One Friday night, after a horrible day at work, Elena decides to cheer herself up with a one-night stand with a hot stranger. The guy who propositions her has a scorching bod and a sexy British accent. Cheered up? Check. Until Monday morning, when she walks into the office, and there he is. Her one-nighter is her boss's ex-husband, Chance Dixon.

Leaving New York City and returning to her hometown to teach a screenplay writing class seems like just the break Grace Montgomery needs. Until her sisters wake her at 4:30 in the morning to watch the hottest guys in town train wild horses and she realizes that escaping her sisters’ drama-filled lives was a lot easier from hundreds of miles away. To make matters worse, she spots the one man she never wanted to see again - ruggedly handsome Reed Cross.

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.

I never let anyone into my life, much less my heart. Teaching college students keeps me busy, and the occasional anonymous shag satisfies my urges. But then, a bonnie Scots lass walks into my world, and everything changes. I shouldn't be with Catriona MacTaggart. She awakens something in me that needs to stay buried. I should keep away, but I can't do it. Seducing her is a mistake. Living with her might be the worst disaster of all. The moment I saw Alex Thorne, I knew I wanted to be with him. No other man has ever made me feel so alive and so confused at the same time.

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