Reporter Cory Pearson's penchant for working in war zones had gotten him into hot water before, but this was uncharted territory, even for him. Because the pilot assigned to fly him into danger was none other than Samantha Bauer. Once she'd been Sammi June, an eighteen-year-old girl who'd looked at him starry-eyed. Now she was Sam, a very competent professional, whose eyes seemed to hold all manner of secrets. If Sam was thrown by learning who her new client was, she couldn't afford to show it-or the fact that her strong feelings for Cory hadn't changed. But if he couldn't accept who she was back then, what would he possibly want with her now-now that her life had taken a direction neither of them could have imagined…and left them both clinging to each other for their very survival?

The gun trained on his chest left him with no choice… Turning Caitlyn in to the police was the right thing to do, the law-abiding thing. So why did it have to hurt so bad…and cost her so much? Caitlyn Brown had never expected C. J. Starr to walk back into her life after all they'd endured. Never imagined she'd draw strength from his voice, the memory of his smile, the gentle touch of his hand. She could allow him to protect her from a danger she could no longer see, but she could never forget that he'd sworn to uphold the law, and – as long as there were innocent victims in need of her help – that she had vowed to break it

HE HAD HIS PRIME SUSPECT IN CUSTODY, BUT SOMETHING DIDN'T ADD UP… Small-town sheriff Roan Harley arrested plain-as-all-get-out Mary Yancy because he couldn't afford not to. She'd had motive, means and opportunity to kill the son of a senator – plus a gun. And yet… Clearly, Mary had something to hide – those shapeless clothes covered a knockout figure; damned if her dirt-brown hair wasn't the result of a botched dye job; and her name just didn't check out. Not to mention her lovely eyes couldn't disguise the fact that she was not only innocent, but in dire need of protection. His protection?

Rita Awards Eight years ago, Jessie Bauer's life had changed forever. Now it was about to change back. For the man she had loved with all her heart and soul – the one she had finally learned to live without – was coming home to her at last. Alive and in one piece – or was he? Military pilot Tristan Bauer had spent eight years in a living hell, not sure if he was dead or alive, with only the memory of his beautiful Jessie to keep him going. Now she was in front of him, his for the taking. If only he could. Because in every way that mattered, Tristan knew the husband he'd been had died that day. And left his ghost in his place…

Exiled soap star Celia Cross had taken a lot of diverse parts in her life, but when she rescued a clinging-to-life man off the Malibu shore, she also found the role of a lifetime. Because said man was in fact a federal agent who had uncovered a deadly plot. And for once, "dippy" Celia was in a position to do some good. If only she could convince the rapidly recovering Roy Starr to cast her as his partner…That was something lone wolf Roy was extremely reluctant to do. His hesitations were twofold: one, the last thing he wanted to do was put his beautiful blond benefactor in danger. And two, when the playacting was over, would he be tempted to turn this bit of stunt casting into the real thing?…Starrs of the West they'd die for the people they love. Here's hoping they don't have to