Kate Meader

The snail doc wants a baby. I volunteered to do the deed. But it isn't long before I realize a "donation" will never be enough. I want to be a dad, but most of all, I want her. Franky When confronted with the cold, hard facts of her diminishing chances to be a mom, what's a woman of science to do? Make a spreadsheet of eligible donors, of course. Finding a man for life is not in the cards, but one for this singular purpose? I can do that. As the daughter of a Chicago Rebels legend and an expert in the field of gastropods-more commonly known as snails and slugs-I have plenty of choices in the worlds of both hockey and academia. The selection process should be easy, especially as my methodology has already eliminated several options, including Jason Isner, childhood nemesis and recently acquired defenseman for the Rebels. I've always considered him arrogant, cruel, and to be honest, not the brightest bulb. I'm rarely wrong. But I might have been mistaken about Jason . . . Jason I surprised even myself when I offered to be Franky St. James's baby daddy, but fatherhood has been a dream of mine forever. If I can achieve my goal without the hassle of a relationship, even better. I won't be one of those "pump and dump" donors, though. I want the whole package: nighttime feedings, shopping for cute onesies, teaching my kid to skate. I'm in it for life, and as Franky and I travel this road together, I start to imagine what that life might look like. Not just a baby, but a family of my own. The thing is, the doc has all sorts of hypotheses about jocks and relationships, and it's going to take a lot of persuasion-sexy and otherwise-to prove her wrong. She might think the mating rituals of her beloved snails are the only "coupling" worth studying, but I'm determined to show her that when it comes to seeking a mate, this player is as driven as any species in the animal kingdom. Because making a baby is just the beginning . . .

I need us to stay married, Big Guy.Recently traded to the Chicago Rebels, hockey veteran Dylan "Banks" Bankowski is adjusting to what might be his last team and his final year in the NHL. That means taking care of his battered body while he strives for the one goal that's managed to elude him: a championship ring. What he does not need is a visit from the woman to whom he gave a different kind of ring months ago.His young, flighty, socialite wife.Apparently, signing the annulment papers within a week of their quickie wedding in Vegas didn't quite take, and now she's back, right before the playoffs when he needs his focus most. Only this time she has a different request: let's keep up the charade. He should say no, but he once said "I do" and surely that means something ...Georgia Goodwin has good reasons for wanting to keep her hockey player husband. Convincing the big lug to cooperate is the easy part. Not so easy? Ignoring the flutter in her chest when he grunts in jock, kisses her neck, or calls her wife. But it's only for a few weeks, and as soon as the playoffs finish, so will they.But the more time Georgia and Banks spend together, the more real their marriage feels. Less Vegas mistake, more like the start of something amazing. They said goodbye once. Can they do it again ... or will they figure out that a love this good is worth fighting for as much as that championship ring?

Chicago Rebels hockey player Dex O'Malley has been a naughty boy ... again. Only his latest stunt isn't quite like when he was caught with his pants down at a nightclub or was cited for drag-racing on Lake Shore Drive or even that time he said a few critical things about his teammates on a hockey podcast. Oops. This time, Dex is in real trouble, the kind that could get him kicked off the team and out of the league. And that cannot happen. Hockey is the only thing he's ever been good at. The only thing he cares about. He'll do whatever it takes to rehab his rep, even if it means cleaning up dog poop and suffering the steely-eyed disapproval of his new no-nonsense "boss" at the animal shelter, Ashley Adams.Ashley has enough on her plate between her low-paying job, her high-maintenance family, and a love life she's trying to resurrect after her divorce. She's already mom to an amazing nine-year-old; the last thing she needs is mothering a celebrity volunteer with more money than sense. But the troublemaking f-boy needs Ashley to sign off on his good deeds so he can get back to what he does best: lighting up lamps both on and off the ice. And while a guy like that could never interest her mind, it seems her body is not on the same page. Sure, Dex O'Malley is too young, too hot, too flighty for Ashley to take seriously, but maybe a brief ride on the wild side might fit the bill ...Only that's not enough for Dex. What happens when this notorious player decides the older, single mom is the hottest woman he's ever met and that he wants to light her lamp ... forever?

A beat-cute for the ages . . .What Lili DeLuca meant to do: investigate the mysterious light in her family restaurant's kitchen. What she actually did: brained a famous chef with a frying pan. Between her family's failing restaurant, her soggy-bottomed love life, and her dreams put on hold as she manages, well, everything, the last thing Lili needs is an arrogant celebrity with a concussion. But when sexy TV chef Jack Kilroy challenges her father to a cook-off for his show, she spies an opportunity to save the family business and indulge in some no-strings fun with the hottest man she's ever seen in a chef's jacket. Pity the reputed playboy has decided to turn over a new leaf ...Jack's celebrity has left him feeling used and used up. While Lili's throaty moans when she tastes his creations turn him on, he's even more aroused by how this beautiful, funny woman is unimpressed by his fame. He knows they could be amazing together, if she could only see past his rabid fan base. Now as he's about to start a new prime time TV cooking show, can Jack convince Lili to realize her own ambitions ... and turn up the heat in his kitchen?

The next steamy standalone in the Hot in Chicago Rookies series features playboy firefighter, Sam Killian I might be a rookie Chicago firefighter, but I'm on top of the world. I've just earned my spot on Rescue Squad at legendary Engine 6, can get all the action I want both in and out of the bedroom, and am possessed of an enviable sneaker collection. Nothing can harsh my vibe except her-Cassandra Ferguson, my brother's sister-in-law, or as I affectionately label her: the blister-in-law. Ever since I met her, she's looked down her perky little nose at me, never mind that I'm a good foot taller. Apparently, I offended her with a few risqu jokes and an offer for a fun, no-strings night-crimes that have relegated me to lower than dirt in St. Cassandra's eyes.These days we're at a stalemate. Don't get along, can't get along. Only when tragedy strikes, we have no choice but to put our animosity aside for the sake of our hurting niece and nephew, who need us now more than ever. As co-guardians, Cassie and I are enemy combatants in an uneasy truce, flailing around in a no-man's land of grief and lust, forced to work as a team.Thing is, when Cassie and I team up-when we really work together-the results are explosive. In a sexy way. In an amazing way. Maybe ... in every way. But with stakes this high, we can't get it wrong.Even though it feels so, so right.

He never saw her coming ...After almost a year away from hockey, Bastian Durand's return to the game should be a triumph. Instead he's taken down by the Chicago Rebels mascot.It can't get worse. Or maybe it can. Because the human inside the Rowdy Rebel costume is none other than Pepper Calhoun.His friend's sister.His coach's daughter.And the woman Bastian has wanted for the longest time.Pepper has always been a magnet for bad luck and now she's ruined superstar Bast Durand's big comeback. So that tracks. Everyone, from her father and brother to the fans and press, heck, even the NHL commissioner, hates her.Everyone but the one guy who should.Hiding away is the only thing she can think of, except Bast has the same idea. To her utter dismay, he's determined to protect Pepper from anyone who dares breathe a word against her.And to convince her that crashing on the ice isn't all that different from ... falling in love.

In the courtroom, they're rivals. In the bedroom, they're . . . divorced. But could the road trip from hell lead to a second chance at love? Aubrey Gates is the hottest divorce lawyer in Chicago, a barb-tongued stiletto with legs that go on for miles. When her cool gray eyes meet mine across the battlefield, I want her like I've never wanted anyone or anything. Then I remember who she is: the woman who brought me to my knees. The woman who destroyed my faith in relationships. The woman I used to call . . . wife. And she needs a favor. It seems my ex forgot to mention the demise of our marriage to her dear old grammie, and now we're both expected to attend her ninetieth birthday party. In Boston. And because it isn't already awkward enough, Aubrey and I are driving there together from Chicago. That's more than a thousand miles of tension, heartbreak, and barely concealed lust. A little piece of paper might say we're over, but this road trip is the true test. I intend to get my wife back . . . and I won't stop until "I do."

Rule #1: Never fall for your client.Rule #2: Never fall for your client's fiercely protective, smoking hot sister-in-law.I'm the kind of guy who believes that everyone deserves the best legal representation money can buy-which just so happens to be me, Lucas Wright. Give me your henpecked, your cuckolded, your irreconcilable differences yearning to break free. And if you're the bad guy in your marriage, that's cool, too. Your green is as good as anyone's.Tell that to Trinity Jones. It's my job to destroy her sister-the soon-to-be ex-wife of my a-hole of a client-and Trinity's "big sis" instincts are dialed up to the max. I admire that. I admire her. But she won't stop me from representing my client to the best of my ability.Not even if my chemistry with Trinity is undeniable. Not even if we can't keep our hands off each other. Not even if she injects life into a heart assumed to be long dead. Because when faced with a choice between love and duty, the job will always win-or at least that's what I thought before I met Trinity . . . and suddenly conflict of interest never felt so right.

The cynical divorce lawyer and the hearts-and-flowers wedding planner could be the perfect match . . . If you ever get married, remember my name: Max Henderson. In my line of work, you acquire a certain perspective on supposedly everlasting unions. . . . 1. Pre-nups are your friend. 2. The person you married is not the person you're divorcing. 3. And I hope you didn't spend much on the wedding because that was one helluva waste of hard-earned cash, wasn't it? But some guys are willing to take a chance. Like my brother, who thinks he's going to ride off into the sunset with the woman of his dreams in a haze of glitter on unicorns. And the wedding planner-the green-eyed beauty who makes a living convincing suckers to shell out thousands of dollars on centerpieces-is raking it in on this matrimonial monstrosity. The thing is, Charlie Love is not unlike me. We're both cogs in the wedding-industrial complex. As the best man, I know her game-and I can play it better than her. But after one scorching, unexpected kiss, I'm thinking I might just want to get played.

Firefighter Jude Torres and hockey player Hudson Grey fall hard in this crossover book between the Hot in Chicago Rookies and Rookie Rebels series.It was supposed to be a random hookup.At a crossroads, my life a hot mess, I swiped right on the guy with the washboard abs and the tree-trunk thighs. His handle was Holt (yeah, really) but as soon as he opened the door, I recognized him: Hudson Grey, the hottest prospect in pro-hockey and apparently, secretly playing for my team. Not mind-blowing enough? He needed someone to punch his V-card and I was only too happy to volunteer as tribute . . . Then he ghosted me when it got to be too much.A year later, my life is back on track and I'm a candidate firefighter at legendary Engine 6. While I might be new to the Chicago Fire Department, I'm a veteran in the game of steamy hookups. My No. 1 rule? No newbies. Except now Hudson has been traded to my hometown team, the Chicago Rebels, and he's out, proud, and ready to date. And he wants my help introducing him to the local gay scene. My messy past means I'm the worst guy to be mentoring the shy, sexy jock. But neither can I stand by and watch while others touch the man who already feels like mine.I might have been his first, but I'm about to learn that the new guy has even more to teach me about hunger, hope, and falling hard . . .