Livres - Bibliographie

A hundred years ago, the high sorcerer of Velensperia launched a swift and deadly attack against the Draegans--a race of dragon shapeshifters who had always lived in harmony with the humans. The Draegans were all but destroyed, with the few who remained scattered and in hiding. Now, a group of them have united and begun to fight back. Their leader, Keiran Hareldson, seeks to free his people from the cruel repression the high sorcerer's reign has imposed on them.

Gaige Rizik is captain of the sorcerer's High Guard, and known for his lethal ability to hunt down his prey with no remorse. His orders are to infiltrate the Draegan rebels' camp, learn their plans, and identify their leader so he can be destroyed. But when Gaige joins the rebels, posing as a human sympathizer to the Draegans' cause, he discovers the shapeshifters aren't the bloodthirsty beasts he's been led to believe, and their leader is a passionately captivating man who only wants what's best for his people. Keiran sparks powerful emotions in Gaige, tearing down his walls of steely control, and stirring a longing in him he can't deny.

Torn between his duty to the high sorcerer and his growing feelings not only for Keiran, but for the Draegan way of life, Gaige knows he's damned no matter which side he chooses. In a world of lies, deception, and dark secrets, one false move will bring destruction to all he's begun to hold dear. With the fate of so many lives on his shoulders, Gaige's only hope is to follow his heart...and pray it's true enough to save them all.

A hundred years ago, the high sorcerer of Velensperia launched a swift and deadly attack against the draegans—a race of dragon shapeshifters who’d always lived in harmony with the humans. The draegans were all but destroyed, with the few who remained, scattered and in hiding. But after a century of cruel repression, a group of them have united and begun to fight back. Their leader, Keiran Hareldson, is determined to free his people from the high sorcerer’s tyranny.

Gaige Rizik used to be the captain of the sorcerer’s High Guard, and known for his lethal ability to hunt down his prey with no remorse. His last assignment was to infiltrate the draegan rebel’s camp, identify the leader, and eliminate him. But the more deeply Gaige became entrenched with the draegans and their passionate, compelling leader, the more torn he became over his mission. Keiran sparked powerful emotions in Gaige and stirred a longing in him he couldn’t deny. No one, least of all him, expected him to fall in love with the very man he’d sworn to kill. When he chose to defect to the draegans’ side, his betrayal to the sorcerer came at a high personal cost. Left for dead in the sorcerer’s dungeon, Keiran barely found him in time.

Now, the hunter has become the hunted. With the high sorcerer bent on annihilating every last draegan and all those who support them, a secret revealed from Keiran’s past becomes their best hope for survival. From the deep forests of Velensperia to the ancient draegan stronghold of Kellesborne, only the strength of two determined men and their fierce love for one another stand between the people they protect and an evil conjured from the bowels of hell itself.

A Draegan Lords Interlude

Having lived his entire life under the veil of the high sorcerer’s repression, Wen Daneson grew up with a sword in his hand. Now, at twenty-eight he’s already earned the rank of second lieutenant in the draegan lord’s guard and been granted the privilege of sitting on the lord’s council of advisors. In spite of his achievements, he’s made a point of keeping his distance from personal relationships. He’s seen too many people develop close bonds and share their hearts, only to have everything torn apart with one slash of a sword.

Which is why his attraction to the human Wesley Brannock unsettles him so much. There’s something different about Wesley. Wen doesn’t want to care about the younger man, but when he’s tasked with training the inexperienced yet naturally talented Wesley for a position in the guard, being around him stirs powerful emotions he can’t understand.

Wesley grew up living in secluded villages, learning at a young age to hide from prying eyes and keep to himself. Having spent most of his formative years with little company, when the settlement where he lives is attacked by the sorcerer’s soldiers, he’s frustrated that he doesn’t have the skills to fight back. The draegans who came to their aide encourage the residents to relocate to the draegan camp, and when they do, a new world opens to Wesley.

He’s determined not only to learn how to protect himself but to join the draegan lord’s guard and be part of something that matters. But when he’s paired with the passionately intense Lieutenant Daneson, he begins to doubt whether he’s suited for the guard at all. Not only does the lieutenant push him hard while never letting him close, keeping Wesley constantly torn over his feelings for the man, being around so many people after years of isolation makes it hard to keep the secret he’s spent his whole life protecting.

On the eve of war, the two young men have to decide if facing their secret fears will destroy them or give them unexpected strength to face the coming darkness.

A hundred years ago, the high sorcerer of Velensperia launched a swift and deadly attack against the draegans—a race of dragon shapeshifters who’d always lived in harmony with the humans. The draegans were all but destroyed, with the few who remained, scattered and in hiding. But after a century of cruel repression, a group of them have united and begun to fight back. Their leader, Keiran Hareldson, is determined to free his people from the high sorcerer’s tyranny. For years he hid the secret of his heritage, knowing the truth would make him and those around him a target of the sorcerer’s wrath. But the time has come to fight the sorcerer in the open, and once the news spreads that Keiran is the sole surviving draegan lord, draegans and humans alike begin to flock to the draegan camp for protection.

Gaige Rizik used to be the captain of the sorcerer’s High Guard. His last assignment was to infiltrate the draegan rebel’s camp, identify the leader, and eliminate him. No one, least of all him, expected him to fall in love with the very man he’d sworn to kill. Gaige defects to the draegans’ side, and he and Keiran bind themselves to one another not only by love, but by blood when they go through the true mate ritual. With their blood merged, it allows Gaige to inherit the powerful magick of the draegan lords. But inheriting it and using it are two different things. Gaige has trouble tapping into the magick because he feels unworthy of the gift. Only half-draegan, he fears his human side and his past as the high sorcerer’s right hand will forever tarnish his future as Keiran’s mate and second in command.

When Keiran is stolen by an ancient demon from the shadow world, Gaige is left with the fate of the draegan people in his hands. They turn to him as their new lord, and he’s torn between his duty to them, and his desperate need to find his mate. Through shadow and torment, fire and darkness, Gaige and Keiran struggle to hold back the tide of the sorcerer’s ever-expanding war and stop the new and even deadlier evil that threatens their lands. In their darkest hour, only their fierce love for one another, and Gaige’s acceptance of his power, stand between them and the destruction of all they know.

Logan Shoemaker’s honest, hardworking, and loves what he does. Though he never expects to get rich, he’s fared well enough to stay comfortable with his quirky metaphysical store, Shoemaker’s Magick Shoppe. But when the economy falls on hard times, his store pays the price. As each month passes, slow sales turn into no sales, and soon Logan’s living off ramen noodles and sleeping in a freezing house during the cold winter nights as he struggles to make ends meet. His personal life isn’t much better—the worse business at the store grows, the more isolated and lonely he becomes. After a string of mishaps that wipe out the last of his small savings, he finally hits rock bottom the day he discovers the disconnection notice from the electric company hanging on his door. That night, desperate and in despair, he makes a plea to the universe, asking for help.

Needless to say, he never anticipates receiving a response so quickly. Not only does he awaken the next morning to find on his kitchen table four little bottles of a special potion labeled “PASSION,” but he keeps remembering the erotically charged dream he’d had during the night. A dream where a tall, gorgeous man with pointed ears comes to his bed and shows him just what kind of magick they can make together.

But was it a dream? All Logan knows is that his customers can’t get enough of the special potion—an aphrodisiac—and he can’t stop thinking about the sweet seduction of the nighttime visitor who made it. As he tries to sort out what’s real and what’s not, he discovers there’s a much bigger world out there than he’d ever believed, and his true heart’s desire might come in a most unexpected form...

As the owner and CEO of his own company, Robert Bauer has spent the past fifteen years building his business into a multi-million-dollar corporation. It’s taken all his time and energy, which hasn’t left much room for a personal life, especially a love life. That’s fine with Robert because he doesn’t believe in the "L word" anyway. Lately, however, every time he goes to his favorite bar, he can’t keep his eyes and thoughts off Jesse McIntyre, the gorgeous bartender with the soulful blue eyes. Even though Robert’s not looking for a relationship, and tries to shake the attraction, he can’t get the younger man out of system. There’s just one problem...he believes Jesse’s straight.

Jesse’s been on the run from his old life for the past two and a half years. Even though he slings drinks at a gay bar, he has a hard and fast rule about never hooking up with customers. He’s been down that road before, and though his physical wounds have healed, the emotional ones aren’t so easy to forget. He lets his customers assume he’s straight because it makes it easier to keep his distance. That is, until the businessman with the sexy smile starts coming into the bar. Jesse’s drawn to Robert, even though he knows there’s no way a wealthy, powerful man like that would ever be interested in a tattooed, college drop-out, bad-boy like him. But even if Robert weren’t his opposite, it wouldn’t matter anyway, because Jesse’s determined not to break his rules for anyone.

When fate throws them together, and they find themselves alone for a weekend, the passion that has silently simmered for months ignites a firestorm that leaves them both shaken. Will it be enough, though, to convince Robert, who’s sworn to never fall in love, that he might be pushing away the best thing that’s ever happened to him? Or to force Jesse to face his fears once and for all and learn to trust his heart?

Although Jesse McIntyre slings drinks in a gay bar, up until recently, he kept to himself and stuck to his rule never to hook up with customers. He’d been down that road before and bore the physical and emotional scars from it. The last thing he’d wanted was to fall for Robert Bauer, the wealthy businessman with the sexy smile who started frequenting the bar. They were opposites in every way, so Jesse never dreamed Robert, the pressed and polished owner and CEO of a multi-million dollar corporation, might be interested in a tattooed, college drop-out bad boy like him. But when fate threw them together for a long weekend, they finally gave into the passion that had been brewing, and the resulting explosion rocked their worlds.

Now, five months later, though the fire’s still burning sinfully hot between them, the realities of their opposite lifestyles begin to take a toll. Robert’s constant business travel weighs heavily on Jesse. When he realizes they’re having more phone sex than real sex, and he’s sleeping alone the majority of the time despite the fact he and Robert are supposedly living together, he worries there’s more behind Robert’s trips than just business. Jesse’s sure Robert’s avoiding him, avoiding them, but through the years his lover has built so many thick, protective walls to guard his emotions, Jesse finds it tough to get past them and discover why. He loves the man like crazy, and doesn’t doubt Robert loves him, too, yet will love be enough to overcome whatever is haunting Robert and heal the rift that’s slowly tearing them apart?

It started with one kiss. Which led to another. And another. And then to a mind-blowing night of intimacy Jeremy Reynolds can’t forget. He can’t stop thinking about the gorgeous, smart, compassionate man who tilted his world. Can’t stop seeing warm, sexy eyes gazing at him with breath-stealing intensity.

Jeremy tries to tell himself to let the incident go, move on, and chalk it up to a life experience. After all, what transpired between him and his best friend and roommate, Ben Cross, can never happen again. Ben is gay, and Jeremy...isn’t. At least he’s never thought he was before. But now he’s torn and confused and not sure what the night with Ben meant—for either of them. Already stressed about final exams before the holidays and his difficult family situation, Jeremy doesn’t know how to deal with the conflicting feelings he’s having. And the one person he’s always been able to talk to about everything, and who’s always been there for him, is the very person he’s been avoiding for the past week because he doesn’t know how to face him after waking up in his bed.

Afraid he might have already screwed up his and Ben’s friendship beyond repair, Jeremy is haunted even more by the backlash he could face if he admits to Ben, or even to himself, how much the night they spent together really meant to him.

And how much he still wants Ben even now...

To most, Al Baxter’s life seems charmed—he’s got looks, smarts, friends, and is headed to law school in the fall. But under the surface, things are far from perfect. Al’s mother is pursuing a career in national politics, and when her staff uncovers a potentially devastating secret Al’s been keeping from his family for the past four years, a painful rift forms in the once close-knit Baxter clan. Wanting to do the right thing to support his mother’s career, but conflicted over his growing desire to live his life in the open on his own terms, the last thing Al’s expecting, or needs, is to fall for stubborn and oh-so-serious Elliot Cullimore. Especially since Elliot has a protective fortress the size of Texas built around his heart.

Raised by a struggling single mother, Elliot Cullimore learned early that nothing in life was easy. That truth hit home when, at the age of twelve, a life-threatening illness left him partially deaf, making his teenage years difficult as he learned to cope with his new reality. Now, he works long hours to put himself through college. And he holds no illusions about ever finding love. He knows from painful experience that being a nerdy, hard-of-hearing guy doesn’t exactly make him a hot commodity. When he meets Al Baxter, however, he’s blindsided by his feelings for the man. The trouble is, Al is exactly the type of guy Elliot swore he’d never be with—rich, entitled, and one who has always had everything he ever wanted fall at his feet. And worse, Al’s hiding who he really is and pretending to be something he’s not. How can Elliot trust his heart to a man who can’t live his own life with honesty?

But for the first time, Al finally knows what he wants, and he’s willing to fight for Elliot. Even if it means risking everything...

“The smart guy”—Sebastian Keller’s lived with that label most of his life. Though he hasn’t always appreciated it, and it hasn’t exactly made him a man magnet, he’s put his intelligence to work building his store, Great Escapes Travel Book Shop, to the point it’s now the favorite recommendation of travel agents in the St. Louis area. His customers—especially the jet-setting senior citizens—love him for his amiable personality.

He doesn’t feel very amiable, however, when Rad Tattoos moves in next door to Great Escapes. Its owner, Dylan Radamacher, rubs Sebastian the wrong way from the get-go. The man’s insufferable, stubborn, and, worse, a bad boy. Everything Sebastian loathes. To add insult to injury, Sebastian’s certain the loud music, the congested parking lot, and the constant colorful parade of the counterculture in and out of the tattoo studio are scaring away his loyal, conservative customers.

And yet, much to his annoyance, the teasing sparkle in Dylan’s eyes, his hot, inked body, and come-hither voice set Sebastian’s libido on fire. Sebastian’s “been there, done that” with the bad-boy type before, though, and almost lost everything because of it. There’s no way he’s going down that road again.

But when Dylan sets his sights on Sebastian and is determined to take him for a walk on the wild side, Sebastian knows he’s in big trouble. It’s going to take all his smarts and a whole lot of willpower to resist the sexy tattoo artist before the man finds a way to burrow deeper under his skin...

The sequel to Amber Allure’s former #1 Best Seller Under My Skin...

Sebastian Keller’s lived with the label “the smart guy” most of his life. He hasn’t always appreciated it, and it certainly hasn’t worked to his advantage in most romantic relationships—for years it seemed he was destined to attract the wrong type. So the last thing he’d wanted this past spring was to fall for the hunky tattoo artist who moved his shop in next door to Sebastian’s thriving bookstore. Dylan Radamacher, owner of Rad Tattoos, was everything Sebastian loathed. Let’s face it, bookish geeks and counterculture bad boys weren’t made to mix. Something Sebastian knew from painful personal experience.

But when Dylan, with his teasing smile, hot, inked body, and come-hither voice, set his sights on Sebastian, determined to prove that some bad boys could be very, very good indeed, Sebastian found the man impossible to resist.

For two months things between them have been sinfully spectacular, and Sebastian hates to rock the boat. But the truth is, in spite of his own commitment issues, he’s fallen in love with the sexy tattooist. Dylan, on the other hand, seems determined to avoid the “L” word at all costs. As their relationship shifts toward the serious side, can the guys overcome their fears and take the steps that will bring them the kind of love that lasts a lifetime? Or will their old baggage come back to haunt them and tear them apart for good?

Will McLaren and Ethan Gallagher first met in high school. Ethan—sophisticated, cocky, and full of wild daring—was everything bookish and quiet Will was not. Yet they’d instantly connected and forged an unlikely friendship that had carried them through their teens and well into adulthood. Even as teenagers, though, they’d always kept secrets from one another...hidden bits about their lives and desires they feared could destroy their friendship.

As adults, the secrets have become heavy burdens to bear, forcing them to keep their distance from one another and make up stories to hide the truth. Then, in an unguarded moment, Will lets his secret slip. His revelation explodes into a night of unexpected passion that stuns them both.

When Ethan disappears the next morning, Will blames himself, and as the months pass with no word, he’s convinced he’s driven away his best friend. He forces himself to move on with his life and try to forget.

But three years later, Ethan shows up again, only a shell of the vibrant man Will once knew, and mysteriously evasive about where he’s been. When Ethan makes a confession of his own, can the two men recapture the friendship they’d once shared, and maybe even build something more powerful? Or will the hurts and deceptions of the past tear them apart for good?

Sequel to Amber Allure's #1 Best Seller Never Let Go...

For years Will McClaren and Ethan Gallagher hid their deepest desires from one another, each thinking the other was straight, both of them too afraid of shattering their friendship to admit their real feelings. Then, in a vulnerable moment, they discovered the truth and gave themselves over to an explosive passion that would forever alter their relationship. But after only one night together, Ethan’s secret life interfered and the two were torn apart for three long years. When at last Ethan returned, the two men had to overcome years of deceptions and tragic truths in order to heal their friendship and find the kind of love that lasts a lifetime.

But now, only a few weeks later, their hard-won peace and contentment is put to the test. Someone from Ethan’s dark and dangerous past has returned to settle a vindictive score, luring Will and Ethan into a deadly game. When Will’s caught in the crossfire and his very life is at stake, will Ethan be strong enough to overcome his debilitating fears and face down his old enemy? Or will this shadow from his past destroy the one man he’s ever loved?

Book I in the Vertigo Chronicles series...

Each night Simon Saint-Saens hunts the creatures of darkness that others fear--beings that come through dimensional rifts into our world from a world called Vertigo. Simon has unexplained superpowers that help him fight, but his is a desolate existence, fraught with danger. He works by himself and never allows anyone to get too close to him because his powers come at a terrible cost--a secret he's never revealed to anyone. Better to be alone than jeopardize the life of someone he cares about.

Enslaved in Vertigo for years, Jaden Cole was one of the innocent lives Simon saved when he first started hunting. Jade had almost forgotten what it meant to be human...until Simon found him and brought him back to this world. But when their friendship turned into something more, Simon sent Jade away and cut him out of his life to keep Jade safe.

Nine years later, when a new, powerful evil stirs to life in Vertigo and targets Simon as its enemy, Jade returns. He's not the same innocent he was all those years ago, though. Now he has his own secret, one that could turn Simon against him, even force Simon to kill him. But Jade's willing to risk everything, even his life, to save the man he's always loved.

Book II in The Vertigo Chronicles, and sequel to Amber Allure's best-seller Vertigo...

With a mysterious past he can't remember, and special powers he can't explain, Simon Saint-Saens hunts the creatures of darkness others fear--beings that come through dimensional rifts into this world from a world called Vertigo. It's a dangerous, desolate existence, and with only one exception from long ago that left him broken-hearted and riddled with guilt, Simon's chosen to isolate himself and fight alone. But when the man he'd once loved and thought dead makes a sudden and shocking appearance, Simon finds himself torn between his self-imposed duty and the deeply entrenched feelings he still has for Jaden Cole.

Enslaved in Vertigo since childhood, Jade was one of the innocent lives Simon saved when he first began hunting. Simon took him in and nursed him back to health, but when their friendship grew into something deeper, he sent Jade away and cut him out of his life. Nine years later, when a new evil stirs to life in Vertigo and targets Simon as its enemy, Jade returns. He's not the same innocent he was when he and Simon first met, though. The years as a slave in Vertigo left him with a permanent and savage affliction, one he must battle constantly in order to keep a tentative grip on his humanity. His reunion with Simon is emotional and complicated. But even though he's now a creature of darkness, he's never stopped loving Simon and will risk everything to protect him.

After a battle in which Simon is almost killed, Jade knows there's only one being powerful enough to help them. He and Simon journey into the dark caverns beneath the city to an ancient realm of magic and illusion. There, Jade makes a deal that will help ensure Simon's protection from the wraith that wants him dead. In a world where human inhibitions are stolen at the door, however, and primal passions reign, Jade quickly finds himself losing control not only of the beast that lives within him, but a dark dangerous secret he's yet to share with Simon...one that could shatter everything...

For four years Rafferty Jones and Nick Tucker have worked side-by-side as police detectives in their small Maine town. But lately, Rafferty’s imagination has been creating fantasies about Nick—more specifically, about Nick and him together—that have shocked Rafferty. Detailed erotic scenarios a thirty-something, set-in-his-ways straight man shouldn’t be imagining. He’s been struggling to keep them secret, afraid that if Nick discovers the truth it will end their friendship. But with each passing day it’s getting harder and harder to pretend Nick is “just” a friend. And harder and harder for Rafferty to come to terms with the possibility he might not be as straight as he’s always believed.

Nick’s always known he’s gay and he’s had deep feelings for Rafferty for years. But after a difficult experience at his former police precinct in Boston, he decided when he moved to Maine to keep his sexual orientation under wraps on the job. He wants to be acknowledged at work for what he can do, not who he’s doing. And with Rafferty being straight, there’s always been a clear-cut line that Nick’s known he can’t cross with his unsuspecting partner and best friend. And yet...for the past few months it’s become difficult to remember that line. He’s not sure why, he just knows that for the first time in four years his heart and his body are urging him to go for what he really wants...Rafferty.

When a stormy weekend trip on Rafferty’s boat gives birth to an unexpected night of passion, will it be the spark they need to forge a new and deeper relationship? Or will Nick’s past and Rafferty’s fear drive a wedge between them that will destroy not only their barely-begun love affair, but their partnership and friendship as well?

Police Detective Riley Ellison has a new habit…stopping by a coffeehouse called the Java Pit on his way to work. The coffee’s good, but it’s not the rich flavor that lures him to drive blocks out of his way each morning, and it’s not an addiction to caffeine either. He’s half-embarrassed to admit it, but it’s the man who keeps him coming back. The long-legged, painted-on-jeans wearing, dark-haired, edgy sex god with the teasing eyes. He’s everything Riley—who has a history of geekdom and being flustered around hot men—is not. Riley knows he should put a stop to the daily forays because nothing can ever come of it. Guys like that aren’t interested in men like him. Yet every time the hunk meets his gaze across the crowed shop and aims a sizzling grin at him, Riley gives in and comes back to participate in the silent sexy, flirtation another day.

Needless to say, the last thing he’s expecting when he goes to question a witness about a murder at a local gay strip joint, is to discover the witness is his coffeehouse hottie. Dane Scott works as a stripper strictly for fun. He doesn’t need the money—he’s got plenty in the bank from his other career. He just likes to have something to keep him busy a few nights a week. When one of his fellow dancers turns up murdered outside the strip club, the police detective who shows up on Dane’s doorstep asking questions is none other than the sexy, blond cutie he’s been flirting with at the coffeehouse for weeks. Riley Ellison’s a fascinating contradiction—rugged, strong, serious-eyed hero and bashful boy next door. A combination Dane finds all too appealing and a refreshing change from the selfish, shallow men he’s known and dated in the past. From the moment Riley flashes his badge at Dane, Dane’s determined to show the skittish cop they can make magic together.

The heat between them quickly soars to the boiling point and not even a murder investigation can cool the passion they share. That is until new information on Riley’s case turns up that implies Dane may not be all seems…

As the leader of an elite British group that hunts criminals of the magic world, Christian Wetherly comes to the U. S. undercover, posing as a British cop, to investigate a series of murders he suspects have been committed by a dark mage. He never expects, however, to find himself intensely attracted to the American police detective in charge of the case. Christian has long struggled with his hidden desires and hasn't admitted them to anyone. But Alec Anderson stirs something deep within him that's difficult to ignore.

Still...even if he could master his fear of coming out, Christian's dedicated himself to protecting the world from magic terrors. It's a dangerous life an ordinary human could never understand or accept. And to complicate matters, Alec's emotionally vulnerable, still grieving the death of his previous lover, a fellow cop killed in the line of duty. So Christian's determined to keep his true occupation and powers hidden from Alec.

Neither man can deny the powerful chemistry that burns between them, and both realize they're falling hard for one another, yet with so many secrets and complications, a relationship seems impossible.

When the two men become the target of the dark magic, however, and clues about an ancient legacy come to light that indicate Alec may not be exactly what he seems, can they find the strength to tear down all the barriers between them and risk their hearts in order to save each other's lives?

As a child, Griffin Hilliard's special abilities were attributed to an overactive imagination. But by adulthood, his psychic talents were so strong he'd become a threat to his politically powerful family. To protect their dirty little secrets, they arranged an "accident" for him. He survived, but now he lives on the run, only one step ahead of his family's hired assassins.

Until one night, when he's finally caught...

His life is saved by a mysterious man named Jarrah. Griffin senses a dangerous, primal undercurrent in the stranger--as if he's not quite human. Yet Griffin's inexplicably drawn to him. It could be the emotional pain he suspects his rescuer hides. But Griffin fears the real reason is more disturbing--Jarrah stirs a powerful longing in him that goes against everything Griffin's ever believed about himself.

As the assassins close in once again, and his rescuer reveals himself for what he really is, Griffin's torn between running, as he's done his whole life, or standing up to face his past...and his own soul-deep desires...

Professor Aidan Sheridan has secretly fantasized about his grad student, Nathan Turner, for two long years. And now Nathan is hinting he’d like to move beyond their professional association to something on a deeper, more intimate level. Although Aidan longs to claim the sexy, younger man as a lover, he doesn’t dare admit that he, too, burns for more. Not if he intends to protect Nate from a bitter event in his own past that still haunts him.

When Nate suspects Aidan is hiding his real feelings, he takes matters into his own hands. The long-pent-up passion between them explodes into a night of erotic and emotional intensity neither man can forget. But in the light of day, will Nate’s love be enough to heal Aidan, or will the professor’s fears tear them apart?

Emrys Andrews grew up in a quaint New England town in a big, close-knit family. In school he was never a brain or a jock, and he wasn’t in the popular crowd, but he had good friends and was known as an all-around, nice-guy geek. His family, however, wasn’t exactly average. You see, Emrys lived in a town steeped in a rich history of witchcraft—Salem, Massachusetts. And the members of Emry’s family were, you guessed it, honest-to-goodness witches. Still, life had always been pretty great for him except for one little problem. While the rest of his family totally rocked the witch power, Emrys was, let’s say, magickally challenged. Even his family tended to avoid him when he did magick, as most had been victims of his wayward spells.

David Jennings was everything Emrys was not—sexy, popular, athletic, and a perfectly normal non-magick person. In spite of their differences, all it took was one look into David’s twinkling blue eyes and Emrys was a goner. He kept his crush secret, however, because his magick was usually at its worst when he was emotional or his adrenaline was pumping, and around David, he couldn’t control either.

When an unexpected encounter finally throws them together, Emrys discovers he’s not the only one who’s been fantasizing from afar, and sometimes opposites not only attract, they make a perfect chemical, and magickal, bond. As it happens, though, David’s family isn’t average either. They keep secrets. And when those secrets come to light, David’s forced to leave town and never look back. Brokenhearted, Emrys tries to move on without him. Years later, David returns, and comes to Emrys for the kind of help that only a witch can offer. Unfortunately, Emrys’ abilities are still as wretched and unpredictable as ever. But with David’s life on the line, Emrys knows he has to find a way to control his power once and for all to save the man who’s always been his perfect mate.

Jared Ross is at Carnevale to do a job. It’s the culmination of two years of blood, sweat, long hours, and agonizing patience waiting for his target to finally make an appearance. If he screws this up, he may never get another chance, and his mark, a man called Maestro, will once again disappear into the night. Jared can’t afford to let anything distract him from his elusive prize—not even the sexy stranger with the quick wit, the sinfully delicious mouth, and the bedroom eyes.

Sam Aubrey recently turned his back on his career. After years of having others dictate his every move and direct him like an unwilling marionette, he’s determined to live his life on his terms, and what better place to start over than at Carnevale, where he can become anyone he chooses. He wants no complications, and definitely no romantic entanglements with a hot hunk who has a questionable agenda and whose Southern drawl makes Sam ache in all the right places.

Sometimes, however, the best-laid plans take unexpected twists, and surprising complications are exactly what a man needs even if they’re not what he thinks he wants. After all, everyone should have a little unexpected music in his night…

The first time Noah Blackburn met Phoenix Quinlan, he’d known they were going to be best friends. It was fate, after all, since they were the same age and shared the same birthday. It hadn’t mattered that Noah lived in a sunny world where he spent his days wandering the Colorado mountains with his doting, artist father, while Phoenix hailed from the outskirts of town, where he lived with a dad who drank more than he worked and who ruled their house with a brutal temper. When the two boys were together, life was perfect, and neither of them could imagine being parted. But the spring before their sixteenth birthday, tragedy struck, robbing Noah of the father he’d adored. Shortly afterward, Phoenix began to withdraw, holding Noah at arm’s length, missing school…and then one day he just disappeared. Devastated by those events, Noah’s further shaken when, without warning, his emotionally detached mother moves them across the country, cutting Noah’s final tie to everything he’d once loved.

Twelve years later, Noah returns to La Paz, Colorado. He’s tired, emotionally battered, and looking for a fresh start, or maybe a restart of the life that had so long ago been derailed. But with painful memories haunting every corner, he begins to doubt his decision. Without his father, and especially without Phoenix, whom he can now admit was so much more to him than just a friend, his childhood town feels barren, absent of the connections that had once made it home.

But then, when he least expects it, Noah discovers something that shakes his world. He finds that truths aren’t always what they seem, quaint small towns can hide the darkest of secrets, and some heartaches run so deep only the strongest, most steadfast of loves can heal them.

Award-winning and best-selling author M. L. Rhodes takes you on a journey with two very different couples who discover a passion and love that will change their lives forever. Couplings, which combines her two gay novellas The Professor's Secret Passion and Souls Deep, both previously available only in electronic format, is for readers who like their man-love stories emotional, adventurous, detailed, and sinfully hot! Included are the tales......The Professor's Secret Passion (Professor Aidan Sheridan has secretly fantasized about his grad student, Nathan Turner, for two long years. And now Nathan's hinting he's ready to take their relationship to a more intimate level. Although Aidan longs to claim Nate as his lover, he's afraid of the consequences should he give into his desire. But when Nate suspects Aidan's hiding his real feelings, he takes matters into his own hands, and their long pent-up passion explodes into a night of erotic intensity).......Souls Deep (Griffin Jacobs psychic abilities have become a threat to his politically powerful family. When their hired assassins finally track him down, his life is saved by a mysterious man named Jarrah. Griffin senses a dangerous undercurrent in his rescuer, as if he's not quite human. Yet Griffin's inexplicably drawn to him. Jarrah stirs an erotic, soul-deep desire in Griffin that goes against everything he's ever believed about himself. But can he follows his heart and give himself over, body and soul, to a creature of the night?)

Not only does Grace Krantz's new next door neighbor keep strange hours, he also has a seriously erotic habit. Is he as sexy and masterful as he sounds through the paper-thin walls of their adjoining apartments? And who exactly is he speaking to during all those lusty encounters she overhears? The man's sex talk is hot enough to set the building on fire, not to mention Gracie's long-suffering libido.

The more she eavesdrops on him, the hotter she gets. But the truth of her hidden sex god's identity might just shock Grace...and could also put her in more than a little danger. Because you never can be sure what really goes on after hours...

Andrea Matthews can't seem to pull herself out of the emotional slump she's been in since her husband's scandalous death a year and a half ago. So when her well-meaning best friend gives her a ticket to see the Phantom of the Opera on stage and encourages her to "start getting out," Andee's not enthusiastic. But from the moment the tall, dark-headed man playing the Phantom steps on stage, she's riveted. He has a confident, sensual power that shakes Andee to her core. She can almost feel his hands stroking her, hear his gritty, erotic voice whispering in her ear. At times it even seems as if his piercing gaze is on her and he's singing for her alone. When the Phantom approaches her in the dark theater after the performance, Andee discovers the magic she felt from him on stage is nothing compared to the emotional and seductive allure he holds in person. This magnetic stranger makes her feel more alive than she's been in months. Yet with her faith still shaken from her husband's secrets, she's not certain she's ready to trust her body and soul to someone who hides in shadow. Who is the man--the real man--behind the mask?

TRS CAPA Award Nominee!

Sheila Quinn makes a living watching the rich and famous. Watching their backs, that is. But when she agrees to protect buff and beautiful porn star Taylor Knight, the word "watch" takes on a whole new meaning.

She never, ever, mixes business with pleasure, and has little respect for those who do. But this man is a god in human skin. Every move he makes, every word he speaks, every touch he places on her body is calculated to bring the ultimate erotic satisfaction.

It's up to Sheila to keep him safe when a killer strikes. But in a world where sensual passion is all part of the game, and the man she's protecting isn't really who he seems, who will protect her if she loses her heart?

Gabe Jackson is one sexy hunk of a man. He's the bare-chested carpenter all the women are swooning over on the new cable TV renovation show, Dream Room. But Jen Hunter has never watched the program. So when she wins one of Dream Room's coveted "kitchen makeovers" she has no idea the carpenter who arrives to do the job might be interested in more than just her cabinets...

When a sleazy con-man steals Lucy Hart's last dollar and leaves her handcuffed, stark naked, and in the shower, she figures life's thrown her about all the curves it can dish out.

That is until a bounty hunter named Rider comes to her rescue.

Well ... sort of.

Rider thinks Lucy's in cahoots with the thief, so he frees her from her rather revealing position, only to snap the cuffs on her again and drag her off into the night!

Lucy's not sure who the real bad boy is ... the con or the sexy-as-sin man who keeps her cuffed and blindfolded. But there's no doubt about it ... the temperature's rising and Lucy's in for the ride of her life.

Hotel heiress Elizabeth Sandringham is in Mexico for her wedding. But two nights before the nuptials, her fiance reveals he's more into his best man than his future bride. Disgusted and disillusioned with love, Elizabeth ditches the ceremony only to end up stranded in a seedy bar in the middle of nowhere. When a drug war shoot 'em up breaks out, she's kidnapped by gun-toting bad guys. She assumes her situation can't get any worse ... until the gang's leader claims her as his own. Suddenly, Elizabeth's trouble becomes a whole lot more intimate. Miguel Delgado is every woman's bad-boy fantasy. He's brooding. Dangerous. And hot enough to singe the panties off a good girl like Elizabeth. Although he attempts to maintain an air of steely control around her, there's no stopping the heat that rises between them. Even as Elizabeth seeks a way to escape, she's drawn in by the powerful magnetism and erotic lure of the sexy desperado. But forbidden passion with an outlaw can lead only to one thing--heartbreak... Unless a girl's willing to take it on faith?

Previously available only in electronic format, these two tales of erotic suspense-a short story and a novella-have now been combined for a paperback edition! Included are...

The Bodyguard

Sheila Quinn never mixes business with pleasure. But when she agrees to protect buff and beautiful porn star Taylor Knight, his every word and touch challenge all she believes in. It's up to Sheila to keep him safe when a killer strikes. But in a world where sensual passion is all part of the game, and the man she's protecting isn't really who he seems, who will protect her if she loses her heart?

The Bounty Hunter

When a sleazy con-man leaves Lucy Hart handcuffed and naked in her shower, she's rescued-she thinks-by a bounty hunter named Rider. Except Rider believes she's in cahoots with the thief, so he drags her along on his manhunt. Lucy's not sure who the real bad boy is. . .the con or the sexy-as-sin renegade who keeps her cuffed and blindfolded. But there's no doubt about it-the temperature's rising and she's in for the ride of her life.

The year is 2067. Life on Earth is a mess thanks to global warming and the oil wars that devastated the environment, government, and the economy. But some things never change. Like the existence of bad guys, and the cops who hunt them down.

Rachel Jones is a third-generation police detective who knows her mind, can take care of herself, and doesn't take crap from anyone. But when she discovers the serial killer she's hunting is—well, undead—it opens her eyes to a whole new segment of the underworld. A segment that comes to life only in the dark of night.

Reluctantly, she turns to one of the killer's own kind for help, a vampire named River. But he makes it hard to focus on the job at hand. He weaves an erotic web around Rachel, enveloping her in a constant haze of sexual desire that leaves her wondering if her ally is the man of her dreams...or the very killer she hunts...