[Edited] "You had to be extremely low on cash to wank into a cup for it," Dani sneered, feeling like a vindictive bully in a playground. But Carlo deserved it. She felt the first sharp stab of fear that went through her heart when Carlo looked at her with thunder in his eyes. "What are you going to do now? Kill me?" she continued. Fingering the 9mm in her back pocket, she remembered that she'd never even shot the damn thing, despite her brothers' pleas to teach her. Carlo's shadow blanketed her. "Kill you?" His brow furrowed. "Do you really think that lowly of me, cara? I'm wounded." "Then what the hell do you want?" His face flashed with a look she barely recognised - pure arousal. Even when he reached out and pulled her to him, she could feel it. "I realised that the mother of my child is more of a spitfire than I thought." His lips brushed her earlobe. "Call me a pyromaniac." *cover by @bullethood*

USA Today bestselling author Catherine Gayle presents the first novel in the sexy, edgy Tulsa Thunderbirds hockey romance series, a spin-off from her Portland Storm series. Bury the Hatchet is Book 1 in the Tulsa Thunderbirds series. They both need to make amends... But they might be making more than that. Tulsa Thunderbirds goaltender Hunter Fielding has a lot of kissing up to do following a few brash and uncalled-for statements. Now he needs to prove to the watchful eyes that he's changed for the better. But cozying up to Little-Miss-Perfect-Gone-Bad isn't his idea of making amends. Agreeing to marry a hockey star to clear her "bad girl" reputation is the worst idea Oklahoma's former sweetheart, Tallulah Belle Roth, has ever heard. With cameras constantly in their faces, Hunter and Tallie need to prove their sickeningly-sweet, do-good lives are the real deal-just to Bury the Hatchet once and for all. But when the cameras are off, desire burns hot. Can fake and just for show turn into something real and forever? Purchase the complete story at all major ebook retailers. Find the links at: http://catherinegayle.com/contemporary-romance/bury-the-hatchet. BURY THE HATCHET is Book 1 in USA Today bestselling author Catherine Gayle's ongoing, sexy Tulsa Thunderbirds hockey romance series, a spin-off from her emotional Portland Storm series, and it is currently free at most ebook retailers. You can find the links to download your copy here: http://catherinegayle.com/contemporary-romance/bury-the-hatchet. Links for purchasing the other books in the Tulsa Thunderbirds series can be found here: http://catherinegayle.com/contemporary-romance#TulsaThunderbirds.

Time changes everything, except what’s meant to be. Seven years is a long time – long enough to transform Clementine from a small-town teenager with a broken heart into a woman ready to take on the world, but not long enough to make her forget about the man she was never supposed to see again. A temporary return to tiny Willow Heights thrusts her back into Donovan’s life and home, unearthing heartbreak and obsession that have stood the test of time. He left seven years ago too, for war and other things Clementine can only imagine. Coming back to the town where he grew up in the shadow of poverty and drug addiction makes no sense, and neither do Clementine’s feelings for him. He could never forgive her for leaving, could he? Even if she had no choice. Now, she has the freedom to choose … and so does he. Every day in Willow Heights makes it clearer: all he ever really wanted was her, and nothing will change that. Not even a taste of the hell that drove them apart in the first place.

To the world he was a beast but for her he would do anything. He could have the world but all he wanted was her. They say the things we want most are the things we can't have. For she was so afraid of him that even the thought of him could have her running for the hills. Little did she know that she was the only one who didn't have to be afraid of him. Credits for the cover go to @Chatachino for the amazing cover.

Writers have to get their characters from somewhere. Sometimes it's just not as simple as making them up.