No one expects an angel to buy a ticket to hell. I would have lived my life the righteous way, but my path of vengeance forced me to become the monster my uncle wanted to create. When I lie my way into playing bodyguard for the senator’s daughter, I don’t expect our fires to cross or to become addicted to the blaze. Anastasia Kinsley burns the ice that froze my heart years ago, but I need to find the will to resist. Chained up in the devil’s playground, I won’t let myself lose again.

I shouldn’t be alive. I should’ve died in that plane crash. Instead, I survived. Thrived, even. After all, I’m a rock star and a billionaire. There’s nothing I can’t buy. Nothing, except peace. And when it all comes crashing down around me… The guilt. The pain. The sorrow. That’s when she appears. The one woman I’m not allowed to love. I needed her to fill the void after everything was lost. There she was, ready, and grieving too. Both of us are broken, shattered people.

Six years ago, Maria Romano got her birthday wish—a kiss from Enzo Costa. A man she could never take her eyes off, but who seemed as haunted as her favorite book boyfriends and strictly off-limits. Just one unforgettable moment in the dark and then he was gone. Now Maria is a divorced single mom, moving on and open to romance again. Fatefully, it’s with the new head chef at her sister’s restaurant: Enzo. A gentler man than the one she remembers, yet fire still burns. And a warning still lingers: don’t get too close.

He's my first love. My high school sweetheart. And he's leaving tomorrow for a bigger and better life. I've loved Ben almost my entire life, and we have one night left before he heads miles away to college on a football scholarship. I'm bound and determined to make sure this day goes perfectly so he remembers me as the girl he loves. But I cant help worrying that Ill end up as the girl he loved.

Being a single dad while managing one of the biggest businesses in New Orleans keeps me very busy. I spend my free time with my daughter, Bella—reading to her, styling her hair, or choosing nail polishes appropriate for an eight-year-old. But I’m okay with that, because she is my whole world. After my divorce, I made myself a promise: I wouldn’t date until Bella was older. Then, all my good intentions go up in smoke when I hire our newest chef for the flagship restaurant in the French Quarter.

For as long as I can remember, Lachlan West has been my brother’s best friend and the love of my life. Trouble is, he kissed me four years ago and then never spoke to me again. I was doing great pretending he doesn’t exist until I was assigned to write an article about former college athletes and I learn that the sexy single-dad is my first interview. Determined to wow my editor with an amazing sportsball piece. (Have I mentioned I know nothing about sports?) I head to Ember Falls, ready to face my fears—and the man I love.

Hughes Farm was the largest racing-horse establishment in the South. The family that owned it was known to be wealthy, powerful, arrogant, and terrifying. My first encounter with them didn’t prepare me for all that was to come. I don’t think anything truly could have. Growing up with only my father and brother hadn’t been easy, but we’d had each other. Losing them was the hardest thing I’d ever faced. It had made the times we went without food, electricity, or even shelter seem insignificant in comparison.

I meet a handsome man at the bar, the kind you only dream about. You know the one? He drinks his whiskey neat and power oozes from his suit-clad form. The night we spend together is perfect - I’ll treasure the memory for as long as I live. Until I discover who he is. My one-night stand. Correction: my rich, handsome, calculating one-night stand. I hate his determination and his ruthlessness. I hate the way he smirks and the thick fall of his hair. But most of all, I hate that I can’t look at him without remembering our night together - a night he’s keen to repeat.

I’m a curvy sports geek. Liam’s a hockey god. He’s way out of my league… My brother’s best friend is acting really weird. Flowers keep showing up. He sends me Cameos and concert tickets. Then, there’s the job offer… Well, first, there was the fact that he tracked me down to NYC. It’s really complicated, okay? But so are my feelings for him. I’ve been ignoring them for so long that they became a wall I’m comfortable hiding behind.

This wasn’t the typical boy meets girl story. In our case, it was extraordinary: a boy met a girl and another boy. And he fell madly in love with both. Greyson was a gifted musician whose songs soothed even the most shattered souls. Aerin was a ballerina, exuding an elegance that could steal your breath away. They weren’t just my loves. They were my reason to breathe—my world. Until a tragedy broke us into a thousand pieces.

I never thought I’d see her again—the woman I left behind at the motel after our one-night stand. Picture my surprise when she strolls into the office as my new assistant. But wait, there’s more. I come home to find her with suitcases, nowhere to stay. I could decline to have her move in, yet I see a chance. My nosy aunt’s visiting, expecting to meet my non-existent spouse. My assistant’s onboard with the madness of playing my newlywed wife.

I made a deal with my brother a long time ago to never date his teammates. Technically, Rowan Landry, the hot as hell center for the Chicago Falcons, is no longer my brother’s teammate. Or his best friend. Their college days are long behind them, and they barely talk now. Also, I’m not dating him—we’re just sleeping together. There’s a difference.

Maddie McRae earns her living helping other people fall in love. Dubbed the Wedding Whisperer due to her success getting couples down the aisle, the sweet Southern belle knows the foundation of wedded bliss is built on similarities. Opposites might attract, but they don't stay together. Enter Mason Spark. Rude, arrogant, and notoriously allergic to monogamy, the hottest quarterback in the NFL is Maddie's polar opposite. He's also her new client. Her gorgeous, infuriating new client who's paying her an outrageous sum of money to find him a fake wife.

I never planned to give my V-card to a gorgeous stranger I met at a bar. But for once I didn't let myself overthink things. In the few hours we spent together, he managed to push me outside my comfort zone. And I loved every second. I never expected to see him again. Let alone sitting at the head of the boardroom table during my architectural firm's pitch to design his new hotel chain.

I thought I was over him. That his good looks and British accent couldn’t affect me anymore. But the minute our eyes lock across the elevator, all those feelings come roaring back to life. Then I find out we’re competing for the same job. Next comes the realization that we have to spend a week together on a ski vacation because of some six-degree-of-separation nonsense. The real kicker is when I find out the two of us have to share a villa. A very small, very cozy villa.

They say never mix business with pleasure. As a single father, and the captain of the Seattle Sasquatches, I’m adamant to keep every corner of my life separate and running perfectly. That is, until Indie Decker walked into my life. She’s the team owner's little sister, my new nanny, and so completely out of my league. Our first encounter? Pure fire, clashing wills with a passion that ensnared us both. Our second? A tentative truce, maybe even a budding friendship. But at some point, we slid recklessly into a 'friends with benefits' arrangement, thinking we could stay casual.

For years, I existed alone. Fighting the urges, doing my best to stay good. Until Esclave 58 entered my life and I didn’t have to fight so hard. She makes me better, she makes me human, but then he arrives on my doorstep. He says he’s my half-brother.

My future and my heart shattered the day he died. Well, they say he died, but I still sense him. They call it ghost pains. It’s like my soul can’t live without him. And after seven years, I’m almost ready to let him go....

I’m still unsure how I got here. There was Vegas. Alcohol involved. And rumor has it, Elvis was our witness. All that happened 10 years ago. Ten. Tall, dark, and delicious, Seth Bradley is some sort of Double-O-Seven—and my childhood crush. One moment I’m Rachel Green discovering that she’s married to Ross Geller. Next, I have to run for my life. This isn’t how I imagined my happily ever after. Right now, I’m just hoping to get out of this one alive.

No one knows what happens up at Midnight Manor. The home of the Voss brothers sits like a sentinel looking down on our small town, remaining a mystery. The four brooding billionaires rarely leave the confines of the iron gates, fueling rumors that have existed for decades. When my father dies, all the security I’ve known is ripped away, forcing me to come face to face with the eldest brother, Asher Voss. His outward beauty is just as I’d heard—it belies a predatory nature, irresistibly drawing me in.

Life is a cruel game where only the most ruthless survive. It’s a truth my mother rebelled against, and she paid for it with her life. Now, I play their game. Publicly accepting the destiny that lies in wait for me when I turn 18. But, behind closed doors, I plot my escape. Trent, Charlie, and my twin, Drew, rule the hallways of Rydeville High with arrogance and an iron fist. I execute my role perfectly, hating every second, but they never let me forget my place in this world. Everyone obeys the rules. Because our families have always been in control.

Know that saying about how what happens in paradise, stays in paradise? Yeah, no. That other one about first impressions? Check this out: tall. Broad shoulders. Fine butt. No manners. Expensive aftershave I could swear I’ve sniffed somewhere before. I should keep my mind on the sun, the sand, and the tequila and keep my hands to myself. But it’s Cancun. And there’s sun and sand and tequila...and when Mr. Annoying turns on the charm, I can’t resist. That crucial thing about never sleeping with your boss’ boss? Yeah. Too late.

I fell in love with a boy who became my everything. Keane Stone was my first love. I thought I’d grow old with him. We had a future filled with promises, until one fateful night. One tragic accident, and just like that, he slipped into a coma. For years, I clung to hope; holding on to every 'what if.' But life doesn’t stand still. Eventually, I had to learn how to live again. Grief clung to me like a second skin when Haydn Wesford came into my life. He’s a professional hockey goalie with a natural instinct to protect.

I’m head over heels in love with my best friend. Although, I can’t pinpoint exactly when Reeve Lancaster became my entire world. Was it when we were little kids, practically brought up together, after Reeve’s mom died during childbirth and his dad subsequently fell apart? Or when I doodled his name in my school journal at age 10? Maybe it was when we became boyfriend and girlfriend at 14 or when we shed our virginity at 16, pledging our forever?

Once upon a time, a lion saved a girl. His little cinnamon girl. That lion grew up into a prince. Dark, bitter, and so beautiful that it hurt to look at him. But underneath it all, the girl saw the man. She saw his hunger for love and affection, and she had plenty to give. I was that girl. I fell in love, even though he told me not to. I gave him everything, because that was who I was.

I expect my best buddy’s wedding to be a bust until the beautiful bartender asks me if I could use something stiff. Trust me, “getting something stiff” is the least of my worries. One touch of Jade’s silky-soft hand, and there’s a zing, just like in the movies. Somehow, I find the magic words that make her mine for the night.

Three full-length standalone stories by USA Today Bestselling author Claudia Burgoa about the men who created HIB Securities and the women behind them.

As a rookie spy, my first mission is to seduce the Irish mafia boss's brother and prove he is behind the threat to the mafioso in The Big Apple. It's a dream job. Except my new boss is sucking all the joy from my life. Don Joshua Accardi seems way too invested in my personal safety, and he's constantly scolding me for taking too many risks.

Twelve Years. It’s been twelve years since the last time I heard from the Aldridge family. That one voicemail changes everything - I need the money the late William offers. In exchange, I have to live eighteen months in Baker’s Creek. I’ve survived cancer, the jungle, and the plague. This should be easy compared to all that, right? Or so I think until...I see him.

I've been dreading this for a year. Okay, that's a lie. I've been dreading this reunion since we graduated high school 10 years ago. So why am I here, standing outside the door like the eternal wallflower I am? I'd say it's because my younger sister browbeat me into it, but the truth is, I'm tired of being a nobody. Of never taking a risk with myself and my life. And...well...maybe I'm also hoping to see him. The tall, insanely gorgeous man walking my way now. Oliver Fritz is regarded as one of Boston's sexiest doctors. I know him as the former god of our school.