Showing results by narrator "Thomas Barker" in All Categories

All Dante wants is to be left alone in the small New Zealand town no one's heard of. But then, of course, the orchid convention comes to town, and Dante is knee deep in suspects, intrigue, and red herrings. On top of all this, Dante must navigate a mysterious woman from his past, cat issues, and the terrifying prospect of a first date.

Dr. Mack Hart is 28. He's a computer genius. A billionaire. The most gorgeous guy I've ever met in real life. And he wants to see me in his office. I'm terrified. I'm pretty sure he's caught me on the security camera. I took photos of his files when I should have been cleaning. His research is so important that his rival will pay big money for it. And I desperately need some of that cash. But when I walk in, his eyes hold heat, not ice. And he asks me to be his date at a party this evening.

Dante has come to the small coastal town of Te Kohe, New Zealand, for a fresh start in life. But he doesn't want to open a B&B, or save a charming bookshop, or start a romance with a single mother in need of rescuing. He just wants to forget about his past career (which involved a lot of dead bodies) and have everyone leave him the heck alone. Unfortunately for Dante, life has other plans...

Oliver Huxley has asked me out on a date every month for the last ten years. And every time, I've said no. Yes, he's a billionaire. Okay, he's heart-meltingly gorgeous. And it's true he has a great reputation in the bedroom. Look, I have my reasons. He's already broken my heart once. And I know he wants me only because he can't have me. If I sleep with him, I'll just end up another notch on his bedpost. My heart won't survive a second break. Whoever said it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all clearly didn't know what he was talking about.

After the most intense and passionate night of my life, I do my Cinderella act and slip away. I'm disappointed to leave him behind but desperate to start over. Unfortunately, disaster is determined to follow me across the country. I can't find a permanent secretarial position in the whole of Wellington and have to resort to temping. The one room available for rent in the city is damp, the size of a matchbox, and beneath a herd of elephants. And my no-strings-attached fling results in a complication I'm totally unprepared for. Convinced I've reached rock bottom, I begin a new temp job.

I've had a crush on Titus Oates since I was sixteen. We met at my brother's twenty-first birthday party. I asked Titus to kiss me, thinking he'd give me a peck on the cheek. Instead, he kissed the living daylights out of me. I was so young that it never came to anything. But I thought about him a lot. Eventually, I moved to the UK. I didn't think I'd ever see Titus again. And then he calls and says he's in London. He wants me to be his fake date for the weekend. He needs to impress a wealthy investor.

Just between you and me, my brother's best mate is hot as. I'd never admit how I feel about him to my brother, Alex, because he warned me years ago never to go near his friends. I'd never admit it to Damon either. Even though he's only six years older than me, he's very much a man, so different from the boys I've dated over the past few years. Just the way he calls me ma belle is enough to make me melt. But he treats me like his kid sister, which irritates the hell out of me. Then, Alex asks Damon if he'll pick me up from university and drive me home for Easter break.

My virginity is a millstone around my neck. And I want to get rid of it. All I need is one night with one stranger so I don't look like an idiot when I start dating for real. My sister convinces this country bumpkin to sign up for Tinder and to head to the city. My first two matches were complete failures, and I'm about to give up. Then I see Kip's profile. I swipe right, and so does he. We chat for ages and agree to meet that evening for dinner.

For twenty years, she built her life around Ronin—the man she met in university, the father of her son, the partner she thought she knew. But one winter afternoon, a chance glimpse through a café window shatters everything she's clung to. Reeling from betrayal and years of quietly diminishing...

Carol Zhang is a shark shifter who can't hide her animal side. Her eerie eyes and sharp teeth make her an outcast even among other shifters. Only her fated mate could see through her terrifying exterior to the shy, lonely woman underneath. She's been waiting to meet him her whole life. And then she does. And everything goes wrong. Moss Taylor thought the worst thing that would happen to him this week was his soul breaking into pieces as an ancient monster took over his body as its new vessel. You know, the usual. Then he laid eyes on Carol Zhang and lost his heart as well.

The Integrated Life of Leaders is a guide for those who want to pursue a truly integrated approach to life and leadership. Whether you feel your work life is hindering your family’s well-being, or you are struggling to understand how God fits into being a successful professional, these real stories from real leaders making a real impact will help.