Twenty Times Tempted: A Sexy Contemporary Romance Collection

by Petrova, Em

  Twenty Times Tempted

  A multi-author boxset

  Compiled by LoveBooks

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  Table of Contents

  Not sure where to start? Check out our guide with inside info from our authors to help choose what to read first! From cowboys to soldiers to billionaires and hunky heroes, and varying heat levels as well as MM and menage content, we have something for everyone.

  BLOWN DOWN

  Are two hot loggers better than one? Find out in this scorching hot standalone MFM novel BLOWN DOWN by Em Petrova.

  THE POWER OF LOVE

  Meet a quirky book club--a group of women who get together to drink wine, and talk books, men, sex, and all things Mystic. Get to know Vanessa, Tiffany, Kristie, Wren, Melanie and Samantha, as they try to decipher the goings-on of this strange town they live in, while finding love whether they need it or not. The Book B!tches series is a tribute to Anne Conley's friends in the Indie Community, as the characters are named after some of her favorite Indie friends: Vanessa Booke, Tiffany Fox, Kristie Haigwood, Wren Michaels, Melanie Macek, and Samantha Holt.

  Visit Mystic, Texas, where the past stays alive in more ways than one.

  A NIGHT OF PASSION

  Three years after the death of her childhood sweetheart, Prue Granger finds herself in the arms of a handsome stranger for just one night. Fast forward again to several years later, and Prue finds herself thrust into an awkward situation when she comes face to face with said one night stand. Unfortunately for Prue, it's not as simple as an awkward meeting... The male lead [name withheld for spoiler reasons] is the ideal businessman alpha. Every woman wants to be on his arm and as it happens he has a great nature to boot. Maggie Anderson has put two characters together who are perfect for each other. This is a feel-good story that is perfect for a quiet night in front of a log fire with a glass of something warm. It is also a real page turner that will have to be read in one sitting! Four and a half stars with a crowned heart of excellence by Indtale Magazine reviewer Lynn-Alexandria McKendrick (February 2016 issue)

  POINTS ON A CURVE

  She's got the wingspan, he's got the nose for news. Together it's a match made on and off the court.

  Points on a Curve is a romantic comedy with a sports theme in the best chicklit tradition, combining high stakes suspense, an unlikely attraction, and a romance that will have you drooling over the dessert.

  Rob van Horn is a hotshot sports journalist with an instinct for a headline. Taylor O’Brien is an ex-basketball player with a checkered past and regrets.

  She’s not his type. He’s her best friend’s younger brother. Rob’s sister arranges a blind date that has Rob and Tay clashing over a bloody beef tenderloin. And it doesn’t take long for them to discover there’s more at stake than splitting the appetizer.

  STOCKHOLM DIARIES, CAROLINE

  A pro hockey player with a rough reputation.

  An American looking for a taste of adventure.

  A chance to turn an intense attraction into something more.

  2106 finalist for the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award.

  This is a full-length contemporary romance with a HEA.

  CHANGE OF ADDRESS

  "Change of Address is the perfect book for those days when you want to curl up in your favorite chair with a nice warm drink and let life pass on by for awhile. Written in a simple and relaxed style, Bates not only captures the characters, Josselyn and Ben beautifully, she invites you with a warm welcome into the small, idyllic town of Unity." - Bottles & Books Reviews

  PLAYING WITH FIRE

  A confrontation with one of her students ignites Sarah Willis’ attraction to Granite Pointe’s sexy new fire marshal.

  Newcomer Cris Bayfield discovers he’s hot for teacher in a way that goes beyond the normal parent-teacher relationship.

  But her artistic side and his past could extinguish their budding relationship. Being thrown into the man’s path on a regular basis makes Sarah’s resolution to maintain a professional relationship go up in flames.

  A smoking hot contemporary M/F romance set in a small town where passion burns brighter.

  NOT ANOTHER SOLDIER

  Not Another Soldier is a scalding military romance. Nick is determined to win over Sienna—his best friend's ex-wife. He won't take no for an answer and he won't be sent away, not when Sienna is in danger. This military romance includes hot content and a HEA.

  TAKE A CHANCE ON ME

  Ever have steamy fantasies about hot sex on a beach with your gorgeous male coworker? Christine finally gives in to temptation and indulges in a taboo office romance. Will she lose her job--or her life? This HEA romance features hot sand, hotter sex scenes M/F love, a car chase, plane crash, erotic locations across the globe, and is based on real life events.

  DESERT HEAT & NATIVE TONGUE

  Their love is forbidden by rules, religion and risk. Yet still they can’t resist - Desert Heat, M/M military erotic romance with a HFN. Heat level 4 out of 5.

  They may be back on British soil, but the battle isn’t over - Native Tongue, the follow up to Desert Heat. M/M erotic romance with a HEA. Heat level 4 out of 5.

  LONGING FOR YOU

  He fought for her heart once before. He'll fight for it again.

  "With plenty of HOT scenes, second chances, and a little old lady with a touch of magic you're sure to enjoy this one!" - Book Junky Girls

  FIGHT FOR HER

  Fight For Her is the first novella in the Soldiers in Arms series. Each book is a stand-alone with a HEA. If you love super sexy, determined soldiers, scorching hot sex scenes, and a happy ending, you'll love this book.

  LOVE’S BATTLE

  Love's Battle is the second novella in the Soldiers in Arms series. Gunner and Knox trained together, they shed blood together. They’re the best of the best. Until it comes to taming one woman. Are either soldier willing to give up the fight? Love's Battle contains smokin' hot scenes and a HEA.

  TOEING THE LINE

  They toed the line while he was deployed. Flirting. Dirty talk. Nothing was off-limits. Now he’s back and these best friends have to figure out where they stand in this steamy M/F, stand-alone contemporary romance, complete with HEA.

  DIAMONDS AND DESIRE

  She's got a diamond necklace in her purse, an unconscious, handsome millionaire in bed, and one hell of a story to tell him in the morning. A sensual, hot romance with an HEA you'll melt for.

  SAFE LOVE

  SAFE LOVE is a novella within a series that can easily be read as stand alone. It is the story of the oldest Love brother Antony’s struggle to let go of a tragic past and welcome his new future once he meets his therapist, Margot Hamilton. It contains elements of mild BDSM and would come in at about a 4 on a 5-point heat scale and has a lovely HEA – not just for Antony and Margot but for his younger brother Aiden too!

  MY EX IS STALKING ME

  Lisa Coleman and Nick Banks love each other, and are looking forward to having a great time. But then one, or two, of their exes are bent on drawing them apart. What begins as a nuisance from a troublesome ex escalates into a dangerous affair and the lovers realize that their lives are in danger. Can they survive the mysterious shadow of stalking and threats that culminates in shattering violence and murder?

  WINNING YOU

  Winning the lottery was meant to solve all Maddie's problems. Ins
tead bad boy and her ex-fiancé Sawyer walked back into town--and he seems determined to win her back. Winning You is set in a charming English seaside town and is of a mid-heat level with a HEA.

  HER DREAM COWBOY

  Her Dream Cowboy is a bonus novellette from Emily Silva. Talked into experiencing ranch life for herself by her best friend, Sophie comes all the way from England to Nevada, alone. But while her friend may have abandoned her, her guide for the week promises to stick close to her side. A guide who just happens to be an honest to goodness, sexy cowboy. This sweet and sexy story is ideal for a quick hour read that will leave a smile on your face.

  GIVEAWAY

  Enter our exclusive giveaway to win a Kindle Fire.

  BLOWN DOWN

  Em Petrova

  Chapter One

  A breeze cut through the open windows of the Blue Jay Forestry office and ruffled Chapel Caldwell’s hair. Her too-long bangs fluttered into her eyes and she scraped them away with annoyance.

  “It’s forty-five degrees, Daddy. Do you really think it’s warm enough to open the windows?” She planted a hand on her hip and gazed at her father.

  Jay Caldwell rocked back in his desk chair and anchored his ankle on his opposite knee. The piercing blue eyes he was known for sliced right through her. Automatically she folded her arms over her chest and locked her knees against the torrent of criticism that was sure to spew from his mouth.

  “It’s April, Chapel girl. Spring is in the air. Smell it?”

  She drew a deep gulp of the pine-scented breeze blasting through the windows. Shooting a glance outside, she watched the enormous old-growth treetops lash back and forth. “Yeah, it’s spring all right. Freezing and windy.”

  “Doesn’t seem to keep you inside.”

  Oh, here it comes. She started to pivot away, but he yanked on her pocket, bringing her around with a cry of surprise.

  “What the—?” Her father’s words choked off. From his fingertips dangled the slut- red silk panties she’d wadded up and shoved into her back pocket after crawling out of Abe’s bed.

  A mortified blush scorched her cheeks and caused a dew of perspiration to break out on her hairline. Again, the breeze blew her bangs into her eyes. She wished she could hide behind them as if they were draperies. She’d rather take on a hundred-foot pine with a dull axe in the stiff April wind than face her daddy with her panties dangling from his finger.

  He dropped them abruptly and launched to his steel-toed boots. “What the hell, Chapel? Now I know why you didn’t come home last night!”

  Defiance lifted in her instantly—just as it had since the age of five when he’d told her she couldn’t shimmy up a tree trunk as fast as their prized employee, Reardon. In a flash, she’d kicked off her sandals, hitched her cotton sundress between her knees and hurled herself up that tree, scraping the shit out of her inner thighs in the process.

  Last night, she’d experienced a different kind of roughness on her inner thighs, in the form of Abe Gardner. A tingle of passion slid into her belly and continued lower to her sex.

  “I’m twenty-eight years old, Daddy. I don’t have a curfew.” In fact, she’d never had a curfew. After her mother passed away, leaving her father to raise her, he’d pretty much depended on her to raise herself.

  She thought she’d done a pretty damn good job of it.

  “No, you don’t have to be in the house by nightfall, but you’re old enough to start thinking about settling down.” He glanced at the offensive piece of silk fabric on the hardwood office floor and shook his head. “Those panties bringing in the right kind of man, Chapel?”

  A great scream rose up in her throat and she squelched it. Her daddy knew how to push her buttons, but she wasn’t going to let him today. “What kind of man is that?”

  He thudded his heel on the floor. “One who can take over this business after I’m gone.”

  “Oh, for the love of the pope, what am I?”

  “You’re a single woman who cannot manage a staff of eighty hard-headed logging men. They’d take advantage of you faster than you could shed that scrap of…” He waved a hand at the panties. “Well, you know. The men that work for me need a firm hand.”

  “I can run this business blindfolded.” Setting her foot down inches from his, she came nose-to-nose with him. Staring at him this close, she saw the stubbornness she possessed in the strong set of his jaw and drawn brows.

  “You could run the business wearing those too, eh?” He gestured toward the red panties.

  A guttural groan burst from her chest. She whirled toward the door. Fuck, the man drove her wild. Why hadn’t she taken that scholarship at Washington State University all those years ago and escaped this madness?

  As she ripped open the heavy door, the wind blasted her full in the face. If she couldn’t have twenty states between her and her father, she could at least find a few acres of Pennsylvania woods to do the job.

  “Hey, Chapel!”

  She glanced over her shoulder in time to see her red panties arcing off her father’s boot. They flew across the space and landed a foot before her on the short sidewalk.

  “Christ, Daddy. You don’t let up, do you?” With that, she scooped up her panties and stalked toward the house.

  At her back, he yelled, “You’d better not be sleeping with Abe! You know how I feel about him.” The door slammed. The windows rattled in their frames.

  She folded her fingers into fists and released her scream into the air. The noise was caught on the icy wind, lifting it up and away. Screaming might relieve some of the fury choking off all rational thought, but it didn’t make her father’s words disappear.

  Increasing her pace, she ran across the yard between their home office and the main house, her heels sinking into the thawing turf. In one conversation, her dad had managed to reveal that not only did he think her incapable of running the family logging company, but he felt her choice of men and how she spent her spare time were seedy.

  If she could have torn the front door off the early nineteenth century farmhouse, she would have. Her anger had gone from slow simmer to boil in thirty seconds.

  Inside the house, she was greeted by their family dog, Riley. The dear old yellow lab limped toward her, wagging his tail despite his arthritis. He nudged her hand and she stroked his graying muzzle.

  “He’s done it again, Riley. Why do we put up with him?”

  The answer was simple. She loved this place. The farm and the business were part of her blood as surely as they belonged to her dad. And deep down, she knew her father would crumple without her. He was a hard man and unreasonable at times, but he loved her. Since her mother’s tragic car accident on a slippery bend over twenty years ago, they’d had only each other.

  Too bad at this moment she wanted to bash him over the head with the nearest stick of firewood.

  The house was warm and comforting. She stripped off her wet boots and the down vest she’d worn home from Abe’s house, and shoved her panties deep into her pocket again. She closed the door between the main living area and the mud porch to keep the drafts down. Riley was right on her heels, his old paws pattering on the worn plank floor.

  In the living room, she curled up in her favorite armchair in front of the fireplace. The coals were still warm but the flames had died down. Riley collapsed at her feet and took advantage of the heat for his thirteen-year-old bones.

  For a long minute, Chapel stared at the glowing coals in the hearth. As her anger ebbed away, thoughts of Abe and their night together filtered into her mind and stirred her body instantly.

  After a cozy dinner in, he’d stretched her beneath all brawny seventy-three inches of his body and blown her mind by telling her how much he loved her. That this wasn’t just a fling to him—he seriously wanted her for his own.

  And his hands were pretty damn persuasive too. Those calloused fingertips had worked over her sensitive flesh in ways she’d never dreamed possible…tracing the lines of her body with perfect execution and
prodding her nipples until she thought she’d come merely from the torment.

  Her skin prickled at the memory of his velvet tongue on her mounds, the V of her ribs and lower, dipping into her moist folds. A shiver that had nothing to do with the draft seeping through the nearby window ran through her. She curled her fingers into the sleeves of her sweater. The feel of Abe’s short, dark hair under her hands was still fresh in her mind. She could taste him on her lower lip.

  She ran her tongue over it now.

  Riley looked up at her from his crossed paws. She rubbed her foot over his broad back.

  “What am I going to do, boy? Daddy won’t hand over any major responsibilities of Blue Jay Forestry because he thinks I need a husband to run it. And he hates the only man I’d choose.”

  ***

  Abe let his chainsaw stall out as his site manager picked his way through the maze of fallen trees with a man at his side. Resting the heavy saw against his upper thigh, he nudged his hard hat back, watching them come. Sweat dripped down his nape. It snaked under the neck of his t-shirt and raised a chill.

  “Abe.” Reardon nodded in greeting.

  “Mornin’. This must be our greenhorn.” Abe met the newcomer’s gaze. Powerful physique, bright, quick eyes, hard hat and boots. Already he seemed as if he was a good candidate for the job of bucker. Judging from his alert gaze and the fact that he wore the right kinds of protective clothing, the guy was smart enough to listen to direction. And his strength would come into play when cutting a hundred logs into manageable lengths each day.

  “This is Levi Black. He’s new to the area and ready to work.” Abe extended a hand to Levi, which the other man took firmly. “Hey.” Levi’s voice was unexpectedly deep.