D J Emrich

I’m a no-nonsense man. As the head of a business empire, I have to be. I’m logical, cut-throat, and don’t believe in cheesy things like marriage and happy ever afters. But when my best friend asks me to be Best Man, I can't say no. En route to the wedding, I get stuck at the airport when my flight is delayed, and this obnoxious woman sits next to me. Not only does she keep drinking champagne even though she obviously can’t hold her liquor, but she seems determined to push every single one of my buttons.

How can you promise someone forever? The simple truth is that you can’t. At least that’s what I always thought. Until I met Amelia Ryder. It was a chance encounter. We were meant to go our separate ways and never see each other again. So you can imagine my surprise when the woman I haven’t been able to stop thinking about turns up at my office two days after I sent her home—as my new secretary. And things are about to get a lot more complicated than either of us expected.

There are two types of secrets in life: the ones we choose to hide from others and those we choose to hide from ourselves. Secrets reveal themselves eventually. Hearts heal, but sometimes, they're forced to break... again.

Reese Turmel has sworn off women. Commitment wasn’t something he was willing to consider again after his wife cheated on him while he was on deployment. However, not even a man as jaded as the former SEAL could deny the instant attraction that sizzled to life the first time he walked into Treats Bakery and saw the beautiful woman behind the counter—and he tried.

They say your first kiss should be earned. Mine was stolen by a devil in a masquerade mask under the black Chicago sky. They say the vows you take on your wedding day are sacred. Mine were broken before we left church. They say your heart only beats for one man. Mine split and bled for two rivals who fought for it until the bitter end. I was promised to Angelo Bandini, the heir to one of the most powerful families in the Chicago Outfit. Then taken by Senator Wolfe Keaton, who held my father’s sins over his head to force me into marriage.

Aiden Stone is a six-foot-two former Marine with a permanent scowl, dark hair, and dreamy blue eyes. He’s the oldest of the Stone brothers, and his “by the book” family has battled mine for control of our small town for generations. The last thing I should do is sleep with him. Or nearly run him down with my truck. Especially since he's sort-of my new boss.

The first letter arrived the day my husband was buried. It was postmarked from the state penitentiary, and contained a single sentence: I’ll wait forever if I have to. It was signed by Dante, a man I didn’t know. Out of simple curiosity, I wrote back to ask him what exactly he was waiting for. His reply? You.