Melanie Marchande

Listening length: 7 hours, 14 minutes I’m about to throw an ashtray at my boss’s head. Turns out, the mind behind my favorite, steamy romance novels...the ones I only read in private...the ones that are my only escape after a long day of dealing with The Boss From Hell? It’s not Natalie McBride, the sweet, rural housewife. It’s him. That’s right: my boss, Adrian Risinger, the thirty-three-year-old, maddeningly sexy, pissant billionaire “bad boy" who thinks he runs my life. He is also the author of all my deepest, most secret fantasies. And to make matters worse, he needs me to impersonate “Natalie” at a series of book signings and conventions. But, of course, that’s only if I want to keep my job. On second thought, I’m going to need something heavier than an ashtray.

Maddy Wainright has given up on marriage - and men. After dating way too many losers who aren't capable of appreciating her for who she is, she's about ready to resign herself to a life of spinsterhood. Until her insanely rich boss Daniel Thorne comes along with an offer she simply can't refuse.He proposes a marriage of convenience - one that would allow Maddy to live in the lap of luxury for a year, and Mr. Thorne to stay in the country that has become his home. At the end of their arrangement, Maddy will walk away with a cool two million dollars. All she has to do is move into his mansion, put on a convincing show in public, and endure a few INS interviews, for which she will be thoroughly prepped. It's a big risk, but one Maddy might just be willing to take, considering the payoff.At first, it's all business. But when the gentle touches, passionate kisses, and lingering looks they have to give each other in public start spilling over into their private life, Daniel and his devious mind take Maddy to heights of pleasure she's never experienced. And the more she gets to know him, the more she feels that wistful tug in her chest every time he puts his arm around her in public. Before long, she finds herself wishing it were real.As time goes on, Maddy finds herself wondering if two million dollars will be enough to cover the cost of repairing a broken heart. But Mr. Thorne may have yet another secret in store...

** A standalone romance focusing on a new couple - and guest-starring all the I Married a Billionaire characters you know and love! ** Marrying a kinky billionaire wasn’t exactly in my ten-year plan. Benjamin Chase is not my type. He’s abrasive. He’s arrogant. He doesn’t take anything seriously. I’d die before I dated him, but he has something different in mind. He has to get married in the next nine months, or he loses his company to his ex-wife. And apparently, I’m the most eligible bachelorette in town. If I accept, I’ll have a fortune, and the opportunity to prove my acting skills with the role of a lifetime. But I also have to accept Ben’s quirks - including the fact that he prefers his women bowing and scraping in a ridiculous parody of gender roles I thought we left behind, oh, several decades ago. I have absolutely no intention of submitting in private, but I’ll have to be by his side at all the right clubs and parties. Pretending to be his property. He says it’s all a game, but my head says to run away. My heart, on the other hand…not to mention certain other parts of me…secretly craves his discipline. I have to keep reminding myself that it’s not really on offer. This is all just an act… Isn’t it?

There’s a sexy, sarcastic billionaire in my bed, and he’s wearing a wedding ring. How did this happen? Oh, right. Last year, I found out my insufferable boss was secretly a steamy romance author, and me? I was his unwitting muse. That kind of thing can really charm the pants off a girl - if she’s a little bit nuts. Thankfully, I’ve never had more than a passing interest in normalcy. Next stop, marital bliss! I mean, what could go wrong? It’s not like I have any ambivalent feelings about hooking up with the guy who made my life hell for five years. And it’s not as if Adrian accumulated a long list of enemies in his rise to the top. And we’re *definitely* not so stubborn that it’ll be a struggle to put away our pride and make things work. Okay, so maybe all those things are true. But at the end of the day, all you need is love…and spankings. At least, I sure hope so.