Hearts Aflame Collection II: 4-Book Bundle

By Melissa F. Hart

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

Wolf Problem (Broken Wheel Wolves, Book 1)
Life in the small town of Broken Wheel, Wyoming tends to be a little predictable...until Sheriff’s Deputy Jade Lundgren is assigned to deal with the “wolf problem.” Now that wolves have been taken off the endangered species list, people are divided as to whether the wolves should be protected, destroyed, or simply left alone. Tasked with controlling the escalating tensions, Jade finds herself trying to make sense of seemingly unrelated crimes, while juggling her feelings for local rancher, Harlan Winters, and the mysterious, Irish wildlife biologist, Conall O’Faolán.

Eden Rising - Part 1 (Eden Rising, Book 1)
Adrift and uncertain about her future after her divorce, successful fashion designer Eden Valmont’s life drastically changes when she encounters Aminah Yakubu, a beautiful realtor working for a neighbor. Drawn to Aminah’s beauty and seductive energy, a casual invitation for coffee opens a dramatic new chapter in Eden’s life when she meets Aminah’s sensual husband, Lekan. An accomplished artist, Lekan’s lust for life and passion for his work translates into an erotic and bittersweet journey of self-discovery for Eden when her relationship with Lekan and Aminah blossoms into a polyamorous journey...a journey that will ultimately launch her into the future she had been searching for.

New Moon (Phases of Passions, Book 1)
Erin can’t help but be taken in by handsome newcomer to her office, Sean. The way he stares at her with deep, dark eyes sends a sensuous shiver right through her body.
Erin is drawn to Sean, not just because of his devastatingly handsome looks. One night, when he needs a ride home, Erin is glad to offer, but alone in the car, passions run high and soon Erin is finding out just how intense her attraction to Sean is. But he hides a dark secret. Sean is mysterious and a loner, could he be linked to the spate of murders occurring round town? Could Erin be sleeping with a killer?

Taming Suzanna (Passion on the Ranch, Book 1)
Suzanna Wheeler enjoys the attention she receives from the men who work on her father’s ranch. So, when her Daddy tasks his best foreman, the handsome and rugged Colton Stevens, with the chore of keeping an eye on her, she isn’t the least bit happy about it. Willful and defiant, she is determined to keep doing whatever she wants, even when that leads to trouble and danger. Passion and love erupt in this exciting tale of a rancher’s daughter who wants to experience life’s taboos. Is Colton the one to tame her wild heart?

• Language: English
• Publisher: MFH Ink Publishing
• Release date: Feb 2, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311698421

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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Hearts Aflame Collection II: 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/

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Table of Contents

Wolf Problem

Eden Rising - Part 1

New Moon

Taming Suzanna

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Wolf Problem

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Synopsis

Life in the small town of Broken Wheel, Wyoming tends to be a little predictable…until Sheriff’s Deputy Jade Lundgren is assigned to deal with the wolf problem. Now that wolves have been taken off the endangered species list, people are divided as to whether the wolves should be protected, destroyed, or simply left alone. Tasked with controlling the escalating tensions, Jade finds herself trying to make sense of seemingly unrelated crimes, while juggling her feelings for local rancher, Harlan Winters, and the mysterious, Irish wildlife biologist, Conall O’Faolán.

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Jade!

Sheriff Wilson Page’s raspy baritone bounced off the faded red brick walls of the Broken Wheel Sheriff’s Department as he hung up the telephone. He always sounded a little like he was yelling, but it had more to do with being a big man in a cramped office on the second floor of the former Harrow Hill Seed Company than with the fact that he was actually shouting. Since the mayor, the county clerk, and the entire Chamber of Commerce shared the first floor, the deputies put up with the poor acoustics and felt lucky to have space for a few desks, a gun locker, and a holding cell.

I’m right here, Wilson. Jade’s long ash blonde ponytail bounced on her back as she turned from the filing cabinet with a manila folder in her hand.

I need you to go out to the Winters’ place. Carson is hoppin’ mad.

Jade tried to stifle a sigh; Carson was the father of her sometime suitor, Harlan, and she could guess at the reason the rancher was worked up. This have anything to do with the wolf problem?

Wilson rolled his eyes a little. What do you think? The sheriff drummed his fingers restlessly on the desk as he stared out the window. Seems some of our new friends from out of town have been up to more than a little mischief. Go see what you can find out—take pictures, we need to document everything. Spinning his creaky desk chair back to face Jade, he added, I think I need you on the wolf problem full time.

Guess this means I’m canceling lunch with Nicolette at the Brown Buffalo Café.

’Fraid so. He gave Jade a tight smile that she knew meant he was taking the escalating conflict in town seriously. My daughter will wait. The Broken Wheel Gazette hasn’t had headlines this juicy since Cleave Masterson got drunk and went joyriding on Jim Lassiter’s stand-up mower. Jade couldn’t help but snicker at the memory of arresting Cleave for DUI…on a lawnmower, and the hilarious story Nicolette had written for the Gazette. I’ll call Nicolette and take the blame, but you gals will have to make another date to paint your toenails and talk about boys.

In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re not in junior high anymore. Jade arched an eyebrow playfully.

Oh, I know. I just choose to ignore the fact that you gals are grown women. Now get on out to the Winters.

Nodding, Jade jammed the manila folder in her hand back into the file drawer, grabbed a digital camera from her desk, and pulled her tan canvas jacket off the back of her chair. Double- checking the gun holster on her belt, she called back over her shoulder, I’ll radio once I’ve got a handle on things.

Wilson waved her off, Sounds good, in the meantime, I’ve got to see if Dougie has figured out whether that dumbass meth head blew himself up along with that trailer last night.

Rural Wyoming—not exactly exotic, Jade thought as she made her way out to her beat-up Bronco emblazoned with a gold star and Broken Wheel Sheriff’s Department on the door. Their crimes tended to be predictable: theft, drugs, domestic disputes, and the occasional assault and battery, most of which could be attributed to boredom and/or booze. The so-called wolf problem was injecting a whole new dynamic, though; militant environmental activists had taken up residence at Broken Wheel’s one and only motel, the Hidden Springs Inn, to protest the hunting and trapping of wolves. And then there were the local jackasses fueling the fire by bragging about how many of these nuisances they were going to take down, now that wolves were no longer on the endangered species list for Wyoming. Biggy Lemmons and his cousin Frank were the ringleaders, trying to get everyone to believe that the handful of wolves in the neighborhood were wreaking havoc on the local cattle herds, as well as the big game like elk. Jade’s studied opinion was that Biggy and Frank were just mean sons of bitches who enjoyed killing for the sake of killing.

The snow-capped peaks of the Grand Tetons soared up majestically in the distance, and fields of purple heather trailed along the road as Jade headed out to the Winters’ ranch. The noise of the Bronco rumbling up the unpaved road startled a few head of pronghorn antelope that quickly bounded away, and another mile along, she caught sight of a small herd of bison that merely lifted their shaggy heads to take note of the interloper before resuming their grazing. Jade smiled; maybe human life in Wyoming wasn’t very exotic, but she certainly couldn’t fault her spacious backyard for a lack of beauty.

At the turn-off to the Winters’ ranch, Jade reminded herself that Harlan was likely to be there with his father, and she tried to assess how that made her feel. It wasn’t like Harlan was a novelty; they’d grown up together and the fact was, they had—predictably—lost their virginity together the night of Senior Prom. After six weeks of awkward public hand-holding and shared banana splits at the local Dairy Breeze, he’d gone off to Montana State in Bozeman to get a degree in Livestock Management, and she’d headed to Colorado Springs to study Criminal Justice. In the interim, they’d been involved with other people, but now they were both pushing thirty, and still single, which meant—predictably—that everyone, including her best friend, Nicolette, and Harlan’s father, Carson, thought they were perfect for each other. Everyone, it seemed, except for her, and maybe Harlan.

It wasn’t like there was anything terribly wrong with her old flame. Harlan was a lean, lanky westerner, a steady guy with a lopsided grin, bangs that flopped in his eyes, and friendly blue eyes. He was the kind of person you’d find building a wheelchair ramp for someone’s grandma, or out delivering Christmas hams to needy families—a good guy, from a good family. Jade sighed. Maybe she didn’t feel any spark simply because he was so…predictable. Maybe, just once, what she really needed was something truly surprising to happen to her love life.

Two Australian Shepherds bounded toward Jade as she opened the Bronco’s door, and an old hound stood up on the porch, yawning as he stretched and shook himself. She laughed as the Aussies tried to herd her toward the steps. Just then, the front door flung open and Carson Winters stepped out.

Harlan! Carson called back into the house, Wilson did us the favor of sending not only his smartest deputy, but the prettiest one, too!

Jade cringed a little, trying to ignore Carson’s lack of subtlety. I heard you had some trouble out here. What’s going on?

Carson stepped down from the porch, signaling the Aussies to stand down, as the old hound pressed against Jade’s leg with doleful eyes, wanting his head to be scratched. She obliged.

These dogs will worry you senseless, Carson said with feigned gruffness as he pushed back a few renegade hanks of white hair with one hand, Of course they were the ones that tipped us off that we had trespassers. Old Sargent there got a good mouthful of pant leg. He chuckled, He’d never bite anybody, but he scared the bejeezus out of ’em. Grown men screaming like little girls.

Hey, Jade. Harlan stepped out of the house with a slightly embarrassed smile, Dad, why don’t we show Jade the damage? I’m sure she’s got better things to do than to stand around listening to us jaw on about things.

Carson pretended to check the time on his watch. I better go drop hay out in the west pasture. You can show Jade what the little bastards did. He winked knowingly at Jade, You two don’t need me gumming up the works.

Harlan watched his father for a moment as the older man steamed toward the barn. My dad… he paused self-consciously as he turned back to Jade.

Jade put on her best deputy persona, Don’t worry about it. Let’s go see what the little bastards did before Sargent got ahold of them.

The most obvious act of vandalism was the spray painted graffiti marring the pristine white clapboard along one side of the house. Someone had scrawled in huge red letters, Ranchers are Murderers, and The Big Bad Wolf is going to blow your house up!

A chill ran up Jade’s spine as she snapped pictures. This was something more than frivolous scribbling. She put her camera down. We’ve got to treat this as a serious threat.

Harlan twisted his mouth, thinking, before slowly nodding. Dad…he’s just pissed off because he’s got to deal with the insurance adjustor. And we lost two young steers. He pointed toward a section of fence that had clearly been flattened and was now propped up. But there’s something…creepy about all this. We’ve never minded the wolves. They keep the rodent population down, and we’ve never seen that they have much impact on what anyone around here is doing. Why would someone target us?

Good question. Jade rubbed her chin. Maybe someone wants people to get pissed off at the activists.

Maybe.

They walked across the field toward the damaged fence, and Jade snapped some more pictures. "Did you or your dad