Award-winning author Cherry Adair broke thrilling new ground with On Thin Ice–her stunning romantic suspense hardcover debut. Now Cherry’s turning up the temperature, amping up the action, and raising the degree of danger and desire to irresistibly hot new heights. Diamonds–jewels of every kind, in fact–are Taylor Kincaid’s best friends. The only thing she enjoys more is the challenge of stealing them, at which she excels like few others in the world. And specializing in plundering precious stones from wealthy international criminals just makes it all the more satisfying . . . and dangerously exciting. So for Taylor, there’s no resisting the double allure of snatching the elusive Blue Star diamonds–a prize she has pursued across three continents–from the South American stronghold of the murderous Morales terrorist organization. The heist goes down without a hitch. Until Taylor discovers she has made off with more than she bargained for, namely the secret security-system codes that provide access to a South African diamond mine–packed with enough gems to sink a battleship. Suddenly, Taylor’s no longer just an ultrachic freelance jewel thief, but a reluctant player in a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game against elite global trouble-shooters and bloodthirsty terrorists. There’s nothing reluctant, however, about Huntington St. John, the top T-FLAC operative who’s hot on Taylor’s trail. And in Taylor’s opinion, just plain hot. The feeling, emotional and otherwise, is very mutual. Though they’re on opposite sides of the law, Hunt and Taylor swiftly come to appreciate each other’s well-honed skills. But since ecstasy is fleeting, and diamonds are forever, Taylor soon slips from the sheets and hits the streets . . . to reclaim the jewels she stashed overseas. And true to his name, Hunt is close behind–but this time, he’s after more than the codes. With the clock ticking, and two groups of terrorists closing fast, they’ll have to mix pleasure with some very risky business. If they can survive danger at every turn, outwit the ultimate high-tech security system, and somehow conquer each other . . . they just might get everything they desire.

Never have the stakes been higher. Never have two people faced greater risks or grappled with deeper desire. Never has Cherry Adair–award-winning author of Hot Ice–burned the pages with so much blazing action and blistering passion. Professional art restorer Emily Greene is in no mood to see the devil-may-care Max Aries. She hasn’t forgotten–or forgiven–the way Max dropped into her life a year ago, stole her heart, then vanished without a word. Max hadn’t kept in touch with his father, Daniel, either. Daniel Aries had been a master of art restoration and reproduction, and not only Emily’s longtime mentor, but a trusted friend. His unexpected suicide devastates her. And when the prodigal playboy Max returns, her welcome is less than warm–even though his timely arrival in her bedroom saves her from a lethal intruder. But her fury gives way to fear when Max reveals that his father’s death was actually murder . . . and that Emily’s life is now in danger. Like it or not, to stay alive, Emily must put herself in Max’s hands. And once upon a time, that wasn’t such a bad place to be. But what killer would target professional restorers of Renaissance artworks? Max suspects that a pencil sketch found in his father’s studio, inscribed with a cryptic code, may hold the key. His hunch is confirmed when intel from his control at the counterterrorist organization T-FLAC reveals that the Black Rose terror cell is involved–a chilling revelation that elevates the threat level almost as high as the tension that’s bristling between Max and Emily. Max isn’t about to take his eyes off Emily–though only partly for professional reasons–and even Emily’s rage over Max’s take-charge attitude can’t compare to her anger at herself for so long denying the truer, deeper feelings she has for him. As they crisscross Europe, piecing together the shocking clues to an insidious international plot, dodging increasingly lethal traps, and passionately making up for too much lost time, they realize that–in more ways than one–they can’t live without each other. With no chance of turning back, Max and Emily must put their lives on the line, put their true feelings to the test . . . and get ready to take the heat. From the Hardcover edition.

T-FLAC operative Rafael Navarro will never allow another woman to suffer the consequences of his dangerous life. But in a world where a terrorist can do more damage with a keyboard than a bomb, he needs the expert help of a cyber-geek. And fast. Fellow operative, and cybercrimes specialist Honey Winston prefers computers to people. But when a serial bomber threatens the world’s financial infrastructure, she’s forced to work closely with Navarro, whose notorious skill in the bedroom is as legendary as his dexterity defusing bombs. Honey and Rafael must fight sparks hot enough to melt their resolve, and push beyond fear itself, as they join forces in a bid to race the clock before a sinister and lethal bomber proves just how much they both have to lose. T-FLAC is back, and the timer is counting down in the most pulse-pounding explosive op yet—

When Dr. Elizabeth Goodall is kidnapped and held captive in the African jungle, her only hope for rescue is counterterrorist operative Sam Pelton. But to escape from a brutal warlord, they must confront a powerful attraction that could prove more treacherous than the wilds of the jungle. Previously published in the anthology Rescue Me.