Showing results by author "Marie James" in All Categories

I never expected to see her again. The connection we shared through her brother was severed when he died in combat. Their parents were adamant that I never reach out to them again. I forgot about the pact I made, my promise to make her mine if I wasn’t married by 30.

Hooking up with a cop was supposed to be fun. How joking with Detective Lennox Maison about her handcuffs transformed into her actually arresting me was something I could’ve never predicted.

In the grand scheme of things, five years isn’t a very long time. It goes by in a blink, literally. Waking up with no recollection of the last five years is devastating. The woman I remember loving is with someone else. The only family I had is gone, and I’m forced to relive those losses all over again.

It takes a lot to shake me, and even when I’m upset, most people wouldn’t even know it. There was just something about the last job that kept me from keeping my cool. I know how dangerous it is, and knew even better when I had to be carried away that day, becoming literally less of the man that entered that compound.

Opposites don’t just attract. They captivate. They entice. They beckon. As the medic for the Blackbridge Security team, he was just fine hanging out at the office in his spare time. Jude Morris was...boring. He didn’t need excitement. He wasn’t a thrill-seeker. Then, he met a woman who was. Parker Maxwell, the only woman able to captivate, entice, and beckon him, was his antithesis. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She didn’t seem to notice him. It’s going to take heroic measures for this guy to win the girl.

Vampires, werewolves, and mummies...oh my! Tired of the same old zombie stories? Want something different? Stitched Smile Publications presents Unleashed: Monsters Vs. Zombies, a collection sure to satisfy your craving along with a mash-up of your favorite monsters going head-to-head with every type of zombie you can imagine.

In the third romance anthology of The Quill Collective series, 16 celebrated Austenesque authors write the untold histories of Austen’s heroines, brave adventuresses, shy maidens, talkative spinsters, and naughty matrons. Rational Creatures is a collection of humorous, poignant, and engaging short stories set in Georgian England that complement and pay homage to Austen’s great works and great ladies who were, perhaps, the first feminists in an era that was not quite ready for feminism.

I've been many things in my life. A liar. A cheater. A thief. And I've never had a problem with any of it. I knew my path, knew which direction I was heading when it was all over—straight to Satan's lair. I accepted it, reveled in it, and always asked for more. Nothing would change me, no one could sway me. Or so I thought. I knew I was a monster. I just don't know how to convince Cara Gibson that I'm her monster.

As the mechanic for Blackbridge Security, when I make a mistake, things don’t work properly. Correcting that mistake is the only way to get things operational. I meet issues in my personal life with the same mindset. How was I to know the woman I’ve been flirting with at the gym is the same woman I called a noise complaint on? I got her kicked out of her condo. My first response: Move in with me. When she confessed to having three kids, it was too late to back down.

I never ran from my past or the only woman I ever loved. She made sure to stomp me into the ground and demand I forget all about her. I tried to do just that, and in the twelve years since she ripped my heart out, I've done fairly well. Sometimes I could even go a day or two without thinking of her. We were never supposed to see each other again, but Grace Neiman just couldn't stay gone. She couldn't stay in my past where she put herself. Facing her again after she was abducted and sold was going to be the toughest challenge of my life.

I wouldn't call it love at first sight, but my body definitely reacted when I saw her. Getting Faith Robbins under me became my obsession. I knew I wanted fast and done. It's how I always did things. Looking for anything more with a woman was never in the cards. I wasn't like the other guys in the Cerberus MC. I didn't want more. It was physical, sating a desire. Then someone began to seek revenge, and my other instincts kicked in. Spending time with her was about protecting her, keeping her safe.

Life can change in the blink of an eye. As a member of the Cerberus MC, an elite organization that specializes in the rescue and recovery of trafficked women, I've seen it happen more than once. I've witnessed how easily a family can be torn apart from a single bad choice. We've been too late before and have to live with the guilt of how a few hours would've changed everything.

Making something off-limits will always make that thing more appealing. Jules Warren, my sister’s best friend, was no different. She has been the leading lady in every fantasy I’ve had, since I was a teenager. There was no way I was turning her down when she invited me into her room. I was given the weekend to make my dreams come true. The ramifications, however, will last a lifetime. Keeping a secret is one thing. Living with the lie is impossible.

So I forgot about the night I spent with Sylvie Davis...big deal. Listing all of my one-night stands would be impossible. It’s par for the course for any man who decided early in life they’d rather enjoy a buffet instead of a single entrée. But now my boss has ordered me to accompany her back to her hometown. His words: She needs a little help. Translation: I think you could fall for this girl.

They say misery loves company, but after losing the love of my life all I wanted was to be completely alone. Having a young daughter made that impossible. I couldn't curl into myself. I couldn't spend hours in the dark living in regret. I couldn't end it all no matter how many times that thought crossed my mind. Regretfully, I couldn't go through life on my own.

Lies ruin lives. Ignacio Torres, the translator for Blackbridge Security, has told his fair share and then some. He lied more than once to Tinley Holland when they were teens. Told her he didn’t love her. Told her he could live without her. Told her what they shared didn’t mean a thing. He’s lived with those lies, lived with the loss of her for over a decade.

Detective Colton Matthews has experienced a lot in the last 10 years. Promotions. Divorce. Single-dad life. His work life is as full of surprises as his home life. But nothing prepared him for her. Saying yes to the favor asked of the Cerberus MC was a no-brainer. He's a good guy helping other good guys. How hard would it be to allow Sophia, Dominic Anderson's daughter, to shadow him for a few months to complete a college credit and keep things professional? The short answer...impossible.

Falling for a girl I just met was never in my plans. We had one night together, and most days I convince myself that she was an apparition - something I made up in my mind to get me through the hard days. Then I found her again. Only she wasn't happy and smiling, giving me a hard time like she did the day we met. She was broken...unseeing eyes no longer filled with life. She was gone because of another person's disregard for human life.

Mysteries come in all sorts, and this collection of seven short stories reflects that, from hidden temples beneath the sea, to worlds discovered through a microscope. Murderers, ghosts and demons can also be found in this collection. The stories included are: "The Temple", "To Prove an Alibi", "The Diamond Lens", "The Adventure of the Red Circle", "An Episode in a Lodging House", "How Siva Spoke", and "The Nail."

I'm the fun guy. The one always quick with a joke. The guy who is crazy enough to do wild things to make people smile. That's how people see me. That's who I've presented myself to be. That's how I introduced myself to Rivet. The first female Cerberus team member wasn't impressed with my corny pickup lines and wide smile like the other women I use it on. And why should she be? She's seen it all and lived to tell the tale. She took one look at me and decided she wasn't interested. I should move on, but her rejection stings. I can't seem to let it go.