may cost her more than her feelings for Dax. Will he arrive in time to pull her back from the danger zone?

    Segments that make you smile have built up her entire career. When she finds herself (not precisely) pregnant and in trouble, she’s rescued by an unlikely savior...cynical newsman, Riley Calhoon. Paige is intrigued with this unprecedented heroic streak, but Riley prefers to keep that particular scoop to himself. Riley might doubt Paige’s reporter’s instincts, but she’s following his story with a tenacity that even he can admire. The problem is, whenever she’s around he finds himself being assaulted by hockey pucks, killer cats and even a run-away trucks. He either has a chronic case of heartburn… or maybe it’s love? Fans of Bridget Jones will love Jacobs’ Shrek meets Pollyanna romance.

    Maybe get married and have some children with a man who'd support her career.Only her plan falls apart when the boss’s lazy son-in-law is given the promotion she's slaved over. Shaken by the betrayal, Bridget throws caution to the wind and accepts a stranger’s invitation to visit San Francisco for a week. Being wined and dined by Jake Summerhill in such a foodie town is Bridget's dream-come-true. When her other dream—the promotion—unexpectedly falls onto her lap, Bridget is... not as thrilled as she should be. Does she take the job she's worked so hard to earn, or does she take a chance on a new life with a man she barely knows?

    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.**

    Madeleine Schier heeds her husband's panicked call and runs home, only to witness his brutal murder by a crime boss and become a target herself. Under police security, she vows to testify. But when the police protecting her are killed, the last of her NYC life disintegrates, leaving her no place to hide. She flees, relying on her wits and imagination to survive on a dangerous journey to become someone else. Who can she trust? The helpful widower who advises her on farming? The damaged recluse who's always near? The neighbor who brings cherry pie? With the murderer still searching, one wrong move could be her last.

    One afternoon, a phone call changes the entire course of her life. Her aunt has been murdered and her young brothers are at the center of the vicious crime. Detective Chas McCall knows that Roxy is the only hope the young boys have. What he doesn't know, is that by bringing her back to Cavern Creek he puts her squarely in the crosshairs of a monster—the same monster who haunts the memories of her childhood. Everyone has skeletons in their closets, but Roxy's are worse than most. When she steps foot back on Cavern Creek soil, all hell breaks loose. A mist of fury is unleashed. There is nowhere to run this time—no place to hide. When all is said and done, lies and betrayal threaten to take down an entire town.

    From street beats to under the covers, they're arresting, they're provocative, and they're sure to steal your heart!Undercover Heat: When Agent Kyra Sanders and FBI hotshot Quinn Daniels are assigned to go undercover as a married couple, trouble--and desire--flares. She's got a history, he's got a hell of a secret, and the only answer to this dilemma is almost criminal.In the Shadow of Vengeance: Elizabeth Merlot can't afford to let handsome Detective Noah McNeil discover her secret past. But when trouble finds her son, Noah may be the only one who can save their lives.Montana Mustangs: When a body washes up on the shore of a rural Montana lake, police officer Dane Burke and Aura Montgarten must get to the bottom of this mystery--but Aura has a secret that's out of this world. Can two unlikely souls find true love?Love Is in the Air: When Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sergeant Jim Cromwell investigates Maine-based drug ring The Alabatross Alliance, the case leads him to airline pilot Captain Sophie Berg. He's not sure if she's an innocent or his lead suspect, but when she's kidnapped, Jim must decide whether to believe his head or his heart.Inheriting Fear: Detective Luca Patterson has never crossed a professional line until he meets his new neighbor Mya. She's sexy, feisty, and he can't stop thinking about her, but her secrets coincide with Luca's case--and lead to an unexpectedly sizzling interlude in his bed. When lines blur, will love or duty ultimately come into focus?Fated Hearts: Sheriff Carter McAlister offers mysterious newcomer Henley Elliott a job as his assistant. Breaking through her carefully built shell proves to be a near-impossible task, and now a dangerous new presence in the Cove seems to be targeting Henley. Can Henley and Carter leave their secrets and scars in the past to get a second chance at happily ever after?On His Watch: Special Agent Jason Spark is enjoying some welcome peace and quiet when he's called to a 911 call and steps into a horrifying bloodbath straight out of a Hollywood slasher movie. Survivor Nikki Hart believes Jason might be the angel sent to protect her. But when she learns about the secret role he played in her tragedy, can she ever forgive him?Ashley's Allegiance: Ashley Whitman's ready to step up and contribute to the family tea legacy, just like her successful cousins. But as the conspiracy surrounding the farm deepens, so does her relationship with Sheriff Jacob Sanders. Their families have been rivals for years...will a union between them finally bring peace to Emerald Springs?Acts of Faith: Everyone assumed Emma's brother died in a car accident. Then one of his friends asks Emma to meet her so she can reveal the truth, but the whistleblower is brutally murdered before their appointment. There's only one person Emma can turn to for help--her ex-husband, a cop who never wants to see her again.Retribution: The homicide of a criminal lawyer puts Dallas homicide detective Remy LeBeau on a collision course with a professional assassin from his past. Is his relationship with professional barrel racer Cody Lewis the motivation behind the attacks--or a secret weapon that gives him the edge to end this nightmare once and for all?Sensuality Level: Sensual

    Instead, things are heating up, and now no one is safe. Ellen Galway has been living life on overdrive. It’s not just her job as a newly minted prosecutor. Her relationship with Texas Ranger Luke Jackson is also getting overheated. Luke keeps knocking down all her boundaries. Ellen’s whirlwind trip to Saratoga Springs to hear her twin sister Maggie’s presentation offers the perfect chance for a cooling off period.Then Luke turns up in Ellen’s hotel lobby. His instincts tell him Ellen and Maggie could be in trouble, and he’s determined not to let anything happen to them. When Maggie disappears, Ellen joins Luke in search of a remote cabin in the Adirondacks. They must find a way to work together if they want to find her sister alive.New York Times bestselling author Carla Neggers returns with this exciting novella plus two bonus short stories. In “On the Run,” Gus Winter takes on a killer in the White Mountains, and in “Cold Moonlight,” Ryan “Grit” Taylor proves he’s still a tough U.S. Navy SEAL. Note: "Cold Moonlight" is included in Love Is Murder, an anthology edited by Sandra Brown; "On the Run" is included in Thriller 2, an anthology edited by Clive Cussler.

    After being taken out on his yacht and tortured for information, she literally leapt at the chance to escape overboard, figuring death at sea was better than death at the hands of her vicious captor. But fate had something other than death in mind for her. Texas Ranger Quinn McCord was dealing with problems of his own, so the last thing he needed was a gorgeous, nearly naked woman with a shady past. And before the unconscious beauty on the beach even came to, he knew she was either trouble or in trouble—maybe both—because the men patrolling the shallows with a speedboat and binoculars weren't tourists out for a day's fishing. His finely honed instincts told him that she was their quarry, and that he had to protect her and find out what was really going on. If Kelly was shocked to find herself waking up in the arms of a handsome stranger, Quinn was no less surprised to discover that his damsel-in-distress was a very capable agent who'd quite possibly killed the infamous Dominic Ortega before getting away. Unfortunately for them both, Ortega hadn't died. Instead he'd put a two-million-dollar bounty on her head and sent his army of killers-for-hire in pursuit. Now Kelly and Quinn are both the pursued and the pursuers as they try to stay alive long enough for Kelly to testify against Ortega—and for the two of them to follow up on the once-in-a-lifetime attraction neither one of them wants to fight. Previously Published

    As Bay and her ex-Navy SEAL husband Gabe learn to juggle midnight feedings and sleepless nights with the arrival of their twins, they are hit with devastating news. Gabe’s best friend Mike Tarik has gone missing on a mission in Afghanistan. News of Mike’s possible abduction brings memories of Bay’s own kidnapping crashing back. Can she escape the torment she suffered to focus on her family’s happiness?

    Although Trey wanted to believe in his friend’s innocence, he was forced to testify in court, and Jace was sent to prison for life. Trey returns determined to prove he was right. Even if it means losing the woman he still loves. Summer Hill cannot forgive Trey, or his father, the chief of police, for the wrongs she feels they did to her family. When her brother escapes from Angola, Summer vows to keep her brother safe, no matter the cost. Falling back in love with Trey again isn’t an option.Now, five years later, the past begins to unravel. Reluctantly thrown together, Summer and Trey follow a twisted path that lead them to the truth—Jace didn’t kill anyone and an entire town’s ugly secret is unveiled. But more importantly, can Trey and Summer rediscover the love they lost?

    "I'm not gone, I'm right here," he told her. "You can't see me, but I am here. I'll never leave you. I promise." When Lyn Ragan started hearing from her deceased lover, she thought she was losing her mind. Not only had the love of her life been ripped away, she was seeing dead people. Guiding his sweetheart through a twisting plot into the wonder of life beyond death, Chip teaches Lyn how to read the Signs and Messages he shares from the Afterlife. His determination to communicate from the Other Side keeps her focused on his new life, instead of how he died.Chip's unforgettable visitations, creativity, and ability to leave gifts from the beyond, are remarkable blueprints for proof of life in the Hereafter. Filled with loss, grief, and otherworldly love, this true story will have you on the edge of your seat while you question the nature of life after physical death."Death is not the end of who we are, my darlin'." Chip said. "Love can never die. The one Key to everything beautiful is love. Our love lives forever."

     Find out what happens and the chaos that ensues in this Beck Brother short story.

    As she grows older, and her make-believe worlds are not enough to protect her, she descends into drug addiction and eventual resignation. When this finally leads her to be physically beaten near the point of death, she is saved by a compassionate neighbor named Sam who gives Cinnamon the opportunity to reclaim her life. Now, working at Sam s vineyard in the beautiful Dry Creek Valley, Cinnamon Monday attempts to put her life in order, find the will to overcome past demons, and utilize her strengths to live a positive, successful life on her own terms.

    SykesThe brutal murder of her twin sister drove Amy Robitaille into a career as a homicide detective for Palm Beach County. When a serial killer targets the wives of local baseball players, Amy has more than just a professional interest at stake—her only surviving sister fits the profile of the other victims. Amy’s hell-bent on catching the killer, not only to protect her sister but to destroy the demons haunting her since the death of her twin.Baseball star and former soldier Luke Beckett has just retired from the game and is looking to move on with his life. When he’s asked to consult on the serial killer case for the local police, he finds the challenge he needs—despite the objections of lead detective Amy Robitaille. But Luke has no intention of backing away from the job and every intention of getting to know the intriguing detective.Amy has no time to babysit a celebrity consultant while trying to catch a serial killer. But Luke is not the man she assumed him to be and he threatens to become a powerful distraction. That’s the last thing she needs, especially when the killer starts closing in on her family. But without Luke’s help, Amy stands to lose everything.This story is also included in Anthology Danger and Desire