My roommate invited me to a party. I didn’t realize it was for a Mafia boss who was looking to select a wife. There were hundreds of women there, hoping to win the honor, but he was not my idea of a Prince Charming. He was tall, arrogant, cold, austere, and the most handsome man I’d ever seen. They called him Antonio “The Wolf” Marchesi, and the name sent a shiver down my spine. I decided to leave the party before my real identity was discovered. I climbed down a tree and slipped, and he caught me at the bottom. He held me like he didn’t want to let go.

What was I thinking, accepting a modeling job in a freaking bikini? I used to be a model, but my life is so different now… I'm a single mom trying to make ends meet when they hire me. There's Harper, the tall, tattooed, serious, and gorgeous billionaire who wants to change the world. Player Desi is the confident, handsome stylist on set, teasing me relentlessly and making me want more… And there's also quiet Silver, the irresistible shy photographer for the shoot. I may be wrong… but I think they all want me.

I’ve been in love with Cole Walker since the first day he walked into class and sat beside me. Who could blame me? Six foot five, gorgeous, and a sweetheart to boot. He’s charming enough to get any girl he wants.

Dirty rich one night stand. That's all it was supposed to be. He's the powerful attorney, now world-renowned after coming off the trial of a century which was publicized across the country. And I'm one of the reporters that sat in his courtroom. I watched him, studied him, got to know him from afar which isn't hard since I know his exact brand of confidence, arrogance, and wealth. I know his type. I've dated his type. Which is why when I happen to come face to face with him, when sparks fly and heat simmers between us, I know what happens if I say yes to Reese Summer.

He says that I’m his good girl…but he likes when I’m bad. He demands that I obey him…but he likes to punish me when I misbehave. He told me I should be afraid of him…but it only excites me more. You know what they say about trouble, if you go looking for it, you’ll probably find it. And I certainly did in Cyrus Gates, the heartless billionaire of Chicago and my new professor. But then he comes to me with an offer I can’t refuse—a publicist job at the most prestigious public relations firm in Chicago.

The man had seemed so innocent in the bar - okay, not innocent, per say. He’d been hot, hard, and possessed a butt that I wanted to bite like the last chocolate chip cookie in my stash. He’d also skipped out of town faster than a villain in a B movie, leaving me woefully unsatisfied. I’d chalked the whole incident up to a bad night stand and moved on with my life. That was before the news of a failed IUD. Before the plus sign. Before Jordan showed back up determined to make that night up to me. I didn’t want a baby or a payday or a sexy, stubborn man in my life.

Author K. A. Linde presents One Cruel Night, a prequel to the Cruel series.

My ex taking our daughters to Disneyland is his latest way to prove Dad Rules and Mom Sucks. While they're riding roller coasters, I'm taking a trip of my own—a long deserved island getaway for one. And I'm letting my oldest's swim coaches stay at my place while we're all gone, and their apartment is fumigated. Except a last minute work emergency means I'm stuck at home, rather than lying on a beach enjoying the view.

The lovely attorney kept a secret from me. A baby she’s been carrying since Valentine’s night. The night we were thrown together by the roulette wheel. She never contacted me. Meant to keep me in the dark. She’s about to find out what happens when you cross a bratva boss. Punishment is in order. Sequestering until the birth. And I’ll use that time to win her surrender. Because I don’t just plan to keep the baby - I plan to make his mother my bride. And it would be much better for both of us if she were willing.

Lachlan MacTaggart is hot, Scottish, and dangerous - to a woman's heart. I'm done with love. My ex-wife made sure of that. When my American friend offers to swap houses with me for a month, I can't say no. Chicago sounds like the perfect place for a holiday, until I find out there's a sexy American lass living next door. Erica Teague is bonnie, clever, and as wounded as I am. But I won't ask her why. All I need is Erica in my bed for four weeks, no strings, just a summer fling. We won't talk about our pasts, our lives, or anything except sex. That's the plan.