May Indulgence Release Day

CEO Aiden Kelley’s life of billionaire extravagance is flipped upside down when his ex shows up with a ten-year-old she claims is his. Totally out of his element and losing the control so integral to his success, he needs help. To top it all off, the only constant woman in his life, his executive assistant, has given notice just when he needs her help to survive his newfound fatherhood.

Chelsea Houston is an executive assistant, not a nanny. The only person more clueless about kids is her boss. Helping him on a daddy-daughter road trip is her last task before he’ll accept her two weeks’ notice and she can be free of the infuriating man she’s had a crush on for longer than she’d admit.

Aiden’s carefully ordered life has never been so disorganized, and he’s suddenly tempted by the things he thought he could never have. Things like love and family. Who knew chaos could be so damn fun?

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About the Author

USA Today Bestselling Author Virginia Nelson is the hybrid author best known for The Penthouse Prince. Aside from that, she’s the mother of three wonderful biological children and tons of adopted kids and critters. Virginia is a graduate of Kent State University with an Associate of Science and a Bachelor of Arts in English and a current student at Seton Hill University where she’s pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Writing Popular Fiction. Sometimes called the rainbow unicorn of romance, she loves to hear from her readers!

Books for sale. Snark for free.

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Eric Hamilton isn’t looking for love. Hell, he isn’t even looking for a girl. He has a five-year plan, and he’s one hundred percent focused on that. But then Shelby walks into his life, and suddenly, he can’t think about anything else. Unfortunately for him, she hates his guts, and wants nothing to do with him. But he’s a man who loves a challenge.

Shelby Jefferson can’t wait to get out of the city, and back to her country roots. She moved to Atlanta for a guy who promptly left her, and the last thing she wants is to fall for another man who might make her want to stay. But Eric is nothing if not persistent, and before long she’s inside his arms, in his bed, and she’s falling for him. Hard. But when history repeats itself, and she has to choose between a man and herself––again.

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About the Author

Diane Alberts is a USA TODAY bestselling Contemporary Romance author with Entangled Publishing. Under the name Jen McLaughlin, she also writes New York Times, USA TODAY, and Wall Street Journal bestselling books with Penguin RandomHouse. She was mentioned in Forbes alongside E. L. James as one of the breakout independent authors to dominate the bestselling lists. Diane is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.

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Spotlight: So Wicked by Melissa Marino

Fate has a wicked sense of humor.
 
Alexis's new life was made up of two things: baking and hiding the details of her old life in Chicago. The first allowed her to finally find some happiness. And the second is about to be destroyed by a man who knows all her secrets.
 
Marshall Rawlins was prepared to do anything when he moved cross-country to launch an upscale cocktail bar---anything except work with Alexis, his best friend and business partner's ex-wife. Adding Alexis's boozy-baked goods to his menu would be a major feat for his bar. But striking a deal means getting in bed with the enemy.
 
Battling between distrust and desire, Alexis and Marshall give in to a passionate, forbidden affair. They know if they're discovered the consequences would be bad---it's just hard to remember that when being together feels so, so good.

Excerpt

“Al?” he muttered.

And then it wasn’t about what was right or wrong, or needing or wanting.

It was about me.

It was about him.

Us.

I rotated my head to bring my eyes back to his.

And then there was nothing else to say.

No more questions.

No more answers.

His lips touched mine, so tentative at first to gauge if I would kiss him back. I did, not because I wanted to, but because I needed to. We sighed against each other’s lips as heat rose all around us. One kiss, and we retreated only slightly, glancing into each other’s eyes for reassurance, before our mouths, our lips, were back where we both wanted them to be.

On each other.

My hands wrapped around his neck to bring him even closer, as I was backed up into my car. His body pressed against mine, and with no place for me to run to, I melted. Our lips parted simultaneously, our tongues meeting together with mutual moans. His hands slipped around the small space behind me, gripping the fabric at the back of my uniform dress in his fists, before releasing and moving them up and down.

I tasted what was left of my cupcake creation on his tongue, the hint of bourbon and chocolate, and it made something move inside me.

All I could think was this wasn’t just a good kiss. This was an amazing kiss—a kiss that I’d remember. It wasn’t crazed or rushed, but it wasn’t tentative. It was desire and longing coming together in a movie-worthy kiss sequence.

He moved. I moved. Together. Perfectly.

Cars passed by, alarms went off, and the conversations from people walking down the street behind us, going about their lives like they had no idea the world was imploding, were all there.

But I heard nothing.

It was only his hands in my hair, his mouth on my neck, and his panting breath against my skin. My fingers dug into his hair, yanking him closer, but with no room for him to move, he nudged my legs open with his knee and stepped in between them.

He paused for a moment and I startled.

I asked, “Is this okay?” as I continued to stare at his lips.

We were out in the open, outside the bar, for all to see. Any of his employees or people who knew me could’ve seen.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

A question with a question, and there was no right answer. Logic and reason would bring me to one direction. His pleading eyes that my own had drifted to would lead me to another.

“Yes,” I whispered.

I wanted more. I wanted him.

All of him.

I wanted his words against my lips and his hands on my bare skin. I wanted to trace the tip of my tongue across every one of his tattoos and know their story. I wanted us to kiss all the bad memories away and remember how good it was to be wanted.

And as I looked at him straight on, feeling him hard against my leg, I knew he wanted the same.

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About the Author

Melissa Marino is a full-time writer and part-time Storm Trooper collector. When she's not writing, you can find her watching Friends reruns, mastering her cupcake frosting swirl and hunting for the perfect red lipstick. Melissa lives in Chicago with her husband, son and very opinionated dachshund.

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Giveaway

Enter to win 1 of 15 free ebook downloads of So Wicked! http://bit.ly/2oeRPVf

Spotlight: Against the Rules by Julia Black

Rule #1: Do not get emotionally involved with any men for the next 15 years.
Rule #2: Do not bring any men home.
Rule #3: Read rules 1 and 2 again because apparently they aren’t working …

The most important thing in Kiera Arlington’s life is Luana, her four-years-old daughter. Though Kiera feels her life is a series of mistakes and disappointments, she knows Luana isn’t one of them. And she will do anything to keep disappointments from her little girl for as long as she can.

After his harsh upbringing, Josh Wolfe has one rule: to make a name for himself after med school and enjoy his life–alone. No relationships, no marriage, no kids. But when he meets Kiera and Luana, everything changes. Kiera is like all the other girls he goes for–beautiful, smart–and yet it’s that glimpse of family that keeps her–and her daughter–on his mind.

But surrendering to their increasing desire is against Josh’s and Kiera’s rules. Unless, they can keep their hearts out of the game.

Oops. Too late.

**Graphic content and strong language (18+)

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About the Author

Julia is an author of sexy contemporary romance with strong heroines and even stronger heroes. She lives in a small town in the Carolinas with her husband and their two kids.

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Read an excerpt from Gabe by Leigh James

His Woman. His Family. His Company.

When the going gets tough, the tough get Alpha.

Silicon Valley billionaire CEO Gabriel Betts has finally found the happiness he’s been searching for—in gorgeous, brilliant fellow billionaire Lauren Taylor, the so-called reigning queen of the biotech industry. But when Chinese healthcare mogul Li Na Zhao kidnaps Lauren’s sister in a high-stakes game of corporate espionage, the world they’ve worked so hard to protect comes crashing down. Li Na agrees to trade Hannah for Lauren’s Paragon Laboratories and her help—onsite and in person. In an attempt to keep Lauren safe, Gabe calls in his security-industry professional brothers to help get Hannah back. But when the rescue effort stumbles, Gabe must pick up the pieces to protect the woman he loves…before she makes the ultimate sacrifice.    

Excerpt

This is at the beginning of the book, when Gabe and Lauren get some terrible news.

I woke up and rolled over, stretching, my limbs loose and relaxed as I pulled Lauren’s warm body closer. Her soft moan brought back memories of last night, when I’d blindfolded her and tied her up.

Among other things.

I grinned against her bare skin as she slept. Lauren Taylor, reigning queen of the biotech industry and, until quite recently, a very uptight virgin, had been letting her wild side out to play lately. I trailed my fingers down her side, wondering if she’d be up for an encore performance this morning.

My phone rang, and I grabbed it, hoping she would sleep awhile longer. On the caller ID, I saw Timmy’s number. I’d thought Lauren’s security guard was asleep in the guesthouse next door. Because he never called to chat, I said, “What’s the matter?”

“Mr. Betts, we’ve had a breach.”

I jumped out of bed. “Is someone here? At the house?”

“No, sir. Not here. I’m afraid it’s worse—it’s Hannah.”

Hannah was Lauren’s younger sister. “What?”

“Someone’s taken her.”

“What?”

“Someone kidnapped her from Lauren’s house. I just got the call.”

Lauren sat up and rubbed her eyes.

I needed to stay calm for her sake. “What about the security guards?”

“They shot the two guards outside. They also shot Wes—he was in the house with Hannah.”

Wesley was Hannah’s bodyguard and boyfriend.

Fuck. “Did anyone make it?”

Lauren’s head whipped around. “What’s going on?”

I motioned for her to hang on.

“Wes is the only guard who made it,” Timmy said. “He’s at the ER right now—I don’t know what his condition is, except it’s bad. But Hannah’s alive, thank God. The security tape shows them leaving with her.”

“Have you talked to the police?”

“They’re at the scene. Do you want me to go too?”

“Sit tight for right now. Call Paragon and let security know what happened. I’ll talk to Lauren and call you back.”

“What happened?”

I sat down and took her hand. “That was Timmy. There was a security breach at your house. Someone broke in and took Hannah. They shot the guards and Wesley, but he’s alive. He’s in the ER.”

Her face went blank, as if the information didn’t compute. “I’m sorry? What?”

I squeezed her hand. “Hannah’s been kidnapped.”

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About the Author

Leigh James is an author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. She is a vocal lover of strapping alpha males in movies, books and real life, which makes her three kids roll their eyes and makes her husband feel appreciated.

When she's not writing, you can usually find her reading or watching Outlander, Game of Thrones, and Vikings (see penchant for alpha males, above). She has a degree in journalism from the University of New Hampshire, which is good for deadlines and word counts, and a law degree from Suffolk University with a Concentration in High Technology Law, which is helpful when writing about sexy tech billionaires with legal woes.

For more information about Leigh, please visit her website, “Like” Leigh on Facebook and follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Goodreads. Join Leigh’s newsletter to be the first to hear about upcoming releases. She’s loves hearing from her readers. Email her directly at leighjames@leighjamesbooks.com.

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Read an excerpt from His Last Rodeo by Claire McEwen

Back in the saddle again… 

Tyler Ellis catches Kit Hayes completely off guard when he swaggers back home and into the bar she manages. Since high school, he's been a champion rodeo star…a notorious playboy…and now, apparently, a bar owner. She accepts his offer of a hefty bonus and helps him transform the place because she's desperate to escape their tiny town in the Sierras. She doesn't expect him to work this hard beside her. Where's the cocky cowboy he's supposed to be? Instead she discovers he's still the sweet, genuine young man she once knew. And so much more…including a threat to the adventurous life she craves.

Excerpt

Kit glanced at his towel in horror. “Use the lint-free kind.” She handed him a towel from the stack on the shelf over the sink. “Jeez, you are green, aren’t you?”

“Green at this,” Tyler admitted. “But rumor has it I’m a pretty quick study.”

“Well, I guess we’ll find out if the rumors are true,” she teased. “It’s your first Friday night, isn’t it?”

“It sure is.” He tried to smile, but it felt a little weak. “I’m looking forward to it. But I’ve got a few nerves.”

“You should. You have no idea what you’re doing.” Her intoxicating combination of sass and mischief had the glass slipping out of his hand, so he had to hustle to catch it.

“Nice reflexes,” she murmured. “Maybe there’s hope for you yet.”

“If you help me out tonight, there is. I can pour a pint—”

“Barely.”

“—and measure out a shot. But if I get anything more complicated than that, I’m toast.”

“You don’t know your cocktails?”

“Don’t drink ’em myself. I’ve been reading recipes, but I’m more of a hands-on learner.” A nice way of saying that half the words he read made no sense. He glanced hopefully in her direction. “I just need a good teacher.”

“You want me to train you? You won’t be embarrassed?”

“When you rodeo, you learn by falling on your ass in front of hundreds of people. This can’t be more humiliating than that.”

She studied him from underneath her thick black lashes. “What’s in it for me?”

“A boss who’s not totally incompetent?”

Her slow smile could melt metal. “But that could be kind of fun to watch.”

“No shit-show is fun to watch for long. Plus I saw you with those customers. You pretend to be all tough, but you have a soft spot for the lost and lonely. I’m part of that club right now.”

“You?” She laughed, soft and bitter. He’d give a lot to know what put that resentment in her soul. “Not the words I’d ever use to describe someone like you.”

“Someone like me will pay you a training stipend. A hundred extra bucks each night.”

“Now you’re trying to buy my help?” She scrubbed the pint glass in her hand with extra vigor. “Not everything can be bought, you know. Loyalty, for example.”

“I’m not asking for your loyalty, though that would be nice,” Tyler said. “I’m trying to treat you like a professional. You have years of experience. I have none and I need to learn. So I pay you extra to share your expertise with me. It’s only right.”

“Fine,” she said quietly. “I’ll do it. But you have to be willing to move fast and do what I say.”

“I’m yours to command,” he said, liking the flush creeping up her cheeks at the tiny innuendo. “And I appreciate the help.”

She grabbed a stack of dry glasses. “Well, let’s get going then. It’s getting loud out there, which means it’s getting busy.”

They rounded the corner and Tyler was amazed to see a crowd that stretched almost to the door. A quick scan revealed a collection of some of the most rugged-looking folks he’d ever seen in one place. Bikers in leather, ranch hands in hats, jeans and bowlegs. Women in tight T-shirts and big hair. Kit glanced over her shoulder. “Welcome to the Dusty Saddle. Hope you’re ready to earn your spurs.”

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About the Author

Claire McEwen lives by the ocean in Northern California with her family and a scruffy, mischievous terrier.  She loves writing stories where strong heroes and heroines take big, emotional journeys to find their happily-ever-afters.  When not dreaming up new books, she can be found digging in her garden with a lot of enthusiasm but, unfortunately, no green thumb.  She loves discovering flea-market treasures, walking on the beach, dancing, traveling and reading, of course! 

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Read an excerpt from Stand by A.L. Jackson

From NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author A.L. Jackson comes the next seductive, unforgettable Bleeding Stars Stand-Alone Novel…

Zachary Kennedy has never been known as a fighter, but he’ll never regret fighting for her…

I’m Zee Kennedy.

Quiet. Reserved. Predictable.

When my brother died, everyone thought I was just the good guy who stepped up to take his place in the band.

No one knew what I was hiding. The one thing I’ve been fighting for.

For seven years, I’ve never lost focus.

Not until one chance encounter with Alexis Kensington.

Now she’s become my greatest temptation.

I knew better than to touch her, but now that I’ve had a taste, I can’t get enough.

Her kiss becomes my air. Her body my salvation.

She needed a savior and somehow she became mine.

Taking her was a betrayal. But keeping her means risking everything.

One look at Alexis Kensington, and I know she’s worth the fight.

Will my past continue to keep me down or will I finally find the strength to pull myself up and Stand…

Excerpt

I froze, awareness shivering through the air, chills prickling across my flesh. I swore I felt my axis tilt, bending and bending and bending until my direction had been altered.

Sucking in a breath, I peeked over my shoulder. My heart trembled and shook.

Staring back at me were brilliant brown eyes that raged and stormed and promised they were getting ready to wreak a new kind of havoc on my life.

On the opposite side of the street, he pushed from the wall where he’d been watching. He didn’t hesitate. He came straight for me. His gaze only broke from mine to dart back and forth at the small street before he began to cross it in long, purposed strides.

A frenzy lit. A quiver of attraction that rocked and provoked.

I was fixed to the spot, gaze enraptured as I watched the intricate ink dance and play over the corded muscles that bunched and flexed in his thick arms. So much strength in his body and so much beauty in his being.

I swore he stole the air when he stopped two feet away. Hands fisted, he glowered over me.

I stumbled my way through the choppy words. “What…what are you doing here?”

His were hard. “Think I could ask you the same question.”

I shook myself out of the stupor. “Are you following me?”

It came off as an accusation that was somehow half-pleased and half-offended.

Standing in front of me was a man who was little more than a stranger, who had been tracking me, and I couldn’t stop the excitement that thrilled in my bones. I couldn’t stop the comfort that washed through me at his concern.

But I knew it was even more than that.

Over the last three weeks, I’d spent too much time wondering if I’d ever see this beautiful boy again.

“Maybe.” Frustration laced his tone. At him or me, I couldn’t tell.

I blinked at him, tongue-tied, my confusion and surprise tumbling out. “That’s just…weird.”

God. I was brilliant.

But what was I supposed to say? This boy caught me unaware at every turn, always at the advantage.

He almost laughed, this sound that was exasperated and filled with disbelief. “Weird?”

I bit at my lip, fighting a smile that really shouldn’t have been there. But he was here, again finding me when I felt helpless and vulnerable.

I nodded emphatically, clutching the lightness that whispered through the air. “That’s right. Weird.”

With his index finger, he scratched at the back of his head. He chuckled low, this sound that rumbled through my senses and warmed my belly. “I’m sure there are plenty of other things we could call this other than weird, don’t you think? This is just…”

I frowned when he trailed off and took a step in his direction. “What?”

Helplessly, he looked back at me. “I can’t do this, Alexis. I’ve got a sh*t show getting ready to blow up in my life, and the only thing I can think about right now is you. Can’t go to sleep at night because I’m terrified you might be sneaking off and doing something that’s going to land you in trouble again. That I might not be there to save you next time. And when I do finally nod off? I wake up in the morning panicked, praying you’re okay and having no way to make sure.”

His tongue darted out to wet his lips. My gaze followed, entranced by the thick bob of his throat as he swallowed.

“I don’t have the first clue what you’ve done to me, but I’m not sure I can handle whatever it is I’m feeling.”

About the Author

A.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.

Her bestselling series include THE REGRET SERIES, CLOSER TO YOU, as well as the newest BLEEDING STARS novels. Watch for the next installment STAND, coming Spring 2017.

If she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.

Be sure not to miss new releases and sales from A.L. Jackson - Sign up to receive her newsletter http://smarturl.it/NewsFromALJackson or text “aljackson” to 24587 to receive short but sweet updates on all the important news.

Connect: Facebook | Reader Group | Bookbub | Twitter: @aljacksonauthor | Instagram: @aljacksonauthor | Snapchat: @aljacksonauthor | Website

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