Genieva Bankmans had willfully agreed to the arrangement. She had given her word, and she would not dishonor it. Yet when she saw for the first time the man whose advertisement she'd answered, she was desperately intimidated. The handsome and powerful Brevan McLean was not what she had expected-he was not the sort of man she had reconciled herself to marrying.This man-the stranger whose name Genieva now bore-was strong-willed, quick-tempered, and expectant of much from his new wife. Brevan McLean did not deny that he had married Genieva for practical reasons only. He merely wanted any woman whose hard work would provide him assistance with the brutal demands of farm life.Still, Genieva would learn there were far darker things, grave secrets held unspoken by Brevan McLean concerning his family and his land. Genieva Bankmans McLean would find herself in the midst of treachery, violence, and villainy-and her estranged husband deeply entangled in it.

Beloved of her father, King Dacian, and adored by her people, the Scarlet Princess Monet endeavored to serve her kingdom well-for the people of the Kingdom of Karvana were good and worthy of service. Long Monet had known that even her marriage would serve her people. Her husband would be chosen for her, for this was the way of royal existence. Still, as any woman does-peasant or princess-Monet dreamt of owning true love-of owning choice in love. Thus, each time the raven-haired, sapphire-eyed Crimson Knight of Karvana rode near, Monet knew regret-for in secret, she loved him, and she could not choose him. As an arrogant king from another kingdom began to wage war against Karvana, Karvana's king, knights, and soldiers answered the challenge. The Princess Monet would also know battle. As the Crimson Knight battled with armor and blade, so the Scarlet Princess would battle in sacrifice and with secrets held. Thus, when the charge was given to preserve the heart of Karvana, Monet endeavored to serve her kingdom and forget her secreted love. Yet love is not so easily forgotten...

As her family abandoned the excitement of the city for the uneventful lifestyle of a small, western town, Brynn Clarkston's worst fears were realized. Stripped of her heart's hopes and dreams, Brynn knew true loneliness. Until an ordinary day revealed a heavenly oasis in the desert...Michael McCall. Handsome and irresistibly charming, Michael McCall (the son of legendary horse breeder Jackson McCall) seemed to offer wild distraction and sincere friendship to Brynn. But could Brynn be content with mere friendship when her dreams of Michael involved so much more?

Libby smiled as she watched him drink from the mug of cocoa she'd prepared for him. It was all so exciting-the renovation, the hope of finding something hidden in the house that no one had ever found before, the fact that the handsome contractor would be in and out of her shop and her life for weeks to come. All of a sudden, Libby felt a surge of rejuvenation course through her limbs, for she loved when life brought unexpected pleasures. And seeing the likes of him every day certainly would be a pleasure.

Tabby glanced up to see the sales and marketing analyst for the company, Jagger Brodie, walking-rather sauntering-toward the PR office. Without realizing it, a heavy sigh of something akin to longing escaped Tabby's lungs as she watched Jagger Brodie cross the main office space. He was entirely the most attractive man Tabby had ever known-not that she really knew him well, but she knew him well enough to know he was hot Tall, dark, and handsome, Jagger Brodie looked as if he'd stepped directly out of some sort of trendy clothing store ad, only wearing a business suit instead of nothing but a pair of jeans. He had the deepest green eyes Tabby had ever seen, a flawlessly chiseled jawline, and ebony hair that alluringly beckoned to be combed with female fingers-Tabby's fingers. "Boom chicka wow wow " Emmy whispered. "Absolutely " Tabby breathed as she watched Jagger Brodie saunter past. She envied Jocelyn for a moment, knowing he was most likely on his way to drop something off on Jocelyn's desk or to speak with her. Jocelyn got to talk with Jagger almost every day, whereas Tabby was lucky if he dropped graphics changes off to her once a week. "Ba boom chicka wow wow " Emmy whispered again. "He's sporting a red tie today. Ooo, the power tie He must be feeling confident." Tabby smiled, amused and yet simultaneously amazed at Emmy's observation. She'd noticed the red tie too. "There's a big marketing meeting this afternoon," she told Emmy. "I heard he's presenting some hardnosed material." "Then that explains it," Emmy said, smiling. "Mr. Brodie's about to rock the company's world " "He already rocks mine...every time he walks by," Tabby whispered.

She was tired-oh so very, very tired. Never-not in all her life-had Evony Elorietta known such thoroughgoing fatigue. As she trudged out of the dark woods still veiled in the shadows of early sunrise, out across the expanse of cold, dew-drenched grass and onto the main road of the village, Evony wondered how she would ever endure a day that was only just beginning. Every bone in her body ached-every muscle throbbed in misery, every inch of her flesh begged for respite. Yet there would be none-at least not until she had finished her stitching-finished the near thirteen hours of sewing she now faced under the ever observant, incessantly critical eye of seamstress Agnes Teche. After such a long, chilled, and sleepless night spent in watching-peering through the darkness and into the rooms of the inn in the woods, until her eyes were too dry to watch any longer-after listening to the shallow, often vile conversations, until her ears hurt from the foul ferment of it-Evony dreaded sewing for Mrs. Teche more than ever before. The woman was a banshee of an employer. And yet, she was grateful Mrs. Teche had had the keen eye to recognize Evony's superior skills with needle and thread-for how else would Evony have managed to feed Mikol and Tressa-to shelter them-to keep them hidden?