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    Hearts Aflame Collection III: 4-Book Bundle
    Hearts Aflame Collection III: 4-Book Bundle
    Hearts Aflame Collection III: 4-Book Bundle
    Ebook137 pages2 hours

    Hearts Aflame Collection III: 4-Book Bundle

    By Melissa F. Hart

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    About this ebook

    I'm proud to release this third Hearts Aflame Collection. Thank you for all your amazing support.

    Exposed (Memoirs of a Retired Assassin, Book 1)
    Jeanine is a private assassin for a secret government organization. She and her partner Liam, who is also her sometimes lover, are tasked with killing a Saudi official. However, they are intercepted before they can complete their mission, yet still framed for the murder. Both are sent to prison and disavowed. Liam manages to escape, but is unable to rescue Jeanine.

    John, Jeanine’s first love, reads about her situation in the newspaper. He’s been looking for her for ten years, ever since he broke her heart and she ran away from him. He visits her in prison and promises he can help her escape. Can Jeanine let go of her old anger and resentment toward John and accept his help?

    Heat in the Kitchen (Cooking Up Passion, Book 1)
    As the billionaire head of a major company, Ethan Richmond feels the weight of his enormous responsibilities crushing down on him, until he meets the one woman who can set him free by tying him up. Jocelyn Ricci is the beautiful and talented chef he hired to work in his kitchen, but she has a passion for more than just cooking and can see the stress that her handsome boss is under. When Jocelyn offers to introduce Ethan to the kinky world of bondage and domination sex games by playing the part of his Mistress, things in the kitchen really heat up! The steamy affair turns Ethan into a new man, but not everybody is happy about it and will do everything they can to ruin him. Will things get too hot for them or are they just getting warmed up?

    Negociation (Smith Dynasty, Book 1)
    Lucy Smith is the only child of Charles and Abigail Smith. After her father’s untimely passing, she is left as the owner of the third largest shipping company in the world. Lucy puts in a proposal that would make her father’s company the second largest in the world. She has one small problem; her father sold 10% of the company to Jake Logan, the most gorgeous man Lucy has ever seen, but also the most hard-headed and stubborn. Lucy needs his signature to complete what will be the company’s largest shipment to date.

    Jake Logan knew the moment he laid eyes on Lucy Smith that she was the woman he had waited his whole life for. It was love at first sight. Jake has one hurdle to overcome in making Lucy his wife: Lucy herself. She has sworn off relationships and Jake is bound and determined to make her see she can have both; a successful marriage as well as a successful and thriving business.

    Forests Dark and Deep (Following the Wolf, Book 1)
    Abandoned by her parents at a nunnery by the side of an ancient forest, Riona has always known that she was different. Despite her innate passion and her natural curiosity, she is resigned to spending her life as a pious sister of the order until a pack of werewolves arrive to show her just how special she really is.

    Rordan is the wolf king of the Dunclough pack, and for his beloved people, he will cross any line and break any law. He was ready for anything, but when his chosen prey turns out to be a beautiful, curvy woman with a fiery spirit and a wild streak, he finds that his plans need to change.

    Riona must learn about her sacred heritage while learning about the ways of the werewolves and the heart of the man who abducted her.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMFH Ink Publishing
    Release dateFeb 9, 2014
    ISBN9781311812643
    Hearts Aflame Collection III: 4-Book Bundle
    Author

    Melissa F. Hart

    I started writing romance fiction since I was 16 years old. I'm now a published writer thanks to the wonderful world of ebooks.I live in Canada and I love the winter months. As you can see, I wrote several books related to the winter holidays.I'm not represented by an agent and I'm a proud indie. I have learned how to create websites and edit images, design book covers, etc. All my books and what you see on this website I have created myself.I'm currently a certified accountant but my dream is to be a full-time independent writer of hot erotic romance books.

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      Book preview

      Hearts Aflame Collection III - Melissa F. Hart

      Hearts Aflame Collection III: 4-Book Bundle

      Smashwords Edition

      Copyright © 2014 by Melissa F. Hart. All rights reserved worldwide.

      No part of this book may be replicated, redistributed, or given away in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, without the prior written consent of the author/publisher.

      This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental

      http://www.melissafhart.com/

      ***

      Table of Contents

      Exposed

      1 - Chapter One

      1 - Chapter Two

      1 - Chapter Three

      1 - Chapter Four

      1 - Chapter Five

      1 - Chapter Six

      1 - Chapter Seven

      Heat in the Kitchen

      2 - Chapter One

      2 - Chapter Two

      2 - Chapter Three

      2 - Chapter Four

      2 - Chapter Five

      2 - Chapter Six

      2 - Chapter Seven

      Negociation

      Forests Dark and Deep

      ***

      Exposed

      ***

      Synopsis

      Jeanine is a private assassin for a secret government organization. She and her partner Liam, who is also her sometimes lover, are tasked with killing a Saudi official. However, they are intercepted before they can complete their mission, yet still framed for the murder. Both are sent to prison and disavowed. Liam manages to escape, but is unable to rescue Jeanine.

      John, Jeanine’s first love, reads about her situation in the newspaper. He’s been looking for her for ten years, ever since he broke her heart and she ran away from him. He visits her in prison and promises he can help her escape. Can Jeanine let go of her old anger and resentment toward John and accept his help?

      ***

      Chapter One

      It was a cold night; not the coldest of the season, but definitely cold: you know, that residual freeze you get in Washington DC around mid-February. As I stood out in the street, my teeth chattering, goose bumps growing on the skin underneath my leather stealth suit, I imagined somewhere, someone was having a nice dinner. I imagined a family of four sitting in the warmth of a DC townhouse, enjoying a pot roast in front of their fire. There might have been music playing in the background, the Jazz kind that dads usually liked to play. Or maybe not, maybe Dad liked soft rock from the 80s. Or maybe he liked complete silence.

      Sitting across from Dad at the other end of the table was Mom. She loved conversation, but could never introduce a topic interesting enough for Dad's approval. So, instead of asking little Sally, or little Eric, how their kindergarten school day was, she ate in silence. She scooped her mashed potatoes, taking care not to scrape her spoon against the plate, because she knew Dad hated the noise. He hated the screech and the scrape. He hated the extemporaneous humanness of it all.

      Dad, in fact, would have rather eaten his dinner completely alone. The satisfied smirk on his son's face when he passed gas in that silent but deadly way and assumed no one at the table noticed, pinched at Dad's last nerve. He hated children, hated the sight of them, hated the fact that they were so spontaneous, so uncontrollable. He wanted them to be sterile. He wanted sameness. He set his gaze on Sally who sat next to Eric. She used her knife to cut out each piece of meat, meticulously folding her small fingers around the handle of each utensil. She wanted to be proper so that Daddy would notice.

      She wanted to put a smile on Daddy's face, and she fancied she was only a moment away from witnessing his true happiness. She stared at her mother, at the way she sat in her chair, folding her legs together, barely scooping the plate with her spoon, making herself as small as possible. Even as a child, Sally could see the pain in her mother's eyes, could feel the dejection in her stare. She could never make Dad happy; she was too sad herself. She was too helpless and hopeless. Her frail fingers looked as if they would crack under the weight of her utensils. Her eyes seemed as if they would fry under the glare of the light above the table. Her pale skin looked as if it could melt off of her bones at any moment. Sally gazed at her mother, a hateful look in her eye. She knew, with more certainty than she had ever felt in the eight years of her life, that she never wanted to be her.

      Stop, I muttered. That was enough of that. I tore my eyes away from the lone lit window on the third floor of the high rise towering up in front of me. In the cold dark night, it could have been the warmest place anyone had ever been in. I envied whoever stayed there, even if it was just a dysfunctional family of four.

      I sighed, shifting my weight from my right foot to my left. A draft of cold air passed in between my arms. I shuddered at the impact of it. A quick look at my phone told me it wasn't time yet. Five more minutes of this hell.

      The silence was a pressing force, an ominous being. It penetrated every part of me until I began to imagine sound for the sake of preserving my own sanity. I imagined a rat scurrying at the base of my foot, weaving in and out of the two dumpsters I stood between, looking for so much as a mere crumb to take home to his family. I imagined the muffled roar coming from a nearby dwelling as a new bottle of champagne was opened in order to celebrate a 75th birthday. Sharp giggles echoed off the walls of high rises as a drunk couple approached the alley. A male voice murmured things followed by the amused screeches of his date. The sound increased as they approached, then began to decrease as they walked away. I held my gaze on the empty wall in front of me.

      It could have been anything; a secret passage, a hiding place, a mirror. I fancied if I looked hard enough, I could see my reflection amongst the black concrete. I imagined the sharp hairline made by my red hair pulled as far and tight back as it could go, my plump lips, made all the more plumper by my choice to use bright red lipstick, my high cheekbones, and full body.

      I looked away.

      The sound of a truck passed by, the increasing roar of its approach, followed by the decrease of it as it disappeared farther and farther down the road.

      I gulped, swallowing what little saliva I had left. My fingers curled and uncurled, the skin on my palm slick under a thin layer of cold sweat. I blinked back the dry tears forming in the edges of my eyes, telling myself it was only the wind, when I knew it was much more than that.

      I heard the footsteps before I saw the man. Hey, you got a cig?

      I glanced in his direction, committing his dark tennis shoes, faded jeans, and brown leather jacket to memory. He raised an eyebrow in expectation, ready for my affirmative answer, and, no doubt, for me to give the cigarette away. There was something about his confident lean, or the invasive gleam in his dark eyes that made me say, No, even though I had just finished my fourth one.

      His smile widened as he nodded at me, taking a step in my direction. I tilted my head to the right, not a retreat, but a negative response. Come on. Don't be like that.

      What? It was my turn to raise an eyebrow.

      He grimaced. As far as he knew, he was alone with a girl in a dark alley. He couldn't reason with himself why I could possibly be challenging him, why I was so confident.

      His confusion amused me.

      Why are you lying?

      I folded my lips into a mock frown. You shouldn't make judgments like that about people you don't even know.

      I can smell the smoke on you, he breathed.

      So can I, I replied, trying not to look uncomfortable under his gaze.

      He narrowed his eyes. Give me a cigarette.

      I shrugged, a vacant smile on my face. Mother told me not to give things to strangers.

      I don't think it works like that.

      Oh, I'm sure it does.

      He tilted his head back and forth, stretching out his neck.

      I lifted my chin, pursing my lips together in a stance of defiance. I had decided the moment he approached me with that confident smirk that I wasn't going to give him what he felt like he was entitled to.

      He lifted one large finger to my face, stroking my cheek. Why are you provoking me?

      Awe. I'm sorry you feel provoked, I whined in a mocking voice.

      He continued to stroke my cheek. His thumb rubbed the other side of my face. I flicked my chin, brushing his hand off.

      Well, you have to give me something, he murmured.

      I scrunched my nose at his sharp, smoke-infested, rancid-tuna breath. I'm sorry, but you're going to be a little disappointed.

      He grabbed my chin with his hand.

      I blinked twice, taking care to suck in deep breaths from my mouth.

      I don't like being disappointed. His grip tightened as he said this.

      That sounds like a personal problem.

      He grunted, thrusting his body into mine. I huffed as my back hit the dumpster with a thud. A gust of wind bit my face. I pressed my hands against the dumpster, trying to make my body as small as possible in order to get away from him. In the next moment, I could feel his left hand snaking up my leg.

      What are you doing out at a time like this dressed in a body suit?

      I furrowed my brows in an effort to get a coherent sentence out under the pressure of his hold. You'd like to know, wouldn't you?

      You're going to tell me, aren't you?

      I winced at his sharp hold on my thigh. I'm not really a fan of questions.

      Through the dark shadows, I could see his eyes harden. His thin lips hung open, releasing the warm breath of

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