Meagan O'Reilly loved visiting her friend Mandy Costas' ranch each summer for a two week vacation. It had been the hight point of her year since she started the tradition in college, and now that she was a fifth grade teacher, she needed the break more than ever.But this year, things might be a bit different: First, Meg is barely recovered from pneumonia when she arrives, and the three day trip took so much out of her she's near a relapse. And second, Mandy's incredibly sexy big brother Barratt is home this year. He's the first person Meg sees, and he's pretty doggone irritated that his little sister's friend has managed to endanger her health so seriously. In the past, Meg has managed to avoid Barratt. Why? Meg knows that Barratt believes in old-fashioned discipline, and he doesn't hesitate to spank his little sister, whom he'd practically raised, even though she is now a grown woman. And the thought of that both terrifies and fascinates Meg. But then she gets an offer she can't possibly turn down: cooking for the family and the hands for the rest of the summer and earning darn near more than she earns during the whole year as a teacher. Meagan isn't at all sure she can keep herself out of trouble for that long... or that just being a friend of the family - or the cook - would get her a pass on having to go over his knee if Barratt decided it was warranted for some reason or another.She isn't even at all sure she wants a pass, either... is she?

What does a down and out horse trainer whose family fortunes have hit the skids do when an injury that is likely to become permanent takes her away from her beloved horses? She finds herself a cause. And Elizabeth Shelburne thinks she has a great one in trying to prevent urban blight from hitting the small lake community town in which she grew up. Her nemesis in this fight is none other than super wealthy businessman Vidar Gulbrandt, with whom she has a long history. Despite the fact he's always wanted her, he has also always thought she was rather spoiled and he's not about to let her ruin his deal with her shenanigans while he attempts to court her in his strictly dominant fashion. Vidar uses more than his hand to get a hold of his lady. But the secret that Vidar is hiding from Liz is something she could never have imagined in a thousand years, something that will change her life and make her his forever wife.