On a Wednesday afternoon, I ask Trevor Bentley to marry me. He might be the most arrogant, obnoxious man I know, but I need him to be my husband for a year. There are reasons. He's not going to be a real husband. Just part-time...I'm not going to give him my heart. I know what I'm doing, and I'm too smart to fall for my husband. I hope.

For years, Deanna's eccentric grandmother has been trying to marry her off to a rich man, and she's finally managed to do it. Deanna has spent her life trying to take care of those she loves, and a six-month marriage should be a simple enough way to keep their historic Savannah house from falling down around their heads. Sexy, obnoxious Mitchell Graves needs a wife to finalize a business deal, and he snaps up Deanna as the most expedient option. Because she's quiet, he thinks she'll be easy enough.

Three years ago, I found her drunk on my doorstep, crying over a television show that betrayed her. A year later, we were best friends. She taught me how to laugh, and she set me up on double dates. Sure, I occasionally felt an attraction to her that went far deeper than friendship, but I could pretend it wasn't important. Now she's everything to me. My life has reshaped itself around her. I'm not allowed to want her for more than my best friend. But I do anyway. I want everything from her, and fighting my heart doesn't work anymore.

First time. Second chance. Third life. My first time was with him - one hot weekend with a handsome stranger. It was supposed to be a one-time thing, but he keeps asking me to meet him all over the world, and I keep saying yes. I don't know anything about him except his first name. That's the way he likes it. He's too old for me, and he's hiding secrets, but I'm not going to be able to keep my heart out of it for long.

After too many bad decisions in romance, Emma is going on a man-fast. For the next six months, she’s fasting from men. And that includes her brother’s best friend, Noah Hart, who has just returned to their hometown. She doesn’t want Noah anyway. He might be even hotter than he was before, but he’s not a nice guy anymore. He’s made a fortune by acting ruthless in business, and the last thing he’s looking for is small-town domestic life.

We meet every other Wednesday night in a downtown hotel. No dates. No commitments. No hearts or flowers. Just his body and mine. Maybe I’m his second best. He’s definitely mine. But second best has never felt so good.

Ever since her former roommates deserted her, Meg has had to share an apartment with a lazy, obnoxious ass. He won't pick up after himself, and he refuses to get a good job. Plus, he doesn't always wear enough clothes - which is really a problem, because he's hot. Maybe he's occasionally funny. And every now and then he can be sweet. But mostly he's just annoying. It doesn't matter how much he's starting to flirt with her - Meg is going to resist. She's way too smart to fall for a guy who never takes anything seriously.

Anne has worked for her sexy, ex-surfer, businessman boss for seven years, and she's been in love with him for two. Jake doesn't think about her as anything but his ever-efficient assistant, though. She's been trying to get over her feelings by dating other men and interviewing for other jobs, which doesn't make Jake very happy. But Anne is determined not to put her life on hold for him. When she gets a new job offer, Jake will do anything he can to keep her, but he still only seems to want her as an employee.

After years of dreaming, Jessica is finally getting married, but the marriage isn't exactly what she thought. Daniel is her best friend, and she's known him all her life, but he's never gotten over losing his wife two years ago. His dream is to become the pastor of the church in their hometown, but the small-town congregation keeps balking over calling an unmarried minister. Since Daniel needs a wife and Jessica wants a husband and family, she proposes an arrangement that benefits both of them.

Raney wants to enjoy being a bridesmaid at her friend's wedding, but the best man, Justin Woodward, keeps putting a damper on her mood. He's brilliant and kind of geeky - not at all the kind of guy she's used to - but she's always been nice to him, so she can't figure out why he acts so cool and obnoxious with her. It shouldn't matter what he feels about her, but she can't stop thinking about him. So her mission for the weekend is to get Justin to like her. Her attempts don't seem to work at all.

The only woman I want is the one I can never have. Harper. My best friend’s sister. I’ve wanted her since I was eighteen, but she’s always been off-limits. Now I’m home after years in the Marines, and nothing has changed - except everything has. Her brother is dead, and she’s on a hopeless quest for answers about his death. And I want her just as much as ever. Someone is trying to kill her now, and she won’t let me keep her safe.

After growing up with an unstable father, Kate has always prided herself on her organized and well-planned life. She's secure now with a good job and an impressive boyfriend. And with Aaron, her best friend since high school. Aaron might be smart, funny, and sexy, but he has never been anything more than a friend. Kate will never risk her stable world and her closest relationship by turning the friendship into romance. But then everything changes in only one night....

Nathan Livingston has more in his life than he can handle - a high-powered job in DC politics, a 16-year-old daughter he's raising alone, and another daughter who ran away from him, whom he hasn't seen in two years. He doesn't have anything left to invest in a real relationship. A night of hot sex with Lynn every three months is as much as he'll allow himself, and it doesn't matter that it never feels like enough.

When Rachel arrives back in her hometown for the Christmas holiday, she doesn't expect to be stranded alone in an ice storm with David Harris. David is her brother's best friend, and she's known him all her life. She lost her virginity to him. And he's the one man she can never forgive. Despite all of the reasons she knows not to trust him, she finds herself falling for him again as they try to keep warm in the storm.

As the daughter of a Hollywood mogul, introverted Claire Kenyon has often been thrown into the limelight, despite her best efforts to live a quiet life. When her father receives a threat aimed at her, he surrounds her with security, and one of her bodyguards is sexy Michael Lyle, who offers Claire very close protection.