But of course, she’d never admit such a thing.Just like she’d never admit to teasing her mom’s ex-boyfriend, gorgeous billionaire Drake, for all the years she did. They’re close though, very close, and he’s even paying for her to go to college, so she feels indebted enough to him to tolerate most anything he asks. One day, when she’s on the way to her boyfriend’s house, Drake calls and demands she come to a birthday party he’s throwing for her. When she arrives though, and Drake reveals his dangerous, primal, secret feelings, it turns out to be just what Julie’s always wanted.Warning: This 10,000 word erotic story is intended for adults only. Excerpt:Staring at me a moment longer, Drake massaged my arms and stared into my eyes. His bright blue, sapphire irises seemed to pierce all the way to my soul, if that was possible.“Are you sure that’s all you want?” His voice rolled into a low, almost menacing whisper. “A Sprite?”“Yeah... yeah, I mean, what else would I want?” I stammered, trying to keep myself from panicking, or from going wobbly in the knees with desire, which was the more pressing and present concern. “I thought I was coming here for a birthday party, I –”Drake smiled and narrowed his eyes to slits, nodding. “You did.”“But then where –”“Is everyone?” he interrupted, finishing the sentence for me. “Well, I thought maybe you’d want to do this in private at least once before having an audience, but if you’d like, I could call everyone in?”“What are you talking about?” Fear burned in my mind, or at least that’s what I thought it was. Moments later, the tingling between my legs came back and I knew it wasn’t fear, it was desire. Primal, awful, wonderful desire that I shouldn’t feel but couldn’t bury.He smiled again and tossed his beautiful, wavy black hair back before running his hand through it and leaning heavily on the table beside me. “You’re going to pay me back.”

    The next target of a time traveling killer, crime reporter Jane Colby finds herself in the hands of a warlord from the future sent to protect her--and in his hands is just where she wants to be.

    As she investigates the crime, Holly soon realizes the sleepy town is rife with secrets. But what unsettles her most is the residents’ insistence that she bears a striking resemblance to the victim of a murder from three decades earlier. She shrugs off the uncanny likeness as a coincidence. But her simmering attraction to Finn Carver, one of the divers who discovered the corpse, isn’t so easy to ignore.Finn, a former Special Forces soldier, knows it’s best to keep his distance from Holly. Yet it isn’t long before they both give in to the consuming desire they share. And as the danger escalates, Finn and Holly must rely on each other to thwart the plans of a cold-blooded killer who’s intent on keeping the past buried.

    One night she's attacked, beaten, and raped. She survives, but he's watching her, threatening her baby's life if she talks. `Sergeant Reese Sanders is struggling with his own survival, and he's convinced Tracy holds the key to a serial rapist that led to his sister's death the year before. `Tracy seeks shelter in a safe house, and with her counselor's guidance, she discovers inner strength and courage, qualities she must test when her assailant finds her and demands she meet him.BEYOND THE QUIET: A Romantic ThrillerReaders Advisory: For Mature ReadersAfter twenty-five years of marriage, Lisa Montgomery thinks her husband's death is the worst that can happen. Then she receives a notice about his secret post office box. `But her nightmare doesn't end with discovering his betrayal; she learns his clandestine life has stolen her home, her savings, and everything she holds dear. Desperately trying to cope, she slowly rebuilds her life, and just when a new love appears, she's slammed with a new threat.`A spurned co-worker watches, waiting for the perfect moment to unleash his rage.

    I fuck. I pretend to smile. Two years ago my life was perfect, until it wasn’t. I scattered my wife’s ashes then walked away from the Marines. I didn’t think I had anything left to lose. I was wrong. The blonde showed up on my doorstep beaten and stabbed. I did what I was trained to do — I stitched her up. I didn’t have a clue who she was and I told myself I didn’t care. Until they came looking for her. I swore I’d take my last breath before I let anyone else hurt her, except I didn’t know she was keeping a deadly secret. Now I had two choices, her life or mine. Marriage and combat taught me the same thing — I was no one’s hero. And I was about to prove it. Warning: This book contains offensive language, violence and sexual situations. Mature audiences only.

    His disappearance, the day he testifies against his father, terrifies a county who has already lost three young women to a vicious serial killer. What secret drives him into hiding as a deadly winter snowstorm bears down upon the area, putting those who love him most at risk?Anne Mason-Brandt escaped the wrath of a vicious serial killer five years before. But the fear she had then is nothing compared to the terror instilled by a life-threatening disease and a secret that could blow her and Michael's happy marriage apart. Is love enough?Nine months pregnant, Jennifer Brennan-Stone has a secret that will change Blake's and her life forever. She's already lost one baby and this pregnancy has her on bed-rest. Can they find a small boy who doesn't want to be found before it's too late? Frankie and Lane Hansen are having an up-close-and-personal impact to their finances thanks to a lousy economy. One of them has a secret that could make a bad situation even worse.Tim Brennan and his wife, Megan fell in love with their pink Victorian house the first year of their marriage more than thirty years before. As Megan plans to turn their lovely home into a bed and breakfast, Tim is unsure he can share his wife, home and memories with strangers.

    They shared in each other's joy during graduations, promotions, and engagements. They consoled one another through heartache and loss.When one of the friend's life is tragically cut short, it's up to the two left behind to pick up the pieces and find out the truth - no matter the cost. As they slowly start to uncover the nature of his deception, and the very powerful people behind it, they begin to question everyone and everything, even themselves.Everyone has secrets - some do it for love while others do it for power. Those secrets can change perceptions, alter reality and sometimes destroy lives.What do you do when you find out your whole life has been a lie?

    When a double murder claims the life of a city prosecutor in the exclusive covenant community of Atlantis, Rhodes is assigned as liaison between the SFPD investigation and the investigation run by the private security force known as the ASM.Public Prosecutor Katherine Radcliffe was the face of local politics, fighting to resurrect the fallen city of San Francisco by bridging the gap between the private wealth of Atlantis and the forgotten populace of the public sector. Found in the arms of her ex-sensual companion turned corporate psychologist lover, her death resonates with Rhodes and the people of San Francisco on a personal level.With tensions building between the classes and evidence mounting, Rhodes finds herself delving into the past of the man at the top of the ASM corporate ladder, an inexplicable mercenary turned upper-class messiah , known as Atlas.When she discovers that his past remarkably resembles her own , she can’t help but force a confrontation that brings her face to face with a man she cannot understand, a suspect she knows she has to pursue, and a truth she knows she may not want to uncover.

    But Savannah doesn't think she's supposed to take the warning literally ... until an early morning phone call sends her to an empty house on the 'bad' side of town, where she finds herself standing over the butchered body of a competitor, face to face with the boy her mother always warned her about.The Ex Who Wouldn’t Die by Sally BerneathyAmanda has been trying for a year to divorce her lying, cheating, scam artist husband, Charley. Then he turns up dead, murdered. Finally they are no longer married! But she is the primary suspect and, as if that isn't bad enough, Charley's ghost shows up in her apartment. He was rejected, kicked back to earth, not allowed to go into the light. Even death did not them part.A Touch of Ice by L.J. CharlesWhen Everly Gray touches photographer Mitchell Hunt and sees the image of a dead body, she dives into the murder ESP fingers first. Caught in a web of intrigue, El discovers an aptitude for breaking and entering, the pain of a gunshot wound, and the terror of facing a killer. What she doesn’t learn—to keep her fingers to herself.The Chase by Adrienne GiordanoHard-driving attorney Jo Pomeroy is as determined as she is sexy—in other words, a major pain in NYPD Sergeant Gabe Townsend’s butt. Working together on a high-profile task force charged with busting sales of counterfeit goods has been rocky from the start. Now, she’s on the radar of a mysterious smuggler not afraid to use violence to evade the law. At the risk of their lives—and their hearts—Gabe and Jo must find him before he finds them.The Secret Ingredient by Misty EvansDuring a live cooking show in her hometown, celebrity chef Katelynn Karr's father dies in front of millions of viewers, and suspicion falls on Kate when his autopsy reveals he was poisoned. Nick Juno, the boy she left behind and who is now mayor, is the only person who can prove Kate's innocence.Let Us Prey by Jamie Lee ScottMimi Capurro is trying to put her life back together after the sudden death of her husband. Using the skills she learned as a secret service agent, she runs the Gotcha Detective Agency, along with her skilled computer forensics partner Charles Parks. Gotcha specializes in executive protection (bodyguards), and tailing cheating spouses. Mimi never expects to run into her old college flame Nick, when she takes on an executive protection case for New York Times bestselling author Lauren Silke. But when Lauren’s assistant is murdered, the homicide case, along with Mimi, land in Nick’s lap. Will Mimi and Nick be able to solve this murder without killing each other first?The Throwbacks by Stephanie QueenTo salvage his career, exiled Scotland Yard "Flying Squad" detective, the not-so-young David Young, joins the Boston Police Department. But this rogue detective can’t resist an unlikely romance with his young and vivacious decorator, Grace Rogers, even when she becomes a key witness in his high-stakes case--and like Kryptonite to his career and well-being.Alternate Cover Edition can be found here

    But her sister's stuck with a broken heart and a nonrefundable vacation, so she agrees to Christmas at a rustic Adirondack lodge-as long as she can bring her laptop. Matt's happy to take a break from the city. He and his brother are helping out with their aunt's Romance of Christmas weekend, even though the couples-only guest list at the lodge means all work and no play. When one of the "couples" turns out to be two sisters, Matt's brother calls dibs on the hot one-leaving Matt to deal with a quirky, work-obsessed woman who he's sure would rather get cozy with an electrical outlet than with him. Good thing there's no electricity at Dutch Gorge Lodge. Because sometimes you have to turn out the lights to see what's right in front of you.