Okay, no man was ever going to control what she did, not ever again. Okay, no man was going to control her outside the bedroom. Not ever. The problem with Le Duc was the man just didn't listen. He was Dominique Nadir Amir Afshar de Choiseul, or duc de Choiseul. He didn’t just run a criminal empire older than most countries, he was an actual duke. Not that it mattered. She wasn’t impressed. Duchess explained over and over again that she wasn't getting married. Period. End of discussion. Just as soon as he stopped talking. And looking so edibly delicious. Maybe just a little taste… Ex: “Sir, we’ve arrived.” Nadir blinked. Damn, he hadn’t even noticed the vehicle had crawled to a stop. Right next to the object of his fascination. Not waiting for the driver to come around to open his door, he slid across the seat to exit closest to the tree. As soon as he was out of the car, he went straight for it, scanning the ground around the base, then the lower branches with no idea what he was looking for. Until he found it. Those were definitely rope burns on those bare, lower branches. Damn. “It’s a hanging tree.” Encountering a child was the last thing Nadir had expected, though he hadn’t really been sure what to expect. Not knowing what to say to the little person who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, he said nothing as she continued. “Some say the ghosts of the poor fools hung on that tree haunt it, tied to its roots for eternity.” Wait, this little person couldn’t be more than five maybe. Should she know how to talk like that? “My daddy died on that tree.” What? She just stood there, a riot of midnight colored curls falling all around her face and over her shoulders, looking up at him as if what she just said was perfectly normal. In fact, she looked pleased with her tiny fists resting on her hips. With her chin up, her back straight she continued to stare even when he didn't reply. What could he possibly say? Her expression didn’t change as she waited him out. Nor did she stop staring at him directly in the eye as if she was his equal. No, as if she were above him, as regal as a queen in her frilly little dress and bare dirty feet. With skin the color of toasted caramel, the imp had eyes that were almost amethyst with spikes of marine blue. Those eyes carried wisdom a little girl shouldn’t have. Who was she? “My mama ain’t gonna marry you.” Giving him a sweeping look from head to foot she shook her head as if she felt sorry for him. Sorry for him. No one felt sorry for him. “You might as well just turn around and go home.” “Angel Flower! What have I told you about using proper grammar?” Nadir had no idea where the voice of the grown woman admonishing the little girl was coming from. He couldn’t take his eyes off the fascinating child in front of him who was currently rolling her eyes. “Pardon me. My mother isn’t going to marry, so I am afraid your trip to my house is a big, fat bust!” To emphasize her point, she raised her little chin even higher while also raising a brow as well as any fifty-year-old man. Laughter bubbled up from somewhere deep inside Nadir’s gut. It started out rusty, like an old pipe suddenly flooded with a rush a water after laying dry for about a decade. Soon peals of pure, unadulterated mirth filled his body, echoing across the courtyard.

    Now, I’m in the fight of my life to win over the woman who owns my soul. ~ Finn BlackThe face of an angel…The heart of a saint…One look, one smile, and I didn’t stand a chance. The instant my eyes landed on Presley Chambers, I was a goner. She was a force of nature that turned my world upside down. Sweet, sassy, and sexy as hell, she brought me to my knees. But she isn’t just any woman, she’s a gift, she’s a goddess, she’s my disease… and I’ll fight like hell to erase her fears. Sometimes fate has other plans. Now our future is in her hands. I can only hope she’ll give us the chance we both deserve.The idea that someone could possess me was insane… until I met Finn Black.~ Presley ChambersThe face of Adonis…The heart of a hero…Finn Black infiltrated my safe world the minute he breathed my name. He broke down my barriers and convinced me to take a chance. For the first time ever, I was living my life with a man who promised me a future only dreams are made of. Sometimes the line between love and longing are tested. He’s asked me to trust him, to trust us, but the fear of losing him became too much.Now I must decide if I’m willing to take a leap of faith, and hope he’ll be there to catch me.

    He’s never been a believer in love at first sight, but that was before he met his new neighbor, Emma. He sets his sights on finding out more about her and discovers that she has a daughter. When a case he’s working overlaps with Emma’s past, his first priority is keeping her and her daughter safe. The more time he spends with them, the more he realizes his heart is already on the line. Emma Parsons just got out of a marriage that ended…badly. The last thing she’s looking for is a new man, but she starts to wonder if she can just use her sexy neighbor to scratch her proverbial itch. Then her past comes calling and Jason risks everything to protect her and Mia. Emma soon discovers that her heart has been involved for far too long. Will love truly find a way? What if neither of them is looking for it? Bourne to Love Emma is a full-length, standalone novel of more than 71k words. Author note: This book contains graphic language, sex, and violence. Mature readers only. PPS: MacKenzie K. Paxton believes in true love, fidelity and Happily Ever After and these beliefs are apparent in her novels.

    She was irresistible. Still is. Quinn is the one I never saw coming. She’s so trusting—running into my arms as soon as I get home. Now she’s my wife, and I haven’t stopped watching her. I can’t. My line of work makes it dangerous to be involved with me, much less married to me.But she doesn’t know that part of my life, and I never intend to show her my ugly side. The problem is, no matter how carefully I treat her, my dark side tries to come out. It’s not enough to watch her anymore. I have to control her, to put my hands on her, to make her whimper and call my name.I stop myself. At least, I try to. Until she pushes for more. More of me, more of the darkness that I’ve been concealing from her. It’s like she wants all of me, not just the parts I’ve let her see.When danger comes knocking at our door, I can’t hide my true self any longer. But when she sees what I’m capable of, will she still run into my open arms?MINK's Note: Get your kitty and your cocoa for this sweet tale of unconditional love.

    Her escape to the remote town is a desperate effort to leave her unhappy past behind and start anew. But the hardships of the Old West throw her for a loop until a handsome gambler shows her the West through his eyes.Benton “Rand” Randall leaves the corporate rat race to find anonymity in Way Out West. What he finds is a breath of fresh air in a sassy saloon girl who warms his frozen heart. But his past catches up when a vengeance-seeking former employee threatens everything he values, including the town and Callie.Will he lose Callie if he exposes his identity to save the town and his corporate empire? Can she love a man she knows only as a gambler?Winner of the New Jersey Romance Writers’ Golden Leaf Award.