Donna Gunter

Raquel and Harrison sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes a baby in the baby carriage. That's how her brother used to sing it when we were kids - a simple ploy to get under my skin and make me stick my fist in his face - but man oh man, did he get the order wrong.

Protecting him is my duty, but falling for him could be my undoing. I’ve spent five years burying my past, leaving behind the violence and bloodshed of my former life as a Bratva enforcer. Now, I’m just Luca—the quiet guy who keeps his head down, working security for a professional hockey team. I don’t get close to anyone, and I definitely don’t let anyone get close to me. But then I’m assigned to protect Max Ryan, the team’s star defenseman, and everything changes. He's my obsession. My crush.

When River McAllister escaped from Shallow Hill, she left her innocence behind—and some of her sanity. Now, she's rebuilding her life with her dream man, and life couldn't be better.

The Manipulator. I can manipulate the emotions of anyone who lets me. I will make you hurt, make you cry, make you laugh and sigh. But my words don't affect him. Especially not when I plead for him to leave. He's always there, watching and waiting. And I can never look away. Not when I want him to come closer. The Shadow. I didn't mean to fall in love. But now that I have, I can't stay away. I'm mesmerized by her smile, by her eyes, and the way she moves. I'll keep watching and waiting. Until I can make her mine. And once she is, I'll never let her go.

Living in a year around Christmas town has its drawbacks. The caroling, the decorations, the insanely cheery spirit, it never disappears. It's why I like to hibernate away in my cave - I mean housekeeping a healthy distance from the holly jolly spirits. And all was going according to plan until my nemesis, Storee Taylor, moved in next door to care for her Aunt Cindy. Without blinking, she turned my simple world into a real nightmare-before-Christmas, especially when she decided to enter the town Christmas Kringle contest - which she was determined to win.

He would do anything to protect her. For Hunter, guarding celebrities and moguls has always been easy, but watching over Zola could be the one job that ruins him. She's a different type of danger - the sort that could break his heart. Although they grew up together, in their adult years, they lost contact. Now, Zola is an up-and-coming runway model, and has a psychotic stalker who's been ransacking her apartment and sending threatening letters.

CALLUM - Lake and I never had a chance at normal. She was drop dead gorgeous from day one - our maid's granddaughter who became my mother's spoiled living doll. I hated that girl with all my heart and at the same time, I worshipped every inch of her skin, every word that she spoke. I lived for her and the twisted game of truth or dare we created to feed our f--ked up needs for shock, shame, and one-upping each other. Lake was my drug, my bad lifestyle choice. And I'd fallen in and out of love with her a thousand times till the day she disappeared.

During the spring and summer months, Melody Carrick lives, eats, and sleeps baseball. As a Baltimore Blue Birds season ticket holder, she attends every home game to enjoy the action. When a foul ball hits her in the face and knocks her out during the season opener, the last thing she expects is for the handsome rookie who caused the mess to visit her in the hospital. Injuring a fan during his first game in the majors is rookie Carson Lawrence's worst nightmare. Knowing he won't be able to clear his conscience until he's assured she's not seriously hurt, he visits the woman in the hospital.

Ella Couture didn't mean to save herself. But success runs in the family, and Ella, a fiery and self-made interior decorator, never wanted to settle for anything less than a quality man. But another disappointing breakup has Ella flirting with the idea of a meaningless fling - because this whole v-card business has gone on for way too long. When Ella visits her brother, Lance, for the weekend, she finds herself all alone with his teammate Radar. The rugged hockey star is tall, chiseled, and gorgeous - and based on his past, he won't get attached....

It's what I'm known around town for. A rock-hard body, covered in tattoos with a sizeable bulge that women spend their nights fantasizing about. Women track me down, needing someone that will take them rough without holding back. They find me because they need a distraction from reality. They need something to get their mind off of the boyfriend who screwed them over or the job promotion they got passed over on at work. Sometimes, it's just because they need someone reckless in the bedroom before settling down with the right one.