He was supposed to be a name in her research. He became the secret she couldn't leave behind.
Art historian Dr. Claire Winslow has spent her career chasing other people's mysteries. When a lead on the long-lost Bellafiore Commission pulls her to Venice, she expects dusty ...
After spending all her life trying to be normal, Nova gives up. She isn’t like everyone else. When a recent break-up highlights her limitations, the crushing realization drives her deeper into her work. Content in her private world and with no desire to change, she finds herself pulled into a missio ...
He’s the gridiron god with magic hands… …And fingers, and mouth, and tongue. Chance ‘Gunner’ Adams –- quarterback, superstar womanizer, and panty slayer extraordinaire. He wants me. He wants me bad, but I’m not about to become another notch on his girthy b ...
All I wanted was his large pizza. What I got was a lesson in delicious heat, and not the culinary kind. Another breakup and once again it’s breakup-pizza time. Gianno Capra is the only chef who knows exactly how I like it... with extra anchovies and avocado, please! It doesn't hurt that he's drop-de ...
If you told me my alphalicious one-night stand from four years ago would have me on my knees in his office, I would’ve said you’re crazy—but crazy had other plans… Running to the Caribbean to get away from my troubles lands me on top of a 6’4” hard-bodied hottie. This chiseled ab grump is loaded a ...
"This, can only be temporary. Once the wedding is over, and things go back to normal, I'm pretty sure that we'll hardly cross paths again..”Luna said between gasps. "What if... I want this to be something more, than just temporary," he countered, his thrusts slow and deep. Luna’s reputation had b ...
It’s just a two-week holiday trip with my brother’s bad-boy best friend. I can do this. So what if I had a crush on Cole? That was all in the past. Besides, he had a bad reputation for being a heartbreaker, and after what he did to his ex-girlfriend, I didn’t want anything to do with him. Of all thi ...
Damien's screwed. His father's been kidnapped and the steamy art collection he's been forced to steal needs a restoration expert in a hurry. Cassandra's his last hope but she's having doubts, questioning his story, making his muscles hard with tension. He's going to have to find a way to ease her mi ...
The hot nerdy science teacher taught me a thing about chemistry. A steamy one-night with my sexy co-teacher wasn't how I planned to start my new job. Super awkward, especially since we were at each other's throats minutes before. We went our sated, separate ways. That’s perfect for me beca ...
This Billionaire is a beast! Here I am in a dark parking lot, soaked to the bone, searching for cell service in a dead zone. All for him. Mason Morante. I’ve got one last job to do, and then it’s goodbye to my little ward. Except my new boss is turning all my plans upside down. If young Carrie is an ...
Nothing’s going right in Melody Carter’s life right now. She’s broke, unemployed, and living in the shadow of her successful fashion-model sister Sahara. But that ain’t even the half of Melody’s problems, the biggest one is Keith Taylor, Sahara’s new boyfriend who’s slowly worming his way into the s ...
A military hero. A runaway bride. Never enough time. She had more than one night written all over her face. Fighting for my country came with some obvious downsides. Like meeting Marcie and not having enough time to spend with her before I left for overseas. All I wanted—no, craved—was to spend time ...
I saw her standing there, towards the end of the pier, alone. She wore a multi-coloured dress. Her hair was ruffled but she did not seem to care as the wind blew against her face. So begins the story of a young man's summertime journey to Charleston, South Carolina, where he gets to spend quality ti ...
Cassie didn't go to uni looking for love.
But during tutorials with her gorgeous professor Diego Valentine, she finds the chemistry between them hard to ignore.
Can they act on their forbidden feelings?
When the woman who can't stand me suddenly finds herself in need of a husband, She crashes my fake wedding and offers herself as my wife, Agreeing to play by my rules- the very ones she hates. The plan was simple, or so I thought: Marry, become CEO, and divorce in six months. I’m determi ...
She's not looking for Mr. Forever - just Mr. Right Now. It all changes when she takes her city's star football player home, and he WANTS more. So much more . . .
Leslie McClunis didn't give up ballet for firefighting to be told she'd get ahead if she acted more 'feminine.' As far as sh ...
I’m in desperate need of a husband. How convenient that one just crash-landed in my backyard… Life is hard enough on this planet for a single woman since the war between the humans and the aliens broke out. It’s about to get worse. I'm facing two choices. Either I produce a husband within a year, or ...
LUCIAN
I am a Dragon Prince of the House of Smoke… and I am dying.
Shy, reserved Gabrielle considers herself Switzerland of sex. At least until Lily and Jon extend a travel visa for a walk on the wild side. One night of passion awakens Bree to her own desires and Lily and Jon invite her to find out what she wants. And offer to help her find it. This is book one of ...
Tender romance, witty humor, spine-chilling suspense. You’ll lose yourself in this book because the characters seem like you could sit down with them over coffee. Etta and Tom have kissed passionately but don’t remember it. They’re both starting life over, she as a writer in grad school and he, as a ...
She was supposed to be celebrating her sister’s birthday, not falling in love with some guy she just met! When her sister invites her on a girls’ weekend to celebrate her fiftieth birthday, Teresa tries her best to get out of it. She’s much too busy to take a vacation, let alone spend time with t ...
Noah The first time we met, I called it Coincidence. The second time, I called it Chance. The third time, I called it Kismet. I became expectant and ready for the next meet, but I wasn’t prepared for the secret. No, I'm not letting her go. Our fate was sealed at that first meeting. She’s mine. Ka ...
Out of all the football stadiums in the world, why did Roxanne “The Ballbuster” Benson have to plow through mine?
Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for women playing professional football. But what I’m not for is The Ballbuster waltzing onto my field, trying to ta ...
Clayton Sinclair had moved back to his hometown in Middleton, Colorado for one purpose - find the curvy woman he’d been fantasizing about since high school and stake his claim. His mission didn’t prove as difficult as he’d thought as fate stranded his curvy beauty on a rooftop just waiting to be res ...
Kari Riley has more problems than she can shake a stick at: Her ex-boyfriend Anthony is a crazed mobster. He REALLY wants to murder her for snitching to the police. She's been put into Witness Protection - on a farm in the middle of nowhere. And Flynn, the cowboy who runs said farm? He is annoying, ...
One Casanova boxer who never loses + One curvy nurse + One fling two months ago = One surprise pregnancy that will turn both their worlds upside down Two months ago, I spent a highly memorable night with an unforgettable woman with curves I still dream about. Yet when I woke up, she was gone. No ...
I balance two jobs to give my daughter a decent Christmas. That never included getting wrapped up with my grumpy boss. I meet brooding billionaire Huck Frost, working as his night guard. When he has to move to the inn an hour away, I get the unenviable job of the 24-hour detail. As a single ...
I took a midnight joyride with a stranger nearly twice my age. No last names, no numbers. Just the best sex of my life with a silver fox who had me seeing stars over and over. I leave before dawn and regret it instantly. Two weeks later, my aunt’s roof collapses, and the furious, shirtless ...
Tyler Walker: Billionaire CEO. Control freak. My brother's best friend. Now my fake fiancé.
He wants me to play his loving partner to land a major deal.
One week in paradise, then we go our separate ways.
But the lines blur with every touch, every staged kiss.
Tyler g ...
Start with a perfect spring weekend full of pretty dresses, high heels, fancy hats, horse races, and bourbon. Combine with a friends-from-childhood couple whose ongoing misunderstandings have led Lucy Granger to swear she’ll never move back home. Mix in a splash of combined family pressure for Lucy ...
James Trinity had a way of getting under my skin. From the moment we met, she pushed me. With each push, I wanted her more, but she hated me. I saw it in the sneers and the eye rolls and the looks of disgust when I took another woman home. She didn’t need to know I was only doing it to piss her o ...
With her own world facing catastrophic environmental collapse, Briella's only option is to seek refuge on the planet Roun, but the cost of her choice will be her freedom. Upon reaching her new home, she is met by Gastion, ...
New house. New neighbors. Unexpected rules. Jacey and Dominic thought they were moving into a quiet, family-friendly community—block parties, backyard barbecues, and easy friendships. They weren’t expecting this. Because behind the warm smiles and open doors, their new neighbors share more than c ...
London, 1814. Raphael Klonimus can fix anything but his broken heart. The son of a prominent Jewish family of jewelers, the talented pianist hasn’t felt whole since he lost the girl he loved to an arranged marriage. So he’s shocked when he discovers a letter on his bed leading to an old hiding spot ...
Can true love prevail against prejudice and deceit?
After a bitter betrayal, Dawson Blackhorse won't allow anyone to run roughshod over his heart again…especially not the woman he was once foolish enough to trust.
The rodeo circuit gave Dawson an escape after ...
Neighborhood watch is about to get steamy!
Welcome to Blueskin Bay where the water is cool and the men are hot!
If you love small town family romances with a little
When Amelia Parker arrives in Maui, newly single and unemployed, she’s shocked to discover the resort she booked is actually a ramshackle little beachside hotel. At least the scenery is easy on the eyes—as is the toned, laid-back snorkel instructor, “Dude.” After two weeks of sun, serenity, and mind ...
𝑻𝒐 𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝑶𝒍𝒚𝒎𝒑𝒖𝒔, 𝒂 𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝑮𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒌 𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒐𝒅𝒔 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒎 He's the descendant of Zeus, who follows the storms and leaves a trail of broken hearts in his wake. She's a small-town librarian, who dreams of adventure. Forced together to save their worlds, sparks ...
DIESEL I’m a long haul trucker with a full load. I f*ck who I want. When I want. And I always leave them begging for more. I roll into town, take the best piece of ass I can find, and then move on before the sun rolls into the morning clouds. But not Lucy, the sunshine of a girl who works at t ...
Emmett’s worst nightmare is having a live-in nanny for his daughter. Well, guess who just got dumped at his doorstep. Only a week after being hired by Britney Winters, She drops me and her daughter off at her ex’s apartment to go yachting. For three months. If my mother was Vacation Without My Daugh ...
Errol "Pitbull" Ballentine is tasked to work with an NCIS agent who is on the trail of one of their own missing agents. He and the team meet up with NCIS and Pitbull discovers it's special agent Makayla Littlestar who looks like a delicate flower. He soon discovers that her looks are the only soft t ...
Are you ready to head back to Mrs. Robinson's for the weekend? Book Two in the Adults Only series brings back Callie Champlain from Office Plays. Callie is tired of office hookups. She needs a new adventure, more excitement, and something to make her stop thinking of the one man she can't have. She ...
One hundred grand to babysit a hockey player on an island paradise—seriously, how bad could he be?
I’m not expected to talk to Logan “Phoenix” Taylor. I only have to hang out with him in a luxurious villa on a private beach while I study. Simple, right? The money w ...
Sacred sexual rituals bring Taras soul to the ancient Temple of Astarte
Tara is a young American who travels to Jerusalem, where she meets Yoni, a handsome Israeli who is a sexual shaman. Yoni and his wife Hagar take Tara on journeys of deep self revelation, using ancient rituals and sacr ...
Identical twins Jeff and Jason Holder are at the top of their game. The two share more than their matching DNA, so when they meet Megan, it’s no wonder they both want her. Megan doesn’t know baseball, but she does know a sexy guy when she sees one - or two. When a potentially career-ending injury ...
What happens when a human falls in love with a Faeblood? An orphaned caster, all Ember wants is to fulfill her childhood wish of finding others who share her gift. Until she meets Gavyn, an elite fighter known for his hardened reputation and fierce brotherhood. Is embracing the passion between them ...
My hot protector also happens to be my enemy, my off-limits brother’s best friend, and the unknowing dad of my nine-year old son. I swear, billionaire rule-breaker Luke Hardy was sent to torment me. Bronze skin, curly chocolate hair, and the body of a Greek-God. He coaches my son’s rival ho ...
First Impressions can be deceptive. Aidan Blake needs a plumber. Fast. His boiler is dead, his creaky old house crumbling around him. When his elderly neighbour recommends a local trader, George Mahon, Aidan jumps at the prospect of hot water and warm radiators. But George, short for Georgina, ...
He rescued her from slavery…now he is captive to desire.
Lakota Warriors, Book 2
Stolen from a cruel husband by the savage Kiowa, Julia Wilson’s life has gone from bad to worse. ...
When Teag Logan and his fiancé Anthony Benton travel to England to celebrate their engagement, Teag’s magic and supernatural experience hone in on restless spirits, an old scandal and century-old secrets that could turn deadly. Can Teag and Anthony solve the mystery and settle the spooks before t ...
Rory MacTaggart is an uptight lawyer by day, and a steamy seducer by night.
One night in New Orleans changed my life. But is it for better or worse? The instant I see Emery Granger, I need to possess her. A one-night stand should've been the end of it. Except I c ...
One night was all it took to blur the lines between me and my nanny. My goals were simple: to move into my new mansion, mend the bond with my daughter, who's been drifting away since our painful divorce- until I hired Penelope. She was just supposed to be the new nanny, not the woman who tempts me t ...
I was just trying to warm up.
The tattoo parlor where I work is freezing cold, so at closing time, I decide to hop in one of the few tanning beds in the building and warm up.
But when the security alarm goes off for some reason, a hunky firefighter breaks in to save me. In the ...
She was an angel that came to me in my darkest hour. Finding out she's real is everything, and I'll stop at nothing to make her mine.... NFL quarterback, Zolt Hamil was America's heartthrob until a career-ending injury changed his life. Years later, that injury still haunts him, so does the hallucin ...
A curvy girl, possessive biker, instalove short.
He’s the gruff biker who lives across the street. She’s the curvy goddess who’s hiding from her past. Thanks to a runaway dog, the two of them are about to find out that taking their relationship from enemies-to-coworkers-to-lovers creates ...
Gaia save the Queen… Emma Stonetree’s father is missing. Worse yet, her uncle’s gone too, leaving her and her two cousins, Jasper and Jade, floundering for an explanation. All Emma can think of are their fathers’ stories—tall tales of magic, mystery, and a whole host o ...
Kansas, 1877. Sadie Sullivan lost everything when a herd of longhorn cattle bound for Dodge City trampled and destroyed her farm. Now she works in Dodge—one of the most wicked and lawless towns in the West—at the Northern Star saloon. But her survival in this new world of sin and violence depends on ...
He’s a grumpy, sexy, blue-eyed billionaire. And now my boss.
I had one task. Seal a deal for work.
Apparently, he had the same task too.
But I end up quitting my job, so he offers me one.
I need the money, so I take it.
We work together. Ge ...
The biggest mistake Marcia Powers ever made was letting ballplayer Brock Carter walk out of her life. She made him choose his career over her hometown and held onto a secret—a four-year-old daughter posing as her baby sister.
Brock’s back and this time, he wants answers, e ...
A small town boy. A girl on the run. And one night of passion that changes everything. HUNTER: The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. That was the saying, right? A year after his wife had left him, Hunter still hadn’t taken the advice to heart… until she walked into the bar. ...
Santa has a dirty surprise for you . . . It's Christmas season at MetroGen, and the social event of the season is the New Year's Firefighter Ball! Secrets are coming to light, and you'll find out who's been naughty and nice . . . These bite sized naughty stories are perfect for the MetroGen super fa ...
He’s the frozen guardian of the ridge. I’m the woman running for her life.
Now a massive storm has trapped us in his cabin, and the only way to survive is by body heat.
LIAM
They call me the Iceman for a reason.
I live on Grizzlycl ...
Megan's life hasn't been quite as colorful since her slavery to Reuben Weston ended nearly five years ago. So when Reuben offers to set her up with a new playmate, she jumps at the chance. The catch? She has no idea who he is.
Secrets abound in Appaloosa County. Cade and Trey's relationship is new and fragile. But Cade has a secret that could tear it apart. When his father, Cyrus is murdered, Trey is ordered to investigate the death. The list of suspects is long and includes the love of her life—Cade as well as his brothe ...
If you think it's too soon to get on Santa's naughty list...think again. Cancel your plans and spend this holiday season with 26 romance authors who have teamed up to bring you a delicious holiday treat. This collection will have it all: fake relationships, second chances, enemies to lovers, friends ...
Juliet is relaxing in her recently inherited roof garden on an unusually hot day for May in the UK when she decides to take part in World Naked Gardening Day. It’s freeing and extremely pleasurable to bare all outdoors, and she finds that dancing naked is great fun too. Except she’s not as alone ...
After a childhood spent in hospitals and foster homes, Myla’s freelance adventure writing suits her perfectly. A couple of weeks trying out new things then move on. Now, if she can only get her guide to all things winter interested in helping her lose her V-card. Sawyer’s lost his parents, his SE ...
Loyalty... Honor... Dignity...
Just a few short months after the shifter emergence tensions are already running high. Asked to join Alpha Squad to promote cooperation between shifters and human authorities, Eric King is not convinced of its relevance. Despite suspicion that the Secretary ...
She needs a Daddy and he’s in need of a Little who can be strong enough to stand up to him. A last-minute surge of courage enabled Substance Abuse Counselor, Veronica Wallace, to leave her fiancé, chosen by her overbearing mother, at the altar. Escaping to Colorado for a visit with her colleg ...
Psychic medium Simon Kincaide and his fiancé, homicide detective Vic D’Amato, planned a relaxing Christmas and New Year’s at a romantic castle in England. But when Simon encounters a man possessed by a malicious ghost, he fears that a spirit with an ancient grudge intends to disrupt the holiday f ...
Marine veteran Maddy Jeffers never expected her most demanding and daunting mission would come off the battlefield. Ordered to infiltrate a Seattle terrorist cell, Maddy must pose as a loving wife to Major Hunter Hines. The undercover role begins to feel all too real when Maddy falls hard for the ru ...
I’m addicted to my billionaire silver fox boss who’s twice my age and could ruin me. As my ex’s Dad, he’s totally off limits. James DuPont is the tatted, bad boy, CEO DILF that every woman wants. Now we have to fake date to fix his company image. But, when I’m stuck on a yacht with those ...
A woman fished out of the ocean, and a man looking to ruin his reputation - and neither is expecting to find answers with each other… Alexander, the Duke of Caershire, wasn't expecting to drag a half-drowned woman from the Thames, but there seems little to do but help the bedraggled woman home. Tere ...
For the smartest girl in her grad class, Jeannie made a pretty stupid mistake. One that she’s spent ten years coming back from. Voted Most Likely to End up in Jail, Phoenix did one better. He’s spent the past ten years being dead! ♥ Phoenix My high school years were as grim and gritty as could be, s ...
“There’s no time. Remember your imaginary lover....” Cory Caldwell woke up by the side of the road with no memory of how he got there. He pieces together who he is but has no idea what happened to him. Dark visions haunt him—flashes of blood, magic, and a brutal fight. Scorching dreams of a faceless ...
Slick sports agent Griffin Steele is living the highlife in Los Angeles, far from the shadow of the North Carolina mountains where he grew up. But when his hometown falls on hard times and needs his help, Grif reluctantly agrees to commute between coasts. He never expects the lush scenery, in the fo ...
Chaz Mitchell found himself homeless after his ex burned down the apartment building he was living in. Pursuing the ads in the local paper he finds one for a room to rent, and arranges to meet the owner, who turns out to be a woman whose beauty steals his breath away. Cynthia Raulins a semi-famou ...
I disappear to save my life. And wake up in my ex’s bed. I’m hiding from a man who won’t stop stalking me, and the last place I expect to land is my hometown. The man I run straight into is Wyatt Morgan—my quiet, infuriating ex I never fully got over. He’s a grumpy rancher and doesn’t want ...
Vanessa and Nina couldn’t be more different. While Nessa is a hardworking, politically-informed feminist, Nina is a careless party girl with questionable spending habits. Yet when they meet, a deep passion mixed with fierce friendship draws them deeply towards each other.
Will their world ...
When a shopping center demolition reveals the bones of a murder victim and the dead man’s ghost begs for justice, psychic medium Simon Kincaide and his partner/boyfriend Vic D’Amato must solve a fifty year-old crime. The killer’s gotten away with murder...and he’s willing to kill again to keep it th ...
One hot night leads to a hot mess…
I am cursed. One Friday night, after a horrible day at work, I decide to cheer myself up with a one-night stand with a hot stranger. The guy who propositions me has a scorching bod and a sexy British accent. Cheered up? Check. Until Monday morning, when ...
Tantalizing Billionaire, Beautiful Vet, Deadly Secrets… I’m falling for a guy I just met. He’s the finest, most intelligent, and funniest man ever. His dark-as-night and brilliant smile make me instantly melt. I want to get to know him better, but Doc’s rules are clear: NO dating clients. We do try ...
A grumpy, older billionaire hires me to be a live-in nanny. It wasn’t supposed to come with a baby bump. I’m running as far from LA and my jerk of an ex as I can get. Leaving my faltering singing career behind, I find myself broke and homeless. So, I grab the live-in nanny job with both hands. He ma ...
John thinks Becca is a raving lunatic.
Becca thinks John is an arrogant, cocky douchebag.
Can these frenemies become friends even lovers?
Everyone knows phones and I do not get along...
Who has time to read phone messages? I barely have time to read stop signs or brownie instructions. Spontaneity is what gets my blood going. But not when I have to chase down a talking gorilla. Dylan is thrilled ...
On paper, Luke's life seems perfect. He's ridiculously handsome, super successful, and the ladies love him. Too bad he's miserable with a job he hates and a long history of disastrous relationships. When the hot librarian across the hall offers to give him boyfriend lessons one drunken night, he can ...
Welcome to the ultimate resort for swingers!
"Sexy, hot, and steamy!"
Happily married couple Dominic and Jacey (Husbands and Wives) love spicing things up with new friends, but will a wee ...
Savannah Santos is on the run. She fled everything she ever knew to follow her career dreams. But she wasn’t expecting her new roommate to be her dream guy. For Cooper Quin, being any girl’s dream man is nothing new, but he’s determined to stay exactly that: a dream. His focus is o ...
One minute I’m avoiding my pucking ex in a hospital hallway…the next I’m fake-engaged to him and pregnant with his baby. Life doesn’t ease you into chaos like this. One day I’m juggling cupcake orders and my daughter’s hospital bills… The next I’m front-page news with a ring on my finger I never ...
My new billionaire boss broke my heart six years ago. Now I’m going to uncover all his secrets and show him what he’s been missing. Benjamin Connor is smoldering hot, with ocean blue eyes that I used to swim in, and a body I used to love to get tangled up with. He wasn’t a fling, he was the love o ...
Discover destiny's path to true love. When Nancy is betrayed in love, she gives up on romance, convinced she is not destined to find her soulmate. Then Nancy stumbles across Diana, a mysterious clairvoyant with an important message. But can Diana really see the future? Zack, on the other hand, is ca ...
One night of toe-curling passion was all but forgotten until today. My brother’s best friend shows up and wants me to play his wife. The last person I wanted to see while in town was Jack Muller. Seeing him makes my soul melt. I have to remind myself to stay clear and keep my emotions intact ...
An erotic romance short story about growing sexual tension between two students. Brian and Eliana, two second year Kirk University students are tired of flings and one-night-stands, so when they start dating, they decide to leave sex out of it. However, they find that resisting their desires proves ...
To escape notoriety from her role in the school shooting she barely survived, Elizabeth Lambert moves from Houston to Hoffman Grove, Illinois. Plagued by panic attacks and nightmares, she’s determined to embrace her second chance at life, knowing that death could take her in an instant. A one- ...
Elliot Crawford is in love, but not with the man she planned to marry. Elliot – Fleeing to Shane after my engagement ended was supposed to make me feel better. And it did, until I started wondering why my relationships never make me as happy as my friendship with him. Big mistake. I’d be a fool to r ...
This Limited Edition novella is only available through January 31, 2023. After that, it goes back into the vault!
Alicia Roux has filed for divorce, but Clark Roux is not ready to give up. When he learns that she writes dark erotica under a pen name, he decides it's time to reveal his own ...
Three couples. Three books of friends-to-swinging lovers-fun! Happily married couple, Jasmine and Basil are ready for some hot summer fun, but things take a turn for the hotter when they realize their resort is a playground for swingers in ONE SUMMER. Billy and Claire join old friends and make ...
Mr. Playboy Heart Breaker is back in town, and this can go wrong in so many ways… He haunts my dreams with memories of his toe-curling kisses. Caine Nikolaidis is the high school crush who broke my heart, and I never got over it. While in town, he needs my help. I know it’s a bad idea, but still, I ...
