I couldn’t guarantee I’d be off the streets yet; in fact, I was sure I had more nights on park benches and behind Dumpsters ahead of me. But at least I’d get see my little girl again. I’d get to make new memories with her.It was on my way to my daughter that I met Adrian. A straitlaced history teacher who, according to his brother, had a habit of rescuing strays. Not that I bought the nice-guy act. Well, at first. His kind grins made me react weirdly. I felt it in my chest. This story takes place in Cara Dee’s Camassia Cove Universe, a fictional town where all books stand on their own, unless otherwise stated, and the reader can jump in wherever they want.

    Complete opposites intent not to yield, determined not to feel, but incapable of stopping their destiny. Then the past resurfaces with the intent to ruin everything. Is learning to love again worth the risk? After all, a life without love isn't a life worth living.

    He doesn’t like strangers, and he doesn’t like leaving his sanctuary. Now I’m trapped here with him until the snow melts.  I see him looking at me. He tries to hide behind a gruff exterior, but I see the longing and the heat burning in his eyes. I know he wants me, and I can’t resist him. I want to feel those big, rough hands all over my body. But once he’s unleashed his raw, barely tried desire on me, will I be able to leave my mountain man behind, or will he make me his? Warning: The Smith Brothers are not just identical twins, they’re big, burly, bearded, insanely hot mountain men. They’re also sweet, and very, very dirty. Did I mention dirty?

     I don’t have time to manage all the complications that come with relationships. And I sure as hell have no desire for any kind of commitment. My life is fairly uncomplicated, exactly the way I want it...until complicated literally stumbles my way. Britain Lancaster. Clumsy, plain, inexperienced, and the type of woman I tend to avoid. Unfortunately for me the universe seems to put her on my path around every corner, forcing me to notice her. To look at her. To really...see her. Pretty soon the universe no longer has to go through all the trouble sending her my way since I find myself looking for her, wanting to get to know her. And the more time I spend with her the more I realize that she’s everything I’m not. Pure, beautiful, innocent...corruptible. Now I can’t get her out of my head. I want her in ways that could ruin her, taint her, break her, and I can only hope she’s strong enough to survive this. To survive me.

    She decides to take the biggest risk of her life and move to Charlotte's Cove, the small seaside sanctuary where she’s vacationed every summer since childhood.Everything falls perfectly into place until her first day of work, where she meets her new boss Tyler Jameson, the chief of police. The chemistry between Ashley and Tyler is instant and powerful, but for reasons of their own, both are cautious about jumping in.When a woman from Tyler’s past surfaces, Ashley retreats, making Tyler realize that if he’s going to show Ashley she’s the only one who has his attention, then he needs to stop being hesitant and put everything on the line.Is the badge powerful enough to win the beauty who holds his heart?

    When business turns in a direction Grant isn’t willing to follow he decides to retire and by all appearances he settles down in a nowhere town called Durstrand. But his real plan is to wait a few years and let the FBI lose interest, then move on to the distant coastal life he’s always dreamed of. Severely autistic, Morgan cannot look people in the eye, tell left from right, and has uncontrolled tics. Yet he’s beaten every obstacle life has thrown his way. And when Grant Kessler moves into town Morgan isn’t a bit shy in letting the man know how much he wants him. While the attraction is mutual, Grant pushes Morgan away. Like the rest of the world he can’t see past Morgan’s odd behaviors Then Morgan shows Grant how light lets you see but it also leaves you blind. And once Grant opens his eyes, he loses his heart to the beautiful enigma of a man who changes the course of his life.

    The fact that Shane's in the military and away for long periods helps—but when tragedy strikes, everything changes.After Rachel, pregnant with her fourth child, dies in a car accident and the baby miraculously survives, Kate upends her entire life to share parenting duties. Then on the first anniversary of Rachel's death, Kate and Shane take comfort in each other in a night that they both soon regret.Shane's been angry for a year, and now he feels guilty too—for sleeping with his wife's best friend and liking it... liking her. Kate's ability to read him like a book may have once sent Shane running, but their lives are forever entwined and they are growing closer.Now with Shane deployed for seven months, Kate is on her own and struggling with being a single parent. Shane is loving and supportive from thousands of miles away, but his homecoming brings a betrayal Kate never saw coming. So Kate's only choice is to fight for the future she deserves—with or without Shane...

    But after taking a bullet in the line of duty almost destroys everything he’s worked for, he’s not in the mood to play nice or to look after some pampered rich girl at her daddy’s request. There’s only one woman he wants by his side…the sweet angel who saved his life. But this Christmas, heaven might be a little closer than one grumpy detective could ever believe… Don’t miss these other fantastic holiday stories! — The Barbarian Before Christmas by Ruby Dixon The Last Christmas Present by Ella Goode Home For Christmas by Alexa Riley All He Wants For Christmas by Kati Wilde

    I know what I look like to others. Young, government-aided, pregnant mom. They see Lucy on my hip, and they see a mistake. I mean, why else would someone have a child so young, right? They couldn’t be more wrong. I’m too busy most days between parenting, work, and finishing up my last year of nursing school to let their judging gaze tear me down until he moves in the vacant house next to the apartments I live in. His cold, blunt observation of us doesn’t differ from any other stranger. He doesn’t know me, but he’s already painting a picture of who he thinks I am in his mind. He judges my very round belly, Lucy’s inability to leave him alone, the bags under my eyes, and the fact that I could not care less what I look like anymore. He’s a rude guy. Stays that way for months too. Then something happens, I’m not even sure what. Judgmental Guy decides Lucy and me — as well as baby Eli — are worth his friendship. Turns out, Judgmental Guy isn’t too mean — okay, he kind of still is. But he graduates to Elijah. I build an unlikely friendship with him which deems it necessary for him to start smiling around me and my kids. I’m wrong again. Elijah isn’t rude. He’s terrifying. His strange acts of kindness are unraveling me. Elijah is only my friend. Right? Oh, fudge. I think I’m wrong. Again.

    – I am writing to express my gratitude for your gift. There are no sufficient words, but please accept my sincerest thank you. Yours, R. She writes me back. I didn’t expect that. She tells me she’s a lover of chicken pizza and video games, a hot sorority girl with the nickname Sloth. She wants to know something about me in return. She says I owe her. This is how she saves my life. She doesn’t even know it. We’ve never even seen each other. But I need a reason. Just one reason to continue. She becomes mine.The anonymity is good. She doesn’t need to know me, but I need her kindness. We both live our lives: a letter here, a post card there. For three years, I escape my demons. And then one day I’m pulled back in. I’ve resigned myself to what I know is coming. Until the girl I’m spanking gives her safe word: Sloth. And then the lie I’m living starts to unravel. --Sloth is a 500-page, 150,000-word stand alone novel with many twists, one huge secret, and a non-cliffhanger ending. It will wreck you, but you'll like it. BTW: Part of the fun of reading this book is trying to guess the secret. I would appreciate it if you could avoid spoilers in reviews and review headlines, so others will be able to enjoy the guessing game.*Sloth is part of a collection of stand-alones inspired by a sin, and centered around a terrible secret. The second stand-alone, My Heart for Yours, is inspired by the sin of murder, and is the story of Kellan's oldest brother, Barrett Drake. It's free via Kindle Unlimited and also for sale here in the Kindle Store.*This book was updated and re-edited in fall 2017, and now includes a bonus story.

    Yet, she survived each torture session with single-minded determination, but human flesh has its limits. She knew her time was running short.Jacob King led a privately funded black ops group into that Afghani village to gather intelligence. He didn’t expect to find an American woman. He admired her brave humor in the face of her agonizing injuries. This kind of tough-minded woman was someone Jacob wanted to know, so he asked her for a date…same time, next year.He checked out of the hospital against medical orders to make that date. The bullet wound he nursed wasn’t going to stop him from meeting the woman who’d haunted his memory. The leggy, blond, bombshell in the red dress who showed up for their date blew his mind. Bullet wounds and battle scars were something Victoria knew how to recover from, and she had just the place for this sexy-as-sin southerner to rehab. Time, proximity and their natural attraction blossomed into something neither expected.In a world of shadows, deceit and dangerous covert missions, where people in Jacob’s line of work routinely vanish and living one more day is never a given, Jacob and his men disappear on a mission to rescue another team. To save Jacob and the men of Guardian, Victoria walks back into the profession that nearly killed her, but this time she was playing by her rules.

    Hate. Love. Lies.Which four letter word will change their lives forever?Sydney Paige was never so mortified to hear the words "wrong number" in her life. She meant to tell off the guy who broke her best friend's heart but unleashed her anger on a perfect stranger instead. And now her world is turned upside down by the captivating man who wants to keep her on the line.Brian Savage is living a life he's quickly come to hate-until Sydney's wild rant has him hooked and hungry for more. Soon the sexy woman on the phone becomes the lover in his bed. But Brian has secrets, and the closer he lets Syd get, the harder it is to shield her from the devastating mistakes of his past . . .

    They put the bad in badass because, well… it’s their job.Navy SEAL Maverick Hart has everything. Women want him. Grown men idolize him. Little boys want to grow up and be like him. The job, the glory — it’s all his. Not because it’s handed to him… because he works hard for it. The second his sights lock on something, he owns it — or destroys it. Unfortunately he does both at the same time. Windsor Forbes only takes calculated risks in her profession and in her personal life. After being left at the altar by the only person she’s ever loved, the very last thing she’s looking for is a relationship — especially the insane brand an arrogant Navy SEAL is offering. Hesitant, yet trusting to a fault, she gives in. She knew she shouldn’t take the chance, especially a second time, but love is irrational and their love is perfect, infallible. Or so she thought…The downfall to having everything is you have that much more to lose. A man like Maverick can’t have it all without something slipping out of grasp. Crazy people perish for love. Good people live for it. Love doesn’t die. No matter how many bullets you put in it. *Due to sexual content and graphic language this book is intended for readers 18+.*

    A pretty face, top-notch skills, and hard work mean nothing if your dowry doesn’t include fertile lands. With her twenty-fifth birthday approaching, and no suitors even remotely sniffing in her general direction, Susan will be forced to leave the family lands to work as an indentured servant in the capital city. Her only way out is to settle for an arranged marriage through the PMA – the Prime Mating Agency. She just never expected to be paired to a grumpy, massive lizardman, and above all not to grow so fond of his scales and quirky ways.With everything going on, the last thing Olix needs is a mate, especially a squishy, scaleless, off-worlder with strange ways, and an obsession with farming. He is a Hunter, not a dirt digger. The Seer must have been mistaken when she insisted that, for the sake of the people, he take a mate from the stars. How can such a tiny thing be their salvation? And yet, his Susan’s softness is disturbingly addictive while hiding a surprising resilience.With his ancestral lands on the line and the future of the clans threatened, could this wisp of a woman turn their fate around?

    Savage in the bedroom.Powerful. Brutal. Mixed Martial Artist, Ryland “The Savage” Cole doesn’t play by the rules. He wants it. He takes it. And he wants Jade. Professional cuddler Jade has not only been hurt but also deceived by the one she once loved. She’s not going to make a mistake again by giving her heart to a man. Especially since she’s now free. When a motorcycle club threatens her best friend, she puts her life on the line in order to save him, but in order to do that, she must spend every night in Ryland’s arms. Longer synopsis(Paperback): A woman with an extremely odd job attracts all kinds of trouble.Jade’s career choice is unusual. She gets close to her clients for a living—super close—as in, she snuggles in bed with strangers. Professional cuddling isn’t the first job she chooses after getting her degree, but with her tainted record, it’s the first job she finds that’s lucrative. She has been knocked down and set up by guys in her past, but she pops right back up, determined to fight to survive.A playboy MMA fighter on his last tour needs no distractions.The moment Ryland “Savage” Cole lays eyes on knockout Jade, he knows he has to have her. His unexpected attraction is an unwelcome surprise, because he’s vowed to stay away from distractions during his final run, but he wants her. What the Savage wants, he gets. At any cost.When these two souls face off in their own octagon, the sparks cannot be denied.Forced to sign a contract and join Ryland’s team, she becomes his personal bed warmer for her own safety. Jade tries to keep their close contact platonic, but her body betrays her. As in any fight, Ryland doesn’t hold back, using everything he has to win.With the past catching up with her, danger closes in.Fighting to guard her heart and protect them both from her past, Jade is no match for Ryland, who wrestles her into a corner, smashes all her mental walls, and bares her deepest desires. If she submits completely, both their lives could be thrown into peril.