The Power of Love, Special Anthology. Coming from Berkley Trade June 3, 2008.

Since this is an anthology with 12 authors the stories range in size. So the excerpts are pretty short. But hey we got you something! We will have two posts 🙂 a volume I and II.

enjoy!

“Sweet Dreams” by Lori Foster

Cara Compton woke from a deep sleep, bolting upright in her bed, her eyes wide in the dark room.

Holy smokes.

She ran her hands over her face and realized she was damp with sweat. And no wonder. Given that vivid, purely sexual dream…

Appalled at herself, needing to dissipate the effects of the dream, she threw back the sheet and sat up to turn on a lamp. The June weather had turned stifling hot, and no air stirred in her room. Trying to obliterate the tingling in her stomach and on her skin, she strode to the window to open it wider. It slid up easily, letting in a warm, restless breeze, and…

Her heart froze in her throat.

Across the way, in the same apartment complex but in the building adjacent to hers, the object of her hotter-than-hot dream stood at his own window. A soft light limned his body.

Jamison Lawton. Bare-chested. His hair mussed. Knowing he looked right at her, Cara lifted a limp hand to wave.

“Unpredictable” by Erin McCarthy

Hannah saw it coming. As a man drenched in sweat wearing a knit cap came barreling toward her she sidestepped him, reaching out her hand to catch the purse she knew he would drop.

What she didn’t anticipate was the police dog.

Until she was pinned against the wall being held hostage by yellowed fangs and a vicious snarl.

“Good doggie. You’re not going to bite me or drool on my rayon skirt, are you?” Clutching the purse, she tried not to move, annoyed that yet again her mild psychic ability had provided her with thoroughly useless information, like when to catch the purse, but failed to warn her she was the next episode of When Animals Attack.

“I didn’t steal the purse,” she pleaded with Lieutenant Lease, who growled again, showing no sign of easing up. “This has all been a mistake, really.”

“He can’t understand you, you know.”

Hannah looked past the toffee fur into the amused eyes of one very good looking cop, uniform straining across his broad chest.

“Recall, Ralph.”

The dog sat down and his tongue lolled out.

“After Hours” by Toni Blake,

At first, his mouth barely grazed her lips, yet the leisure it released inside her was immeasurable. When the kiss grew firmer, more demanding, it moved through her like warm liquid, slow but potent. By the time it ended, they were both breathing heavy, the only sound in the room.

Their eyes met, and despite being in a high-rise office building that bustled with hundreds of people each day, Marla felt completely isolated, like nothing existed but the two of them, and desire. It was late enough that even the vague sounds of downtown traffic on the streets below had faded to nothing.

And something in his eyes, in her heart, in the passion that now stretched so tautly between them, urged Marla to make the boldest move of her life.

“Last of the Red Hot Mammas” by Dianne Castell,

Gloria knew that Ten Steps to Finding the Perfect Gigolo was not what she wanted even if her sister and the rest of Savannah insisted it truly was. So she seemed a bit cranky, irritable and been a long time without a man. Heck, she’d survived the divorce, got custody of Dacey against her ex and his high-faulting lawyers and even started Scrumptious Savannah. All was well. She’d won!

Or had she? A brush with cancer made one man run for the hills and the chance of another man taking off when things went straight to hell was more of a gamble than Gloria was willing to take … until Rab Langley came to town and turned her life and her heart upside down.

“Salesman of the Year” by Karen Kelley

“Hi, Jenny.” Devon’s words were spoken with a soft, Southern drawl.

He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe, a lazy smile lifting one side of his mouth. His dark hair was still a little too long, just like in high school. He hadn’t cut it back then, either. He’d spent a lot of time in detention his senior year. The bad boy of Austin High.

The rebel that had all the girls drooling, including her.

She cleared her throat, pulling herself back to the present. “Devon, what are you doing here?”

“I grew up and became a Realtor.” His gaze lazily roamed over her again, bringing a flush to her cheeks. “And I see you grew up.”

“Dance the Fandango” by Rosemary Laurey

“Querida, I miss you. Two days is a long time.”

“You’re right there! I’m tempted to leave my bedroom window open but I don’t want to see my daughters dropping dead from shock if they decide to bring me a cup of early morning coffee.”

“True. No point in scandalizing the young. They shock so easily.”

“You can say that again.”

“I would rather say, “I love you’.”

”I love you, too, Juan.” Wondrous really, after losing Sam she’d been empty, hollow.

Juan had changed all that.

“Tell me, my love, would Sunday be the time for me to ask their permission to marry you?”

“You don’t need to ask anyone but me, and I’ve already said ‘yes.’”

“It might help.”

He was right. Much as the thought rankled. “Ask Simon. The sons-in-law can go sing, and the girls will probably want to debate it and take a vote.”