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Three full-length standalone stories by USA Today Bestselling author Claudia Burgoa about the men who created HIB Securities and the women behind them.

When Hope Delancey showed kindness to another slave, she never expected it to put her in the crosshairs of a dangerous man. After weeks of being held captive she's rescued by a gruff, grumpy, intimidating soldier who obviously wishes he was anywhere but in Colombia rescuing her. But Hope sees through the cold exterior to the man underneath, a man she could fall in love with, a man who has already told her he has nothing to offer.

Still grieving the loss of her sister who died two years ago, the last thing Veronica "Ronnie" Locke needed was to lose her job at one of Chicago's finest restaurants and have to move back in with her parents. So when a window of opportunity opens for her - running a kitchen at a small Hawaiian hotel - she'd be crazy not to take it. The only problem is, the man running the hotel drives her crazy:

He’s terrified of loving her. Quinn Mallick already had his happily-ever-after, and in the blink of an eye it was ripped away from him. Now he’s content to walk through the rest of his life carrying the weight of that guilt on his shoulders. He’s convinced he doesn’t deserve a second chance. But when the town’s beautiful dance teacher turns her sights on him he finds himself questioning everything.

Princess Kalahn tro el Vallen has wanted a purpose beyond smiling and marrying some strategic connection her entire life. So when her brother proposes a way for her to help protect their family, she jumps at the chance and agrees to training. What she didn’t expect was for her trainer to be the male she kissed years ago and hasn’t been able to forget since. Ryven Xanna is not only one of the best warrior trainers in the Kelderan Army, but also best friend to a prince.

What do you do when the entire nation is on lockdown? If you’re an heiress to a billion-dollar fashion company, then you quarantine in a glamorous cabin and finish your final semester of NYU online. The best way to focus on her upcoming valedictorian honor is away from her family, classmates, and the paparazzi. Cameron St. James is ready to get out of the big city and head upstate for seclusion, despite her parent’s pleas to stay home.

Riggins has been in love with Stella for as long as he can remember. As kids, they’d sneak out and spend long nights under the stars writing songs together, sharing their deepest confessions, and dreaming about getting out of their small town. When his band gets a record deal and a headlining tour, he convinces her to come see the world with him, and she agrees. It doesn’t take long before Riggins gets too far into the rockstar lifestyle, and everything begins to fall apart, including his relationship.

Lexi and Alex’s passion for each other shows no signs of waning, but the road ahead is by no means easy. While Lexi loves Alex, she struggles to retain her individual identity while being a partner in a high-profile relationship. On her first international tour as Power Station’s publicist and Alex’s official girlfriend, Lexi is initiated into the crazy lifestyle of a rock star. Despite all the pressure, Lexi realizes that their relationship is worth fighting for, and she no longer wants to be alone.

One. The silver-haired Cygnian Princess Nyleena was still safely frozen away in her cryopod. And two. There was a good chance she was his soul mate. He left anyway. Nyleena is what you might call feisty. Or sassy. Or maybe just...feral. She is wild. Much too wild for Luck’s taste. But now that he’s home there’s no way to deny it. Like it or not, she is his. Lucky for him, all Cygnian Princesses have one true weakness. They cannot resist cooking up crazy plans to tackle unsolvable problems. And he’s going to use that irresistible urge to tame her savage spirit.

Aaron Sanders was proud of his team for the job they did on Immedia-Date. Still, what kind of start-up CEO doesn’t test their product themselves? A simple plan turned into the date of his life.

Rafe Blackstone may play the sexiest werewolf superhero to ever melt a woman's...heart...on the big screen, but Lily Hollander has already been bitten once by an actor, and once was enough. When she's fooled all over again, it's time to put that wayward heart in lockdown mode, especially once Rafe starts aiming his overprotective streak at her identical twin. Lily may seem like the softer side of the twinship, but nobody messes with her sister.

There are secrets. There are guilty secrets. And then there's switching places with your twin. Paige Hollander and her identical twin Lily stopped switching places a decade ago. But Lily's run into trouble, and Paige is on leave from the SFPD, recovering from a traumatic shooting. It's not like she has anything better to do, and she remembers how to be feminine. Sort of. How hard could it be?

Vala Yarlen is one of the Barren -- an infertile female ostracized from the rest of Kelderan society with others of her kind. So when she's given the opportunity to join the new colony on a human-occupied planet, she jumps at the chance for a new start. The only downside is that she has to serve General Thorin Jarrell for the duration of the journey. The cool, distant male goes out of his way to show his disdain of her. But for the chance at freedom, Vala endeavors to endure.

Leader of a human colony planet, Taryn Demara has much more on her plate than maintaining peace or ensuring her people have enough to eat. Due to a virus that affects male embryos in the womb, there is a shortage of men. For decades, her people have enticed ships to their planet and tricked the men into staying. However, a ship hasn't been spotted in eight years. So when the blip finally shows on the radar, Taryn is determined to conquer the newcomers at any cost to ensure her people's survival.

"A sensual, action-filled page-turner that evokes waves of emotion....The sexual tension is thick enough to stop bullets." --Publishers Weekly To keep her safe, he'll have to uncover all her secrets... Rayne Alexander. A face I never thought I'd see again, and one I never could forget. Nine...

I’m a good person. At least I try to be. After my husband left me, I picked up the pieces of my broken heart and tried to move on. One shattered piece at a time. Just when I thought things were looking up, that I had suffered enough at the hands of fate, my past came back with nothing to lose and a blade that cut...deep. Figuratively and physically scarred, I had nothing left to hold on to. That’s when Clayton Hart entered my world. With his blue eyes, spikey blond hair, and a body packed with muscles, I never stood a chance.

I fell for Madeline Mason the moment I laid eyes on her fifteen years ago. But she was the definition of off-limits. The mother of one of my subordinates in the Rangers. Strike one. Married. Strike two. Lived in another state. Strike three. None of that stopped us from desiring each other. Tragically, it was never the right time for us. Her life was in near-constant turmoil, and I was building my legacy at Redleg Security. So I waited for her. For years, I wished for a someday that I feared would never come. After she divorced her abusive husband, I hoped our time had arrived.

I hate Logan MacTaggart. He's rude, crude, and the last man on earth I'd ever get involved with. But every filthy thing he says makes me want to rip his clothes off. Or smack him. Sometimes both. Logan tempts me to do naughty things in inappropriate places, and I can't resist giving in. Serena Carpenter is a bitch. Every time she slaps me and calls me disgusting, I want to drag her into the nearest dark corner and show her exactly how rude I can be. The last thing I want is a relationship. Once I seduce her, I'll walk away. After all, an ex-spy doesn't get a happy ending.

Hailey Jennison is smart, funny, and, unfortunately, stacked like a blonde brick house. She's well aware of the impact her looks have on the male gender, and she hates it. Socially awkward, she keeps to a safe, boring routine, meeting friends once a week for dinner, some laughs, and entertainment. Entertainment comes in the form of a little harmless voyeurism, watching the living, breathing sex god across the quad parade around his apartment half-naked. Hailey watches and yearns, indulging in this weekly fantasy that almost - but not quite - satisfies her every desire.

After defeating the uprising, and becoming infected with a dose of Plush, Holly is in a race to help a seeker before it's too late. Going South is the only option. But getting there is going to prove difficult, which is why Lockland has entrusted Daze with a secret weapon. A pulse storm, overzealous militia, and uncooperative siblings are only a few of the obstacles standing in their way. Once they arrive on the coast, the prospect of finding the supplies they need dwindles. But what they uncover may be far richer. A way to move the remaining survivors forward.