Bücher von Kate Meader

Chicago Rebels hockey player Dex O'Malley has been a naughty boy ... again. Only his latest stunt isn't quite like when he was caught with his pants down at a nightclub or was cited for drag-racing on Lake Shore Drive or even that time he said a few critical things about his teammates on a hockey podcast. Oops. This time, Dex is in real trouble, the kind that could get him kicked off the team and out of the league. And that cannot happen. Hockey is the only thing he's ever been good at. The only thing he cares about. He'll do whatever it takes to rehab his rep, even if it means cleaning up dog poop and suffering the steely-eyed disapproval of his new no-nonsense "boss" at the animal shelter, Ashley Adams.Ashley has enough on her plate between her low-paying job, her high-maintenance family, and a love life she's trying to resurrect after her divorce. She's already mom to an amazing nine-year-old; the last thing she needs is mothering a celebrity volunteer with more money than sense. But the troublemaking f-boy needs Ashley to sign off on his good deeds so he can get back to what he does best: lighting up lamps both on and off the ice. And while a guy like that could never interest her mind, it seems her body is not on the same page. Sure, Dex O'Malley is too young, too hot, too flighty for Ashley to take seriously, but maybe a brief ride on the wild side might fit the bill ...Only that's not enough for Dex. What happens when this notorious player decides the older, single mom is the hottest woman he's ever met and that he wants to light her lamp ... forever?

A beat-cute for the ages . . .What Lili DeLuca meant to do: investigate the mysterious light in her family restaurant's kitchen. What she actually did: brained a famous chef with a frying pan. Between her family's failing restaurant, her soggy-bottomed love life, and her dreams put on hold as she manages, well, everything, the last thing Lili needs is an arrogant celebrity with a concussion. But when sexy TV chef Jack Kilroy challenges her father to a cook-off for his show, she spies an opportunity to save the family business and indulge in some no-strings fun with the hottest man she's ever seen in a chef's jacket. Pity the reputed playboy has decided to turn over a new leaf ...Jack's celebrity has left him feeling used and used up. While Lili's throaty moans when she tastes his creations turn him on, he's even more aroused by how this beautiful, funny woman is unimpressed by his fame. He knows they could be amazing together, if she could only see past his rabid fan base. Now as he's about to start a new prime time TV cooking show, can Jack convince Lili to realize her own ambitions ... and turn up the heat in his kitchen?

A fire they can't put out . . .Although her baby boy keeps her plate full, Jules Kilroy is ready to take her love life off the back burner-which means getting back into the dating scene. And while she might wish her best friend, Taddeo DeLuca, would see the potential of them as a couple, in her heart of hearts she knows it's not to be. He rejected her once and she's vowed never to blur the lines again . . .After a lifetime of excuses and false starts, Tad has finally opened a wine bar, a deal made even sweeter when Jules joins his staff. Lovers come and go, and he's had his share, but friendships like theirs last forever. Yet, ever since he tasted her, he can't stop fantasizing about what could be. And when she signs up for an online dating site, the thought of his Jules with another man makes his blood boil.Tad might have made a mistake with his best girl before, but this time he's determined to beg her forgiveness . . .one scorching kiss at a time.

Her sweetest mistake . . . tastes so, so good.Cool as a Chicago winter, private events planner Cara DeLuca is a model of self-control . . . until she meets the one temptation she can't resist: Shane Doyle. The sexy, Irish pastry chef is too hot, too sure, too young, and after a crazy night in Vegas, her new husband. While at first Cara wants nothing more than a way out of her sham marriage to Shane, she soon finds that beneath his farm boy demeanor lies a man who can match her drive, both in and out of the bedroom. How can the wrong guy feel so deliciously right?Shane has carefully structured his career and life around one goal: connecting with the family that doesn't know he exists. Marrying a woman with more issues than a magazine stand wasn't part of the plan, but melting Cara's icy exterior is so worth the detour. It isn't long before this side trip is leading him down an unexpected path with love the final destination.As their annulment date nears and long-buried secrets are revealed, Shane will have to fight for the one thing guaranteeing the perfect life he craves . . .the current Mrs. Shane Doyle.

The next steamy standalone in the Hot in Chicago Rookies series features playboy firefighter, Sam Killian!I might be a rookie Chicago firefighter, but I'm on top of the world. I've just earned my spot on Rescue Squad at legendary Engine 6, can get all the action I want both in and out of the bedroom, and am possessed of an enviable sneaker collection. Nothing can harsh my vibe except her-Cassandra Ferguson, my brother's sister-in-law, or as I affectionately label her: the blister-in-law. Ever since I met her, she's looked down her perky little nose at me, never mind that I'm a good foot taller. Apparently, I offended her with a few risqué jokes and an offer for a fun, no-strings night-crimes that have relegated me to lower than dirt in St. Cassandra's eyes.These days we're at a stalemate. Don't get along, can't get along. Only when tragedy strikes, we have no choice but to put our animosity aside for the sake of our hurting niece and nephew, who need us now more than ever. As co-guardians, Cassie and I are enemy combatants in an uneasy truce, flailing around in a no-man's land of grief and lust, forced to work as a team.Thing is, when Cassie and I team up-when we really work together-the results are explosive. In a sexy way. In an amazing way. Maybe ... in every way. But with stakes this high, we can't get it wrong.Even though it feels so, so right.

He never saw her coming ...After almost a year away from hockey, Bastian Durand's return to the game should be a triumph. Instead he's taken down by the Chicago Rebels mascot.It can't get worse. Or maybe it can. Because the human inside the Rowdy Rebel costume is none other than Pepper Calhoun.His friend's sister.His coach's daughter.And the woman Bastian has wanted for the longest time.Pepper has always been a magnet for bad luck and now she's ruined superstar Bast Durand's big comeback. So that tracks. Everyone, from her father and brother to the fans and press, heck, even the NHL commissioner, hates her.Everyone but the one guy who should.Hiding away is the only thing she can think of, except Bast has the same idea. To her utter dismay, he's determined to protect Pepper from anyone who dares breathe a word against her.And to convince her that crashing on the ice isn't all that different from ... falling in love.

In the courtroom, they're rivals. In the bedroom, they're . . . divorced. But could the road trip from hell lead to a second chance at love? Aubrey Gates is the hottest divorce lawyer in Chicago, a barb-tongued stiletto with legs that go on for miles. When her cool gray eyes meet mine across the battlefield, I want her like I've never wanted anyone or anything. Then I remember who she is: the woman who brought me to my knees. The woman who destroyed my faith in relationships. The woman I used to call . . . wife. And she needs a favor. It seems my ex forgot to mention the demise of our marriage to her dear old grammie, and now we're both expected to attend her ninetieth birthday party. In Boston. And because it isn't already awkward enough, Aubrey and I are driving there together from Chicago. That's more than a thousand miles of tension, heartbreak, and barely concealed lust. A little piece of paper might say we're over, but this road trip is the true test. I intend to get my wife back . . . and I won't stop until "I do."

The cynical divorce lawyer and the hearts-and-flowers wedding planner could be the perfect match . . . If you ever get married, remember my name: Max Henderson. In my line of work, you acquire a certain perspective on supposedly everlasting unions. . . . 1. Pre-nups are your friend. 2. The person you married is not the person you're divorcing. 3. And I hope you didn't spend much on the wedding because that was one helluva waste of hard-earned cash, wasn't it? But some guys are willing to take a chance. Like my brother, who thinks he's going to ride off into the sunset with the woman of his dreams in a haze of glitter on unicorns. And the wedding planner-the green-eyed beauty who makes a living convincing suckers to shell out thousands of dollars on centerpieces-is raking it in on this matrimonial monstrosity. The thing is, Charlie Love is not unlike me. We're both cogs in the wedding-industrial complex. As the best man, I know her game-and I can play it better than her. But after one scorching, unexpected kiss, I'm thinking I might just want to get played.

Rule #1: Never fall for your client.Rule #2: Never fall for your client's fiercely protective, smoking hot sister-in-law.I'm the kind of guy who believes that everyone deserves the best legal representation money can buy-which just so happens to be me, Lucas Wright. Give me your henpecked, your cuckolded, your irreconcilable differences yearning to break free. And if you're the bad guy in your marriage, that's cool, too. Your green is as good as anyone's.Tell that to Trinity Jones. It's my job to destroy her sister-the soon-to-be ex-wife of my a-hole of a client-and Trinity's "big sis" instincts are dialed up to the max. I admire that. I admire her. But she won't stop me from representing my client to the best of my ability.Not even if my chemistry with Trinity is undeniable. Not even if we can't keep our hands off each other. Not even if she injects life into a heart assumed to be long dead. Because when faced with a choice between love and duty, the job will always win-or at least that's what I thought before I met Trinity . . . and suddenly conflict of interest never felt so right.

She has her heart set on a hockey player. Any hockey player.When the new general manager of the Chicago Rebels tasks Tara Becker with faking it with one of his players to help clean up the naughty jock's act, she's all over it. She'll make that misbehaving hunk of muscle look good and get her dream guy into the bargain.Only the path from fake to real is riddled with thorns . . .New GM Hale Fitzpatrick thinks ditzy blonde and wannabe WAG Tara is the perfect solution to his PR problem - until she isn't. Soon Fitz realizes that maybe he doesn't have control of the strings after all . . . especially when he starts to fall for his pretty little puppet.A fake relationship hockey romance - with a twist!

The first in a brand new series about rookie Chicago firefighters.Lives are on the line at Engine 6 ... and so are hearts.Running an engine crew in the Chicago Fire Department is my dream job, and between that, my awesome kid, and my nosey sister, I lead a pretty great life. Bruised and burned by my marriage, I don''t have time for dating or drama, but I always have time for pie. And when I share a slice of cherry with a sweet redhead, followed by the hottest, dirtiest, most pulse-pounding kiss of my life, I start to rethink the possibilities.Until that woman walks into my firehouse and upends my well-ordered world. Abby Sullivan is now a rookie firefighter on my crew and a threat to my self-control more dangerous than a five-alarm blaze. My job is to watch her six when all I want is to watch her fall into my bed. Lust has no place in the firehouse, and a distraction like Abby with her electric blue eyes, waves of flame-red hair, and freckles I want to map with my tongue, is one I can ill afford. Because one wrong move ... and it could all go up in smoke.Up in Smoke is the first in the brand new Hot in Chicago Rookies series about firefighters navigating the trials of new jobs and sizzling romances as they find their place in the world and the love of a lifetime.

Chicago Rebels goalie Erik gets his shot at love . . . but first he'll have to figure out what he did to offend the woman he's crushed on forever. Casey Higgins, assistant to the Chicago Rebels owner, has a smile for everyone who comes into the front office-everyone but goalie Erik Jorgenson. And he has no idea why. For the last year, she's refused to give him a kind word, and finally, he's had enough. At the Rebels holiday party he'll uncover the root of their mysterious conflict and show this woman that goalkeepers do their best work . . . on their knees.Can a little Yuletide cheer get Erik into Casey's good graces, warm bed, and frozen heart? Or will he fumble the puck and lose his chance? Join the Chicago Rebels this holiday season and find out if Erik is as good at saving Christmas as he is at saving goals!

IF YOU CAN'T STAND THE HEAT . . .Photographer Lili DeLuca spends all her time working at her family's Italian restaurant, instead of following her dream of getting an MFA. When famous British chef Jack Kilroy unexpectedly challenges her father to a cook-off, Lili decides she's tired of playing it safe and vows to seduce the tempting Brit. But once a video of her and Jack kissing goes viral and her luscious (if voluptuous) butt starts trending on Twitter, Lili fears she's cooked up a recipe for disaster . . . Jack Kilroy's celebrity has left him feeling used and used up. While Lili's oh-so-sexy moans when she tastes his delicious creations turn him on, he's even more aroused by how this beautiful, funny woman is unimpressed by his fame. He knows they could be amazing together, if she could only see past his rabid, bitch-fork-wielding fan base. Now as he's about to start a new prime time TV cooking show, can Jack convince Lili to realize her own ambitions-and turn up the heat in his kitchen?

He's a Special Forces veteran making his pro-hockey debut. She's a dogged sports reporter determined to get the scoop of a lifetime. She's also his best friend's widow . . .Fans can’t get enough of Levi Hunt, the Special Forces veteran who put his NHL career on hold to serve his country and fight the bad guys. So when his new Chicago Rebels bosses tell him to cooperate with the press on a profile, he’s ready to do his duty. Until he finds out who he has to work with: flame-haired, freckle-splashed, impossibly perky Jordan Cooke. Also known as the woman he should not have kissed the night she buried her husband, Levi’s best friend in the service.Hockey-stick-up-his-butt-serious Levi Hunt might despise Jordan for reasons she can’t fathom—okay, it’s to do with kissing—but her future in the cutthroat world of sports reporting hangs on delivering the goods on the league’s hottest, grumpiest rookie. So what if he’s not interested in having his life plated up for public consumption. Too bad. Jordan will have to play dirty to get her scoop and even dirtier to get her man. Only in winning the story, she might just lose her heart …In this new standalone set in the Chicago Rebels world, a new generation of players take to the ice and learn that all’s fair in love and hockey.