Sheer attractionAfter Olivia Lockhart finds her boyfriend and now ex-roommate in a compromising position, she swears off gorgeous men for good. They seem interested in only one thing–and it isn't commitment! But when sexy photographer Justin Hawthorne saunters into her lingerie company's office, she wonders if her decision wasn't just a little too hasty. Could this heartbreaker with a megawatt smile actually be more than she bargained for?Sheer willpowerForced to work together on a racy swimsuit shoot, Justin is clueless why exotic Olivia's ice-queen act is directed squarely at him. But he's willing to put his pride on the line if it means getting close enough to melt her steely self-control. He may not be looking for happily-ever-after, but who said a hot little fling couldn't be sheer decadence…?
She wanted a temporary arrangement…Piper Jamieson needs a man. And not just any man. She needs someone to play her significant other when she heads home for her family reunion. Thanks to a self-imposed period of celibacy, she has no prospects…except for her sexy best friend, Josh Weber. \ Since there's nothing between them, kissing him will be a breeze, right?But he wanted her permanently!Spending an entire weekend with Piper sounds perfect to Josh…ifs the whole family thing that doesn't. Lately his dates haven't been as exciting as they used to be, and he knows why. His best friend's been on his mind–day and night. But Piper has made it clear she's not looking for a relationship. Luckily he's hers for the weekend, and he has three full nights to change her mind!
Hmm…give me something tall, dark and full-bodiedSheryl Dayton needs two cups of high-octane java to fuel her from morning-face-and-hair to PR Executive chic–not to mention an endless supply to keep her psyched around her boss, who just happens to be her ex-boyfriend. Ugh! But all that caffeine never keeps her up nights. Her love life is guaranteed to make her snore.Until now, that is.Enter Nathan Hall. The investigative journalist is digging for dirt on her workplace, and Sheryl's busy doing damage control. But the cynical, wisecracking, dangerously sexy Nathan is like a jolt of espresso to her once-snoozing libido. Just the thought of Nathan has Sheryl losing sleep. And after one taste of him, suddenly every other guy seems like decaf.
"There's no way I would have ever imagined swapping datinghorror stories with my mother-in-law. But life is now officially very, very weird."In Eleven Short Months Charlotte Smith Has:A. Become a widow too soonB. Had her job transferred out of stateC. Driven over 1500 miles with two cranky kidsD. Moved in with her mother-in-law, Rose Fiorello Smith (a cross between Mary Poppins and Napoleon)For Charlotte aka Charlie, dealing with bumps in the road is a fact of life lately. Maybe it's time she made Rose realize that embracing change isn't about waving goodbye, but saying hello to a life where limits are for sissies…and a new beginning is only a new hairdo away.
HER CHRISTMAS WISHThe last thing rodeo cowboy Daniel Baron needs is a commitment. After a lifetime of feeling like an outsider among his larger-than-life stepfamily at Roughneck Ranch, Daniel is ready to leave the ring–and Texas–behind forever. Except he can't stop thinking about the woman he just met–beautiful, bighearted…and pregnant. Of course Nicole Bennett is attracted to strong, sweet Daniel–he's pretty much perfect. But he made it clear that he doesn't want a family, the one thing Nicole's dreamed of her whole life. Now, just as that dream is coming true, Nicole could lose the only man she wants to share it with…unless Daniel can find the courage to open his heart.
Instant motherhood felt a lot like being under house arrest…When a corporate oversight lands her new husband in jail, Kate St. James feels as if she's the one being sentenced. True, her ritzy new home in the suburbs looks nothing like the Big House. But for a woman barely able to keep her tropical fish afloat, Kate's not expecting time off for good behavior when she becomes an instant mother to her husband's two children!Still, somewhere between dealing with a burned bake sale project, PTA meetings and preteen dating, Kate realizes she's never felt so free. Because being a good mother isn't about being perfect. It's about being there. For the kids, her husband…and herself.
People who knew Treble James called her Trouble. Although she'd returned to Joyous, Tennessee, to help her sister through a rough pregnancy, the townsfolk expected their former wild child to get bored and run back to Atlanta long before the baby was born.Even the town's new doctor was worried Treble's antics would upset not only the mother-to-be, but her ailing stepfather. Keith Caldwell might be handsome and worldly, but he loved the quiet town of Joyous precisely because it was safe and predictable. And after what he'd been through, he wanted to keep it that way.Keith starts to change his opinion on the benefits of peace and quiet when things heat up between him and Treble. But is the big-city girl going to leave him in the lurch, or will she stay in her former hometown and put the 'joy' back into Keith's life?
Fast Fiction Romantic – short stories with a Happy Ever AfterAll Meg Nichols needed to prove herself as an event planner was for this weekend's society wedding in the Texas Hill Country to go smoothly. Then things started to go wrong. The maid of honor's tan turned a very unnatural shade of orange. The best man had a skiing accident and broke his leg. And his replacement was none other than her ex-boyfriend!
You DON'T PICK YOUR FAMILY, BUT YOU CAN LOVE THEM.Somebody ought to pinch Neely Mason. An all-around-perfect man has asked her to marry him. Suddenly the sister voted most likely to become the resident «crazy neighborhood cat lady» is tying the knot at forty-five.Now the hard part. Neely has to tell her cheerfully opinionated (read: outrageous) family the news. Soon Mom is issuing matrimonial orders like a wedding planner on steroids, baby sis, Vidalia, is actually making sense for once and normally chipper Savannah seems so lost.Can the Mason sisters pull through this wedding and still keep their fragile bond intact? Because one thing's for sure, when it comes to family, crazy is a relative term.
How to cook up the perfect seductionTake 1 twentysomething chef (brown hair, small cup-size), freshly plucked from a stale relationship and very dubious about her own powers of attraction (Miriam Scott, for example). Reserve.Stir 1 yummy, tall and handsome man gently on low, being careful not to bring to a boil (Dylan Kincaid, if available).Chefs Tip: Too vigorous use of the spatula must be avoided. Save it for working out your upper arm–and hostilities, too!Take reserved girl and season with a dash of confidence and a generous pinch of attitude to taste.Just before serving, garnish with a sleek new hairstyle, fab wardrobe and dust lightly with makeup. (Chefs Tip: For best results, do not overdo!)