Everyone thought Jessie Benedict's impending marriage to Sam Hatchard was a great arrangement - everyone, that is, but Jessie herself. Was she the only one who could see that Hatchard, her powerful father's protege, had a scheming ulterior motive in marrying her? He was more than just a chip off the old workaholic's block - he was positively lusting after Jessie's inheritance to build his own business empire!

A con artist and seductress, Meredith Spooner lived fast—and died young. But her final scam—embezzling more than a million dollars from a college endowment fund—is coming back to haunt Leonora Hutton. The tainted money is stashed away in an offshore account for Leonora. And while she wants nothing to do with the cash, she discovers two other items in the safe-deposit box: a book about Mirror House—the place where Meredith engineered her final deception and a set of newspaper stories about an unsolved murder that occurred there thirty years ago.

Venetia Milton's memories of a romantic night with Gabriel Jones—an alchemist's descendant—are shattered soon thereafter by news of his death. Adopting the guise of his respectable widow, she embarks on a new career as a fashionable photographer in London, where her unique ability to "see" beyond her subjects makes her photographs highly prized. But Venetia's romantic whim causes unexpected trouble.

Zoe Luce is a successful interior designer in the Arizona town of Whispering Springs who's developed an unusual career specialty—helping recently divorced clients redesign their homes, to help them forget the past and start anew. But Zoe knows that some things can't be covered up with a coat of paint. And when she senses that one of her clients may be hiding a dark secret, she enlists PI Ethan Truax to find the truth.

Unconventional Molly Abberwick, trustee of her late father's scientific foundation, is mad enough to fire her new consultant, Dr. Harry Trevelyan. A brilliant expert on new inventions, the handsome Harry irritates Molly to no end with his preposterous insistence that they have an affair - and that it could be planned, predicted, and run like a science project.

When the handsome, wealthy Max Fortune, art collector extraordinaire, inherits five paintings at the death of his long-time friend and benefactor, he expects to receive them. Instead, his benefactor leaves only a clue to their whereabouts in a cryptic note which reads, "The most precious things I leave you, you'll find at the Robbins' Nest Inn".

Shy, studious Irene Stenson and wild, privileged Pamela Webb had been the best of friends for one short high school summer. Their friendship ended the night Pamela dropped Irene off at home - and Irene walked in to discover her parents' bodies on the kitchen floor. It was ruled a murder-suicide, and Irene fled Dunsley, determined to wipe out every memory attached to her Northern California hometown. But now she has been summoned back.

There was no passion to break her heart, no love to risk and lose. Marrying her boss, prominent businessman Cormick Grayson, was a very reasonable proposition for a woman who'd been hurt in love before. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement. At first. But something wasn't right. Gray's eyes told her there was more to this than a polite, passionless marriage. But Gray's cool, impersonal distance left Amber wondering about the man she'd married. Amber never imagined she'd be the one demanding more, yearning to feel things she vowed she would never risk again.

Witt's End is in trouble. The small town of artists is at risk of disappearing from the map if Serenity Makepeace can't expand her small grocery store into a mail order enterprise to sell her neighbors' handcrafted goods. High-priced start-up advisor Caleb Ventress was intrigued by Serenity's impassioned letter. A small town grocer wasn't high profile enough for him, but her request earned her a meeting. And Calebs' attraction to her earned her a few more.

When Desdemona Wainwright tries to collect a much-needed payment for catering Sam Stark's canceled wedding reception, she encounters not a heartbroken suitor, but the steel-willed head of a multimillion-dollar consulting firm with the cold brain of a computer - and the finely hewn body of a medieval knight.

Eugenia Swift is a young woman of singular sensibilities, a connoisseur of beauty. As the director of the Leabrook Glass Museum, she's been asked to travel to Frog Cove Island - an artistic haven near Seattle - to catalog an important collection of art glass belonging to the late Adams Daventry. But thanks to unsavory rumors surrounding Daventry's death, the museum insists that Eugenia take along Cyrus Chandler Colfax - a rough-hewn private investigator whose taste in glass runs to icy cold bottles filled with beer.

Annie Lyncroft knew her scheme was outrageous. She'd come to the elegant penthouse to meet Oliver Rain, the richest and possibly the most dangerous man in the Pacific Northwest. Annie needed this sensual, secretive corporate maverick for what she was about to propose. Marriage! With her brother Danny missing after a mysterious plane crash, Annie is struggling to protect his hot electronics company from the sharks who think he's not coming back.

A decade of working for the high-powered Gilchrist family empire has made sassy Katy Wade determined to open her own business. But there's one last problem she must solve before she can leave. The Gilchrists need an heir apparent to save their mysteriously floundering fortunes, and there's only one man for the job: Luke Gilchrist. All his life the Gilchrists have made Luke pay for his father's scandal, and now he's a renegade who's sworn he'll never go home - except to get even.

When Amy Shannon enters The Serpent, a seedy island bar, she immediately catches the eye of Jase Lassiter. He knows she doesn't belong in his little hole in the wall, but he will do whatever it takes to keep her there.

Cloistered as a faculty member at a small college, beautiful Hannah Jessett can almost forget her family heritage. Few know she's the niece of Elizabeth Nord, the legendary anthropologist who stunned the world with her revolutionary work, until her aunt dies, leaving Hannah in sole possession of her priceless unpublished journals.

Mystery writer Kimberly Sawyer lives alone and likes it that way. But when she is threatened by a hooded figure, and a blood-red rose with a needle thrust into its heart is left on her doorstep, she knows she needs protection. So it seems like perfect timing when Napa Valley vineyard owner Darius Cavenaugh returns to Kimberly's life, offering help and a place to stay. But how did he know she needed him? Was it the deep, intuitive intimacy of a soulmate... or was it witchcraft?

Facing crises of career and heart, two of the most powerful corporate figures in the Northwest are now borne by the currents of fate to the same small Washington town, and to their respective shops - a bookstore for Charity and a small curiosity shop for Elias. As Charity and Elias begin a cautious exploration of each other's pasts, hidden agendas, and libidos, they discover one thing they definitely have in common: a martial arts master, he's a novice at relationships; a formidable executive, she's starting in the mailroom when it comes to love.

Was it her biker boots, her belligerent blue jeans...or her mean left hook? Jason Halloran never knew what hit him. But just as his perfectly predictable life seemed to be going nowhere, sassy, street-smart Dana Roberts began driving him up a wall! Dana Roberts had been on her own since age sixteen, and she intended to keep it that way. The last thing she wanted was some sexy, rich corporate VP playing Prince Charming and making her his helpless Cinderella. But what would she do if the shoe fit?

With her fallen-angel smile, Serena Jameson looked like a cross between a temptress and a teenager, but she could be gently ruthless when it came to getting Brian Ashford to make his move! The handsome industrialist was determined to play Galahad and protect her from danger--in the form of rakish playboy Joshua Long. But when Serena pleaded with Brian to teach her how to seduce a man, she ignited a primitive heat that shattered his control…and hers.

Amaryllis Lark is one of the best psychic detectives on St. Helen's, the Earth colony recently cut off from the mother planet, yet not so very different from home. Lucas Trent, the rugged head of Lodestar Exploration, isn't keen on the prim type - and from her crisp business suit to her cool evaluation of his request to bust a corporate thief, beautiful Amaryllis is excruciatingly proper. But when a bold hunch heats up into a twisting murder investigation, by-the-book Amaryllis must let her guard down and break some rules.

This Christmas, Emily Merkle (call her Mrs. Miracle!) is working in the toy department at Finley’s, the last family-owned department store in New York City. And her boss is none other than…Jake Finley, the owner’s son. For Jake, holiday memories of brightly wrapped gifts, decorated trees and family were destroyed in a Christmas Eve tragedy years before. Now Christmas means just one thing to him - and to his father. Profit.

Mollie Lavender just moved to Palm Beach to start a public-relations business, and things are going swimmingly. So far her clients include a dog, a 90-year-old ventriloquist, and a grumpy astronaut. But when she runs into hard-hitting reporter Jeremiah Tabak, she learns that even a decade isn't enough time to heal a broken heart.

Liv Carmichael wants to make her name in television journalism, and Washington, D.C., is the perfect place to do it as co-anchor of the local evening news. T.C. Thorpe is the network's senior Washington correspondent - and Liv's biggest competition. If Liv wants a share of his turf, she's going to have to fight for it. And when they fall hard for each other, they'll have to protect their love from their own rivalry - and the hazards of their celebrity.

Idealistic good girl Madelyn Grayson believes in doing what's right. Even as a high-powered executive in the mad world of advertising, she doesn' t cut corners, making her ad campaigns sizzle without having to burn anyone along the way. Rival exec Zack Douglas never wastes an opportunity to land the next big deal - especially when it benefits him. A bad boy with a reputation to match, he has no qualms about doing whatever it takes to get ahead, no matter who gets in the way.

Michael Lassiter, a theoretical design executive, is about to wage war on the corporate battlefield as she fights to maintain control of her company in the midst of divorce. She hires JT Sloan, an Internet security consultant, to protect her most important asset - her dreams and visions, which are suddenly vulnerable within the corporate computer system. Sloan, a brilliant cybersleuth who steadfastly avoids emotional commitments, shares a painful, secret past with her associate and friend, Jason McBride.

Back in their college days, Gretchen Wise had been engaged to a top law student. Carol Furness, head cheerleader, had said yes to the school’s football hero. And Maddie Cobain was the girl who’d fallen for a professor. Now the three of them gather around a popular fountain on the college grounds. This fountain was where lovers met, where promises were made...and broken. So it’s fitting that Gretchen, Carol and Maddie sit here to share their stories of betrayal and, yes, revenge.

Maggie O'Shea knows that because of her dark past, there's no place for love in her life. She owns a successful store in Philadelphia, where she uses her special gifts to help the people she meets. Though this doesn't fulfill her, she is content. Most of the time.

In this first ever short story collection, New York Times bestselling author Francis Ray takes us on five steamy, sexy adventures. From a timid, dowdy duckling who turns into a confident, sexy swan which sends her into the arms of a handsome artist; to a bridesmaid’s explosive encounter with the best man; to an unproven actress who is being wooed to the stage by a handsome Broadway director.

Mr. December: Duncan Patrick, CEO Scrooge. A powerful businessman, Duncan didn't like ultimatums, unless he was making them. But the board demanded his public image change. When he encountered sweet kindergarten teacher Annie McCoy, he knew she'd make him look like a perfect angel, though it would take some devilish manipulation.

Can love survive the ultimate test? Brett Rutland, Carter Engineering's top troubleshooter, is sent to the L.A. office to crack a case of embezzlement. Brett's a hard man, so it hit him like a sledgehammer when he fell in love with Tessa Conway. Half the men in the office had been in love with her for years, but Brett was the first she'd loved in return. Their love is perfect, too perfect to last. And when Brett discovers the identity of the embezzler, his whole world is about to come crashing down.

Mystery writer Kimberly Sawyer lives alone and likes it that way. But when she is threatened by a hooded figure, and a blood-red rose with a needle thrust into its heart is left on her doorstep, she knows she needs protection. So it seems like perfect timing when Napa Valley vineyard owner Darius Cavenaugh returns to Kimberly's life, offering help and a place to stay. But how did he know she needed him? Was it the deep, intuitive intimacy of a soulmate... or was it witchcraft?

Jonas Quarrel has tracked Verity from Mexico to Northern California. Just what is he after? Verity Ames finds herself fighting an attraction to Jonas from the moment he knocks on the door of the No Bull Cafe. He seems far too good to be true. Together they will discover a shared passion and a shared danger.

Unwilling to force her live-in love Case McCord into a proposal of marriage, a pregnant Pru Kenyon decides to walk away from the man she loves, not telling him that she is expecting his baby. But she never bargained for how much Case is willing to do for love.

Everyone thought Jessie Benedict's impending marriage to Sam Hatchard was a great arrangement - everyone, that is, but Jessie herself. Was she the only one who could see that Hatchard, her powerful father's protege, had a scheming ulterior motive in marrying her? He was more than just a chip off the old workaholic's block - he was positively lusting after Jessie's inheritance to build his own business empire!

There was no passion to break her heart, no love to risk and lose. Marrying her boss, prominent businessman Cormick Grayson, was a very reasonable proposition for a woman who'd been hurt in love before. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement. At first. But something wasn't right. Gray's eyes told her there was more to this than a polite, passionless marriage. But Gray's cool, impersonal distance left Amber wondering about the man she'd married. Amber never imagined she'd be the one demanding more, yearning to feel things she vowed she would never risk again.

Midwestern librarian Letitia Thornquist didn't have the right stuff to run Thornquist Gear, Inc. That was the opinion of Joel Blackstone, the seasoned CEO who had built the small Seattle sporting goods store into an industry giant. But Letty's Uncle Charlie willed her the company, and now she was bubbling with enthusiasm to have Joel, a perfect mentor, show her the ropes. Teaching her the business was all Joel grudgingly planned to do... until the sensuous curves under Letty's navy suit and the unabashed desire in her wide, innocent eyes left him longing for a personal kind of merger.

A red-hot, suspenseful novel about a free-spirited dream researcher - and the gorgeous man who brings her dreams to life. When a dream researcher and a government agent meet, a waking nightmare begins. A suspicious hit-and-run leads them into a perilous web of passion, betrayal, and murder.

Cloistered as a faculty member at a small college, beautiful Hannah Jessett can almost forget her family heritage. Few know she's the niece of Elizabeth Nord, the legendary anthropologist who stunned the world with her revolutionary work, until her aunt dies, leaving Hannah in sole possession of her priceless unpublished journals.

Anne Silver's brother had been working to expose a clever ring of swindlers when he was struck down by a car, a clear case of attempted murder. Now Anne's determined to finish what her brother started.

Eugenia Swift is a young woman of singular sensibilities, a connoisseur of beauty. As the director of the Leabrook Glass Museum, she's been asked to travel to Frog Cove Island - an artistic haven near Seattle - to catalog an important collection of art glass belonging to the late Adams Daventry. But thanks to unsavory rumors surrounding Daventry's death, the museum insists that Eugenia take along Cyrus Chandler Colfax - a rough-hewn private investigator whose taste in glass runs to icy cold bottles filled with beer.

Shy, studious Irene Stenson and wild, privileged Pamela Webb had been the best of friends for one short high school summer. Their friendship ended the night Pamela dropped Irene off at home - and Irene walked in to discover her parents' bodies on the kitchen floor. It was ruled a murder-suicide, and Irene fled Dunsley, determined to wipe out every memory attached to her Northern California hometown. But now she has been summoned back.

Cole Stockton had a will of steel and a raw determination to go after what he wanted, including Kelsey Murdock. He'd invaded her life, assaulting her with his sensuality, tempting her to be reckless.