Harlequin presents

After an unhappy marriage, and then the loss of both her husband and her baby, Helen Stewart was disenchanted with the whole idea of love and romance. Leon Petrou, while handsome, rich and charming, was nevertheless said to have no time for women; but he had recently been made responsible for a small niece and nephew, and it was imperative that he provide the children with some kind of stable background - so he suggested that the obvious thing was for Helen, who had brought them to Cyprus and was already devoted to them, to marry him. It would be purely a business arrangement, he pointed out, so what had Helen to lose? Helen agreed, feeling that after all emotion would have no place in the situation - and only realised how wrong she was when Leon's old and dear friend Paula Maxwell began to play a dangerously large part in her marriage.

After Carl's parents had adopted Shara, they virtually rejected Carl and for years after their death Carl had nothing to do with Shara. Shara had always had deep feeling for Carl and after meeting again, she didn't want brotherly love for him.

Melanie was intrigued when a distant relative left her his house, Monkshood, in a village miles from anywhere in the Highlands of Scotland. Common sense told her that, as she was soon going to marry a London solicitor, she would not be able seriously to consider living at Monkshood; nevertheless she very much wanted to see if for herself before deciding what to do next. Then she learned that the ominously named Sean Bothwell looked on it as his property - and it did seem he had moral grounds for doing so. But still Melanie could not commit herself to parting with the place. Did her reluctance to give it up have anything to do with her reactions to Sean? And if so, hadn’t she better forget about him, for – quite apart from her own fiancé – how could she hurt that nice Jennifer Craig, who needed Sean so much? The Physical Object

They were an ill-assorted pair -- Stella Percy, cool, aloof lady of leisure, with every quality needed to live a life of luxurious elegance except money; and Matthew Armstrong, bluff, honest Yorkshire, who believed in calling a spade a spade, but had plenty of 'brass' which he was proud to think had all been earned by his own hard work. From the first he had made no secret of his attraction to Stella, and when she accepted his proposal she was at least honest enough to admit that it was for the sake of his money. So began their curious relationship. With so much honesty all round, it might well have succeeded -- and as Matthew had hoped, love might have grown between them eventually -- if Stella could only escape from the memory of Charles Heyward, the symbol of her former life.

The conditions under which Clare Meriden agreed to go out to Nigeria with Ross Brennan were unusual, to say the least. Facing an eighteen-month posting to the desolate heart of the country, and admitting his need for the solace of feminine companionship, Ross suggested that Clare should marry him -- on his terms -- and that at the end of the eighteen months they should part, with no regrets on either side. Loving him as she did, Clare accepted, confident that every-thing would work out happily. It was a confidence that was to be shattered from the moment the glamorous Patsy Harriman sent Ross a message to say that her divorce was through, and she was waiting for him . . .

He didn't believe that she loved him. Helen had always been fond of her friend Sylvia, and she felt an enormous debt of gratitude towards Sylvia's mother--so she had always felt obliged to keep a protective eye on her friend, so much less self-reliant than Helen and so apt to land herself in impossible situations. When Sylvia found herself trapped in a disastrous marriage to an impossible man -- the famous playwright Charles Lane, who according to Sylvia was selfish, tyrannical, conceited and unfaithful--it was to Helen that she turned. She persuaded Helen to help her out of the situation by tricking Charles into setting her free. The plot the two girls worked out was fool-proof; it went without a hitch--until the very last moment, when Helen discovered to her horror that Charles Lane, the 'selfish, tyrannical husband', was the man with whom she herself had just fallen in love.

To Antonia, drama was something that happened to other people - until the day when the pleasant prosperity she had always known was abruptly swept away, and she had to face the appalling fact that her own father was a criminal. She felt that the only thing she could do in the circumstances was to leave home and make a new life for herself - and that was how she came to know the impressive, magnificent but faintly mysterious Maximilian Shaw, who gave her a job but then swept her, willy-nilly, into a series of adventures that neither of them could have foreseen.

When Gwyneth married Van Onslie she thought she had buried the past, finally and irrevocably. She had believed her mother's statement that the child she had had secretly after her brief, tragic bigamous marriage was dead! Only when it was too late to draw back did she find that her little boy was still alive - and at an orphanage of which Gwyneth's new husband was a trustee. What could Gwyneth do? She could never now disclose the whole story to Van. Yet she could not avoid going with him to the orphanage, pretending a pleasant, polite interest in the children, and hiding the anguished thought: which of those children was hers? Which? Which?

Julian's words haunted Alison. "You're only a schoolgirl," he'd said, and Alison knew he still considered her a child. Could she really mean so little to him? Somewhere under all the planning and preparations Alison had cherished a faint hope that her business-arrangement marriage with Julian would turn into the kind of relationship she'd always dreamed of. But now, with sickening certainty, she realized that Julian had never loved her. And Rosalie was free again, deternimed to win Julian back. Alison felt suddenly that there was no use fighting anymore.

It had been in the ballroom of the Montraverdian Embassy in Brazil that Morgana had experienced her first, never-to-be-forgotten encounter with Luis Salvador. Against the wishes of her friends, she had met this man who was believed to involved with subversive elements. She had deliberately taunted him…And now her plane had been hijacked to La Nava, his remote hideout – the high valley of the Rio Quimera. “Do not be alarmed. My reasons for keeping you are completely dissociated from personal desires,” he told her. But…

Charlotte had married Matthew Derby eleven years ago, to give her baby a father - after Logan Kennedy had deserted her. Now Matthew was dead, and Charlotte had met Logan again and realised that the past was by no means dead. And that Logan attracted her as much as ever.

At their first meeting Elizabeth had thought Jed Carrel insulting and arrogant, though she couldn't ignore the turbulent emotions his kiss had aroused. But she had been only seventeen then and about to marry his brother, Jeremy. Then Jed had set off to live his own life abroad. Elizabeth was a mature woman now--and a widow. Jed had unexpectedly returned. Why? "As a woman," Jed's voice was caressing, "you're even more desirable than you were as a girl." All Elizabeth's earlier feelings of inexperience came flooding back. How could she possibly cope with him?

What would a man like Clay know of love? Alex had been shattered when Ian told her he was married. She'd had no idea of his deceit. To forget, she accepted a three month singing engagement on a Caribbean luxury liner. But Alex hadn't known Clay Anderson would be on board.....or that he would hold her responsible for ruining his sister's marriage. He vowed to give her a lesson she'd never forget

'Women like roots, and I have none,’ said Theo Carrington firmly, when he sailed in to young Janey Bowden's New Zealand home to spend the summer - and Janey knew it was true. Nevertheless, Theo was the most attractive man she had met in her young life, and she couldn't help - well, throwing herself at his head. But she knew that the end of summer would see the end of him, that she was too young for him, that he preferred more sophisticated girls like her sister Penny. Janey knew all this - but would any of it help her face the inevitable heartbreak?

Natalia Gerner was not for sale; one man had already learnt that lesson and Clay Beauchamp would have to do the same. Her new neighbour was virile, protective, and generous to a fault, but nothing would lure Natalia into his bed... Until the night her livelihood was destroyed and Clay arrived to rescue her and keep her safe - in his arms. In the cold light of day when he offered her a home and freedom from her father's debts there seemed little choice. Life with Clay would be wonderful, but how long could she remain his mistress when she only wanted to be his wife?

"Marry in haste, repent at leisure" Alex's eyes darkened with pain as she recalled the old adage. It was true, so horribly true. She had married Philippe on a wild impulse, to save herself from being humiliated by the man she had thought she loved. And it was too late now to wish she had done otherwise. She was Philippe's wife, the Comtesse de Sorconne, mistress of his ancient castle in France. She was the recipient of everything Philippe's wealth and passion could give her. Everything, Alex thought bitterly, but his love!

He was the man of her dreams! Fortunately Olivia was not deterred by her first dramatic encounter with the man at the lonely Yorkshire farmhouse. She had returned to nurse him--and stayed to, marry him. She was amazed, later, to learn that her enigmatic husband was the man she had always idolized from afar--the famous concert pianist, Macaire Connal, whose career had been ruined by an accident. Was her love for him strong enough to help him to happiness? Or would she lose out to Macaire's ex-fiancee who was determined to break up the marriage?

Every novel in this collection is your passport to a romantic tour ofthe United States through time-honored favorites by America's First Ladyof romance fiction. Each of the fifty novels is set in a differentstate, researched by Janet and her husband, Bill. For the Daileys itwas an odyssey of discovery. For you, it's the journey of a lifetime.Your tour of desire begins with this story set in Maryland.

Liam Jameson is a world-famous writer of paranormal thrillers. But fame has its price, and now Liam lives reclusively on a remote Scottish island.Then Rosa Chantry knocks on his door and throws his world upside down. His desire for her is strong, but his conviction that he cannot satisfy a woman is stronger. But Rosa is persistent, and so is Liam's need for her. She is determined to ease his fear that the past has robbed him of his power as a man….

How could she prove her love for him? Vanessa's marriage to Thad had barely started when a car accident hospitalized Thad for several months. Now Thad was recovering, but their marriage wasn't. Just what had gone wrong with it? Vanessa couldn't understand Thad's bitter, suspicious attitude toward her. Then she learned that he had believed the vicious rumors being spread about Vanessa and her boss. There seemed to be no way she could convince Thad that the rumors were false. Even worse, Thad seemed totally uninterested in trying to save their shaky marriage!

Knowing the truth deeply shook Teri. Marriage to Damian Nikerios was the only solution to Teri's desperate situation. Her father's debt to him would be canceled, her family saved from ruin. Damian was the attractive son of a Greek millionaire, and even though she had not married for love, her life on the isle of Skios was a pleasant one. Then she discovered the real reason why Damian had married her--to hide his affair with his father's third wife! But why should she be angry? She didn't want him herself ...did she?

HE CONTROLLED BOTH WORDS AND PEOPLE! Catriona Forbes returned home to the Scottish island of Crannich only to please her grandparents. But she had to admit she desperately needed the break from her hectic life as a famous actress. Her unexpected encounter with Lachlan Erskine, a very successful playwright, made her visit anything but restful. Lachlan was as powerful and disturbing as ever. Catriona was furious when she learned just how cleverly he had manipulated circumstances to fit her into his plans. She was determined that he wouldn't be play master of her life a second time....

Now she could make her dreams come true Edie Gibbs stared at the check in her hand. She'd never imagined that the inventions Joe worked on during their eighteen years of marriage would provide a windfall after his death. Actually, she had only one dream: to own a ranch in the Black Hills of South Dakota. And now, she could. But it wasn't quite that simple. Her new ranch was a run-down wreck, and her neighbor, arrogant local rancher Will Maddock, made every encounter a battle. Sours dream, Edie told herself.

Would he misconstrue her love as pity? Angela Hart's love for Enrique de Zaldo was only intensified by the tragedy of his blindness. She had loved him all her life. Called by his Spanish father to their Mediterranean island, Angie hoped to nurse Rique out of his despair. Patience and compassion would surely conquer his bitterness. But it wasn't enough. What Rique needed was to feel the passion of a woman. And Angie knew she had to be that woman, even though it meant Rique would despise her for it....

She was trading one heartache for another Just when Iseult was getting over her broken affair with a Paris artist, she found herself facing marriage to Nicholas Veryan. He didn't love her; the marriage would only be to secure a stepmother for his little son, Tim. On the one hand, Iseult couldn't bear to see the boy unhappy. On the other, could she bear the kind of marriage Nicholas had in mind--a real one? And why did Nicholas want to marry her, anyway, when he was so clearly involved with Joanna Trethowyn?

Every novel in this collection is your passport to a romantic tour of the United States through time-honored favorites by America’s First Lady of romance fiction. Each of the fifty novels is set in a different state, researched by Janet and her husband, Bill. For the Daileys it was an odyssey of discovery. For you, it’s the journey of a lifetime. Your tour of desire begins with this story set in North Carolina.

Anger blinded her to the hidden risks Natalie instinctively fled to the refuge of her father's British Columbia ranch when her job in Vancouver suddenly collapsed. She'd be able to sort out her confused emotions. But she found life there even more disturbing. Her father had died and a tall, outspoken stranger, Cal Hendricks, now managed the ranch. He seemed determined to keep her away from a man she'd once nearly married. Natalie was furious. Cal's meddlesome tactics goaded her into a disastrous course of action... and she discovered how mutinous her own heart could be.

Her situation was desperate Caroline Adams needed money; Gustav de Leeuw needed a wife. So he offered to settle her debt if she'd act as his wife. Their marriage was to be temporary. Caroline soon realized it wasn't entirely a businesslike relationship that Gustav had in mind. Yet he had told her that "love is an overrated emotion I have no time or desire for.” But she was unable to resist him or to stop herself from falling in love with him. And to Caroline's growing despair, she knew his deep cynicism was unshakable ....

Luce had awakened in hospital with no memory. And the New Zealand police, despite an extensive search, had found no trace of her former self. So for two years she had simply got on with living. Then she met Conn Ramsay ...and something stirred in her darkened mind. Every glance he gave her, every touch evoked a passionate response. Surely she must have known him intimately in the past! Luce couldn't help falling in love with Conn. But she feared him, too. He held the power to make her remember ....

She couldn't deny him this one chance Catriona found life on the remote Shetland island hard enough without Brett Simon's maddening demands. If only her brother, Magnus, hadn't agreed to allow Brett's oil company to research a new terminal here--and to use their home as a hotel! But Catriona didn't dare oppose Magnus. A terrible accident had shattered his spirit, and this project seemed to mean the world to him. The longer Brett stayed, though, the more Catriona felt her own sanity was at stake. Brett wanted more, much more, than she could give him....

Allen Long led a group of dope smugglers who violated Colombian and US airspace, landed on jungle mud-tracks in bandit country, and avoided detection by America's most tooled-up law enforcement agencies. Long was responsible for upping the quantity of weed smoked in North America in the 1970s.

Four years ago, Leonie had gone through the worst experience of her life, when as a result of her innocent love affair with Jeremy Lindsay she had been confronted by the hateful John G Noble, who had done his best to wreck her. Since then Leonie had managed to rebuild her life, been married and widowed, and put the past behind her. But now, when she had least expected it, John Noble had reappeared, with no intention it seemed, of burying the past.

More than infatuation...? Sweet, naive Robyn Castle knows that eminent doctor Rick Howarth is the wrong man for her! He's older, more sophisticated, experienced... and so sinfully delicious that he should be illegal! Despite their differences, enigmatic Rick seems just as infatuated with Robyn as she is with him... until Rick suddenly leaves. Heartbroken, Robyn assumes it's because he's married and refuses to be the other woman! Getting over him is her top priority. But when Rick comes unexpectedly back into her life, Robyn soon realises that moving on from the passion between them is easier said than done...

How could she still love such a man? What would it take for Laura to learn her lesson once and for all? First a father with a string of mistresses and then a husband who had cheated on her on their wedding day! Men were not to be trusted with a woman's heart! And oh, how her heart had broken. She'd loved Jake so much. But not now, not ever again. That was a year ago. She was over it --or was until Jake suddenly turned up again!

She would not be told to marry anyone! Much as she loved and respected her Arab stepfather and wanted to please him, Danielle was horrified to learn he was arranging a marriage for her, Arab fashion, to his nephew, Jourdan. Danielle refused outright. And meeting Jourdan only confirmed her decision. He was dashing and bold and handsome, and she soon fell in love with him, but he was a man of the East, brought up to think of a woman's place as within palace walls. Marriage to such a man could only eventually destroy her....

"Who the hell are you, and why are you here? " Sally could justifiably have asked him the same question. It was hardly the reception she'd expected. She had come to Rock Island to complete a series of articles about North Pacific lighthouses. Instead of his brother, the lighthouse keeper, here was Professor Lyle Hemming, Don Juan of the university coeds. Lyle Hemming was the kind of man she despised, so she was dismayed when a storm marooned her on the isolated rock with him. She discovered just how quickly and easily he could make nonsense of her self-imposed principles!

Their antagonism was instant and mutual Simon Herries was dominating and arrogant, and he had readily jumped to the wrong conclusions about India. "You don't know me, " she stated, "yet you accuse me of trying to steal someone else's husband!" Evidence and appearance seemed to support his claim, and Simon had his own method of dealing with the problem. At the time it proved an effective solution, but when his scheme backfired, India was left to face a future of heartbreak and unhappiness.

He deserved more than Meg could give him Even before an accident confined her to a wheelchair, Meg Cairns had shunned any intimacy--be it physical or emotional--with the opposite sex. Now she would never know the fulfillment of romantic love. For Paul Moreton, a journalist who had courted death to earn his formidable reputation, needed someone by his side who matched his stamina in both body and spirit. And what he needed in a wife, Meg wasn't capable of giving!

She was obsessed with getting even! Juliet Chase was determined to make the arrogant chauvinistic Jake Matthews pay for his public criticism of her best-selling novel. How dared he go around ruining people's careers! Jake's analysis of Juliet didn't stop at her writing, however. "You're not ready for love, but you challenge me," he said, "and I intend to face that challenge." Ready or not, Juliet fell in love, throwing her well-ordered life into confusion and her innocent heart into turmoil. For if he didn't respect Juliet herself, he'd never respect her feelings for him....

She'd do anything to save her father! Aldona's father's life hung in the balance and she had to help him--even if it meant selling herself to a man she despised. Traveling with Lionel Downs to Malta as his wife was the price she must pay. While there, she met Zeb, who hated Lionel even more than she did and who was willing to buy her freedom--for a price of his own! Zeb offered her shelter but not safety, for he demanded not just her body, but also her heart and soul.

History was repeating itself! Chelsea had been innocent, naive enough to believe her love was so pure it would last forever. But Darren had lied to her, and when she found out he already had a wife, Chelsea turned her back on romance. Now her own niece was about to make the same mistake she had made--with a man infinitely more desirable and sophisticated than Chelsea's first love had been. There was nothing she could do to shield the young girl from anguish. Except, perhaps, to steal the man away herself..

Her worst fears had come true Being kidnapped by political terrorists was the realization of Saffron Wykeham's worst nightmares. And to be taken to an isolated primitive farmhouse and subjected to the volatile dangerous temperaments of her captors was worse than she ever could have imagined For Nico Doranti, the man she loved, the one man to whom her whole being responded, had manipulated her descent into hell. Though calculating and callous, he was her only hope for escape-and for future happiness

After a year abroad, Alannah was returning joyfully to her home in New Zealand - and to David; David whom she had loved for so long and whom she now hoped to marry. She would also, she realised, have to face the inscrutable Nicholas Challoner again; but perhaps by now he would have forgiven her for the tragedy she had unwittingly brought about - when she had accidentally caused the death of his wife. Nicholas, it soon appeared, had not forgiven her; but he had decided how she was going to make amends ...

A dying sister's wish made Morgan a prisoner! The television report said no one, including Morgan's sister and brother-in-law, had survived the plane crash. But in fact there had been one survivor, Morgan's baby nephew, and now Morgan was little Courtney's guardian. However, Alex Hammond had also been made a guardian for Courtney. The battle lines were drawn -- the handsome aloof Alex and his bitter vengeful family against a lone woman with lots of love to give. Even Alex couldn't take that away from her!

Her love would never be returned In Spain on business, Jessica had agreed to do her cousin a favor, but she never imagined it would result in her working with the aristocratic Sebastian Calvadores. From the moment they met he was callous and arrogant, and yet she couldn't deny the way her pulses raced whenever he entered the room. She was falling in love. Jessica wanted to listen to her heart, but common sense warned against it. For Sebastian had nothing but contempt for her--and another woman intended to possess Sebastian!

"Daniel was a sweet poison to her. When Lindsay discovered her brother was in a state of financial disaster, she was willing to do anything to help--or almost anything. Daniel Randall, her ruthless ex-husband, was the one person who could rescue her brother, and he would--if she agreed to resume their marriage. "Everything has its price," he said. But Lindsay wasn't about to be bought; she would never forget that the desire Daniel stirred within her led to heartache. Yet she couldn't forget her brother, either. This was blackmail!"

She wanted to punish him--not love him! When she was fifteen Laurel had been the victim of an attempted rape, and Oliver Savage was the reporter who had twisted her story, tearing her reputation to shreds and leaving her fearful of every man who came too near. Now, six years later, he was anxious to right his wrong. "I want to help you, Laurel", he'd offered. But Laurel didn't want his help--she wanted retribution She found it was not that simple. He was a stimulating man, and his every caress weakened her desire for revenge....

Out of her bitterness, there came a plan... Twelve years ago Lori's father had been destroyed by the ruthless lawyer Jacob R. Randell in a notorious embezzlement trial. Ruined, overcome with shame, her father had killed himself, protesting his innocence to the end. The trial had haunted them for years: Lori's mother finally wasted away with grief, and Lori, seeking to rebuild her life, was coldly jilted by her fiance when he discovered her true identity. She had reason to hate the Randell family. And when she met Jacob's son, Luke, she saw a way to hurt him as his father had hurt her.

She was an ice maiden with a heart of glass Kelly's short, disastrous marriage had left her deeply suspicious of men. She knew all too well that her looks--along with a sizable inheritance--made her an attractive target for fortune hunters. She was determined not to be fooled again. So she became a workaholic, and spent her nights alone. There was no reason to think Jake Fielding was any different. In fact, Jake was a man who made his living as an escort for lonely women. But could she really deny the feelings that were stirring inside her?

His pride made him believe the worst! Five years ago, Lisa Hayward had fled her exotic island home of St. Martin's, leaving her just begun marriage in ruins. Back in London, she concentrated on raising her son, Robbie--Rorke's son The child was all that remained of that bitter, beautiful time. Now Rorke had found her again, and intended to take her back--but not for love. He still believed Robbie couldn't be his! Why couldn't he remember that storm-shattered night they had spent lost at sea?

Kit was usually the sensible one When Kit Vaughan agreed to accompany her beautiful younger sisters on holiday to Spain, she thought she'd have her hands full just keeping them out of trouble. She was wrong. Clemency and Charity were on their best behavior. It was Kit who kept getting into predicaments, and the disturbingly attractive Reid Livesay who always seemed to be behind them. How could Kit hope to keep her sisters on the straight and narrow she wondered, when with Reid, she was barely able to stay there herself?

Kelsey could never marry a man like Serle Serle Falconer had hurt her father-led him to financial ruin-and destroyed her parents' marriage. In Japan to visit her father, Kelsey lost no time in finding Mr. Falconer and telling him what a swine she thought he was. So he couldn't seriously want to marry her. The marriage proposal, sent by a go-between in the traditional Japanese style, was nothing more than a cruel practical joke designed to pay her back for insulting him. Angered, Kelsey decided two could play that game. Maybe she'd just call his bluff and accept his proposal....

Their marriage had gone up in flames. Jake Harvey was every woman's secret type. During their brief and volatile union, Kate had been wildly jealous, dangerously insecureand he'd never reassured her with words of love--only of desire. Kate went up like dry tinder every time Jake touched her, and she resented that power over her almost as much as she abhorred his career. Finally he threw her out, saying, "Come back when you've grown up. " But Jake had come to her instead. And Kate's fuse was as short as ever when it came to him, his work and the latest woman clinging to his arm.

Lisa could watch the family firm go bankrupt, or marry powerful property developer Rick Andreas, who'd stipulated Lisa had to be part of the assets he was prepared to control if he took over the business. Did he really expect her to submit to the demands of this modern-day human bondage? And although he'd agreed to release her from their arrangement in five years' time, how could Lisa survive his violent passion for so long? Not to mention her own body's treacherous response to it...

Flying down to Rio It wasn't just the title of an old movie for Claudia March, but something actually happening--to her! She'd been accepted for the position of governess to a mining engineer's daughter in Brazil, and no one could have been more excited to find herself on that transatlantic flight. Claudia expected problems with the job, of course, and those she certainly encountered. But not with her charge. Becky was a darling. It was her father, the difficult and sarcastic Saul Treharne, who turned out to be impossible to manage! Mills & Boon Why was Saul Treharne so cold and hostile against her? Claudia wondered ruefully. After all, he had needed a governess for his little girl, it was not everyone who would be willing to go off to the wilds of Brazil for the purpose, and even Saul must admit that Claudia was doing a good job. So why did he absolutely refuse to believe anything good of her? Why couldn’t he see that all women were not as selfish and unprincipled as his ex-wife?

How had she let herself get talked into this? Jake Stanton and Stephanie were living together, but it was only a temporary arrangement. And there was a perfectly logical reason for it--Stephanie's father had asked Jake to take over his busy veterinary practice near Melbourne during his absence at a conference. It was all very innocent, and besides, Stephanie didn't even like Jake Stanton So why should she agree to pretend they were lovers just to discourage Jake's ex-wife, Alana? And how was she going to explain the situation to other interested parties-such as her own boyfriend, Ian?

BROOKE GORDON was wary of her new assignment. Directing commercials was a fine art, and she was more than good at it, but working with an athlete...? PARKS JONES was a novice in front of the camera but a master of the game of baseball. At the game of love he was a pro. Brooke was unwilling to get involved with someone she had to work with, so Parks suggested a compromise: On the set, she was the boss, but off it, he decided the rules of the game.

She desperately wanted to believe in his love Secretly Jaime still regretted having walked out on Blake. But his four-year silence had confirmed her fears--that Blake didn't love her or their child So naturally Jaime was suspicious when Blake turned up and began campaigning to win back his rights--both as father and husband. And she was hurt and confused when he appeared to be involved in an even more sinister campaign to silence Jaime's opposition to the sale of the local abbey. Jaime had never been able to interpret Blake's motives. And she still didn't trust him to return her love.

She hadn't seen him in almost eleven years They'd been very much in love. But if Philippa had married Scott, he would have lost his birthright. So Philippa had told him she was in love with someone else. Seeing her again unleashed Scott's bitterness. He was pleased to think that Geoff had refused to marry Philippa despite her pregnant condition. Scott was so blind to Philippa's love, he couldn't see even the obvious--that young Simon was very much his father's son.

Could they ever be more than friends? Jake was Stephanie's employer... her best friend ... and if he hadn't had to rescue her from a gang of youths two years ago, he could have been so much more.... Now there was an invisible barrier between them, which--until recently--Jake had patiently respected. He alone knew why Stephanie shied away from men, understood why she had to confront her fear before putting the past behind them both. But Stephanie couldn't cross the line separating friend from lover without first facing a greater fear--the fear of losing the man who meant everything to her.

When Selina Thorn applied for a job with the father she never met, darkly handsom Piers Gresham, his nephew, decided she was just another grasping woman on the make. And made no secret of his contempt for her. But neither could he hide his desire. Selina found the aggravating man increasingly difficult to resist. But was Piers's expert seduction of her only a means to get her to confess to the real reason she was there? Her dark secret was about to be exposed....

He was more attentive as a lover Leonie had a tendency to drop things, knock things over or bump into them, a tendency that had irritated her husband Adam Faulkner when they'd lived together--a tendency that her lover seemed to find endearing. "I suggest we make another appointment, " Adam asserted easily after Leonie missed their rendezvous when the elevator stuck. "Sometime in the afternoon, " he added. Leonie found herself forgetting the inhibitions that had made their marriage an agony. Adam was irrepressible--not at all like her husband. How could she resist?

Chris had tried to forget Slater James. He'd betrayed her in the worst way possible- with her cousin. And when her cousin had become pregnant, he had married her. Now Slater was widowed, and Chris had to face him again, as guardian of his six-year-old daughter. To her surprise, he seemed set on a passionate vendetta, claiming she owed him. Owed him what? Only little Sophie knew the truth. The trouble was, since her mother's death, she hadn't uttered a single word.

Norrie had fallen disastrously in love with Bruno Denton four years ago, when he’d taken over her father’s newspaper. Unwittingly she’d given him everything he’d wanted—her body, her soul and the information he’d needed to destroy her father. Now that she’d succeeded in rebuilding her life, she couldn’t bear to sit idly by as history repeated itself—not when Bruno was trying to take control of more than just a newspaper. He was also trying to take control of her little nephew, as if he thought the boy belonged to him.

No marriage, no merger! The merger of Vivian Glass with Raoul de Martin's powerful French conglomerate was essential. Philippa knew she couldn't afford to offend him. But she positively prickled every time Raoul came near her. Here was a man who despised easy flattery, yet seemed compelled to quash the resistance of anyone refusing homage to his potent magnetism. Raoul was witty, sophisticated, charming--and profoundly cold! How else could he propose marriage in a bid calculated to restore declining investor confidence? And how could she refuse?

Were they totally wrong for each other? Judith neither knew nor cared much about classical music, and the last man on earth she expected to fall in love with was the great tenor Rafael David. Their affair couldn't last, she told herself. They had nothing in common. And with a man like Rafael, whose life was devoted to melodrama, how could a woman know when he was being sincere and when he was merely pretending?

No doubt about it, Jessica was trapped! Knowing it was her own fault didn't ease her frustration. Who'd have expected the consequences of her foolhardy act to save her brother's career would pursue her from England to Australia? Seemingly, she'd left a clue that Matthew Grieve had followed. And it was all quite unnecessary. Matthew was not the ogre she'd been led to believe he was. Nor was Jessica the woman Matthew had pictured. The struggle between them to even the score was powerful and stormy. The impact on their lives was equally shattering when their feelings for each other turned to love....

The story of Theodora Lowery's poverty-stricken childhood in a Colorado mining town where her mother dreamed of glamour and died to give her daughter a chance at that dream. Theodora grows up living a life of luxury as a ward of the spoiled actress and New York socialite, Fiona Randall, and the protegee of carefree Evan Randall, and eventually falls in love with a man she could not have. In both America in the early 1930's and during the Spanish Civil War, Theodora is a socially concerned photographer who is one with a people eager to live and willing to die for justice and freedom. In an age when those around her didn't know fantasy from truth, Theodora's camera helped her perceive all of life as she sought the courage to turn her dreams into luminous reality.

Cyrocelled for twelve years, Caine Riordan wakes up to a different world and embarks on a mission to investigate whether primitive beings in Delta Pavonis were once sentient life forms, but someone does not want his mission to succeed.

"I need a wife, Sophy, but not to share my bed." To Sophy, who believed she was frigid, it seemed the perfect arrangement. Jon Phillips, her kind and understanding boss, was offering Sophy a marriage of convenience. He needed someone to help care for his niece and nephew, and Sophy already loved the children as if they were her own. Her feelings for Jon, however, were less clear. In sharing a roof together, Sophy became increasingly aware of her husband and of her growing desire to make their marriage a real one in every sense.

"I'm not having anyone pick my husband:" Jennifer Raines thought it was time she be allowed to take charge of her controlling shares of the family business. But her stepfather insisted that she marry first--marry a man he approved of. Attempting to flee family pressures, Jennifer left Vancouver and headed for the remote family cabin, where she thought no one would disturb her. So the last thing she expected was to become stranded with a ruggedly handsome stranger whose small plane had crashed nearby. And why did Steven Radley this so-called stranger, know her name?

Her trip had unexpected results Agronomist Julia Lennox, partner in a high-tech company, was in a small South American country to sell them a badly needed canal system. Her kidnapping by revolutionaries intent on deposing the president was a shock -- as was enduring the company of their leader, the enigmatic Roberto Madariago, an international lawyer trying to stabilize the country. When for her own safety Julia had to pretend to be Roberto's woman, her own reactions frightened her. In spite of all that had happened, Julia knew it was no longer pretence -- she loved him.

Melissa Ethridge agreed to a marriage of convenience with Etienne Hurst to keep her family property from being sold. But what about giving up her freedom? Mel decides to be an unconventional bride and retain her independence - and that includes in the bedroom! But marriage to Etienne isn't what she'd expected. Her new husband wants her, and she finds him incredibly attractive. Should she abandon her marriage rules and become a conventional wife?

From back cover: Forbidden desires... Adam Barnard could have stepped straight out of Tara’s fantasies. A devastatingly sexy hunk, the mysterious stranger was the first man in years to set Tara’s heart racing. But since the last man she let close had cruelly betrayed her, Tara had sworn off men. She wasn’t ready to take a chance on another—especially a man who didn’t seem to be offering her anything more than a red-hot affair. She was determined not to be another notch on Adam’s bedpost...only, she couldn’t stop herself wanting him! SEDUCING ADAM... After a disastrous relationship, career girl Tara Lyndon had almost given up on men. But then she met Adam Barnard... The devastatingly sexy hunk could have stepped straight out of her fantasies. Unfortunately, it also seemed as if this perfect man had a "perfect fiance" waiting in the wings. Tara knew it was wrong to want him -

Working together...and sleeping together? Piers's relationship with Georgia was strictly business -- pure and simple. This should have made their living under the same roof a relatively straightforward affair. But, somehow, Piers couldn't stop her from stealing into his thoughts. He wasn't a man to act on impulse. He had managed to resist her -- so far! And then one intimate night, business became steamy pleasure....

Brett King wanted to possess Tasha.... He craved her body and the passion he knew they could share, so he planned a seduction campaign to drive her out of her mind with desire! Tasha wanted Brett, but she wasn't interested in sex without commitment. She knew there could be so much more between them, and there was only one way to test Brett's feelings.... How would he respond if he thought Tasha was pregnant with his baby?

He wanted the baby... Claire Stenson was trying to look after her baby sister alone. She was on the verge of taking drastic action when she met Andreas Markopoulou, a sexy Greek tycoon -- and the answer to her prayers. Andreas offered to marry Claire and adopt Melanie. His adored grandmother longed to hold her great-grandchild before she died. It seemed Andreas would go to any lengths to grant his grandmother's wish, even if that meant deceiving everybody -- including his new bride

One more night.... Tricked into believing Luis Angel Martinez was committed to marrying another woman, and convinced he had drawn her into being his secret mistress, Shontelle had ended their affair, declaring he'd been no more to her than an interesting Latin lover. Two years on, Luis wasn't married and he was the only man who could get her brother's tour group out of danger...in exchange for one more night with her. But what would it be--a night of truth, love or vengeance?

Abigail Haley had been blindsided -- first by Rolf's car, then by his animal magnetism. His job offer would allow her to stay in Lucerne longer than her meager finances would permit -- but his condition of a 'false engagement' toyed with much more than her sensibilities!

When Beth met Alex Andrews on a business trip to Prague, she was determined not to fall for this magnetic stranger. Still recovering from a heartbreaking experience with one rogue male, she had no intention of getting involved with another! But Alex was set on seduction. Should she trust his words of passion, or did he have a hidden, even treacherous, agenda?

Sun, sea - and seduction. Emily was no longer innocent or vulnerable enough to fall for a ruthless man like Alexi Karivalis. In the five years since their love affair ended, she had channeled her emotions into building a career-her work had become her only love. But under the scorching sun on a tiny Greek island, Alexi's reappearance in her life raised alarming suspicions - that the man she would once have gladly died for was now swindling her grandfather AND skillfully working his way back into her heart.

Kate didn't want Luke's autograph! She just wanted to go home, she was tired but her friend Linda insisted and Kate was dragged along. This was Linda's chance of a lifetime to actually speak to a world class singer and she wasn't going to miss it! Later Kate acknowledged that bizarre circumstance had played a part in the events that followed. Mainly though it had been the force of Luke Hastings' personality that compelled her into his orbit... A chance brush with a superstar turned her world-and her heart!- upside down.

What this sultan wants, he gets! Catrin Thomas was an ordinary girl from the Welsh valleys when she was swept into a steamy affair with sexy Murat, a desert sultan! But when she discovers his aides are brokering a marriage to a suitable virgin bride, she leaves, heartbroken. With an entire kingdom at his command, Murat's furious that Catrin is the one person to defy him—whatever she thinks, she will be by his side again. Only, Murat will find this Catrin isn't the sweet, amenable plaything of before—but a formidable woman! Smart, feisty and tantalizing him at every turn…

"You're mine, Amy, you'll always be mine!" For Amy, marriage to Blade Forbes had been a dream come true. And then one day her world collapsed around her when she discovered a secret that was about to destroy everything. She loved, Blade, and he loved her -- but she had to get away, had to leave him to protect him from the knowledge that would drag with her into a living hell. Only she had forgotten one thing -- the determination of a man in love.

She was truly out of her depth! Perhaps Serena had rushed into accepting work in a nightclub just shy of respectable. But she'd been desperate. And wasn't her new job as governess at an isolated grazing station more dangerous still? The fatherless boys were handful enough, but their arrogant guardian uncle, Sean Wentworth, was the kind of challenge her troubled past made her ill-equipped to deal with. Sean was forceful, probing, mockingly intent on keeping Serena off balance. And when her rash behavior and a violent storm forced them to spend the night together in his Land Rover, Serena was lost ....

It was such a strange request - Gray Chalmers asking Stephanie to pose as his lover to help him resist the attractions of a beautiful but married woman. Gray knew Stephanie, knew she didn't even like being touched. Yet he insisted she come back to the village to play the part of the femme fatale. But Gray had never pried into the bitter marriage Stephanie had endured to his cousin. He'd offered only comfort in the ten years since its tragic ending. So, while she hated the pretense, she couldn't refuse

Shelby Greer is horrified when she learns a mysterious man is threatening to harm her to get revenge on her father. Gray Compton is so sexy and charming. Shelby wouldn't mind him following her night and day--if he wasn't the man who once ruthlessly rejected her. It soon becomes clear that Gray is also attracted to Shelby. He's determined to stay professional and keep his hands off her...but can he resist?

A scorching seduction? Jacinta knew as soon as Paul McAlpine opened his front door that she shouldn't stay. Gerard had warned her not to fall for Paul, his cousin, during her visit to Waitapu, New Zealand. But she already had--ten months ago! She'd kept her distance then, determined not to give into the compelling attraction she'd felt for this man. Now she faced spending a long, hot summer in Paul's company. How on earth was she going to deny their mutual, sizzling desire?

A marriage proposal -- Italian-style! Beth was left breathless when gorgeous Italian tycoon Dex Giordanni proposed marriage--within days of meeting her! But then she overheard a conversation that chilled her: Dex wanted to wed her to settle a family score. Beth prepared herself to end their engagement--how could she ham born so naive as to think Dex was really interested in a virgin like her? But Dex didn't take no for an answer. If a diamond ring couldn't seduce her to the altar, then he would!