“And I just told you that I’m not going into a house with a man who just threatened to spank me!  In fact, I’m not going to rent a house from a man who threatened to spank me, either.  There’s got to be someone else in this God forsaken town...”

Skye had been facing the road, but when she turned around he was standing right next to her, and she’d never even heard him walk up behind her.  That wasn’t good.  Not good at all.  And his hand was out, rather imperiously, too, as if he expected her to just hand over her phone.

She couldn’t hear what Kevin was saying.  Her mind much preferred, despite her objections, to listen to what Rourke as saying, especially when he said it in that low, slow but firm rumble.  Why hadn’t she noticed that his voice was so damned sexy?  “You’re going to get Kevin all upset about nothing.  If you just do as you’re told, you’ll never get spanked.”  They could both hear Kevin chuckling at that remark, but Kevin also knew that Rourke never issued a threat – or a bet – he couldn’t cover.

Zach Wells has been sent to England to recover his boss’s wayward daughter, Sherri Danforth. Sherri and her cousin, Jordan, have taken jewels from Jordan’s father, each of them taking different pieces and heading to different parts of the world. Her uncle wants them back, or he’s prepared to press charges. Zach is sent with one directive. Bring back Sherri and the jewels, or lose his job.

Sherri is prepared to hand over the jewels just like her cousin did. Until she sees Zach Wells. He’s gorgeous, and if she gives him what he wants, then things will be over too fast. And she wants the chance to get to know him.

But Zach has other ideas. He wants his job done, and he’s prepared to spank Sherri until she sees things his way. He just didn’t expect to be so attracted to her, or to want to keep her in his life, forever.

For the sake of calming herself down for a few minutes, she studied her surroundings. That place was nothing like she imagined. For one thing, she’d always thought Detective Dan McCallister lived in some dingy city apartment, some crowded matchbox that was sparsely furnished. That some house was old but it was rustic and charming, with the view of the lake nestled in that hilly country. The house had a haven sort of feel to it, a tranquil getaway from the every day grittiness of Dan’s job.

Too soon he returned, peeking his head through the door. “Come on out here, Sadie.”

She had a feeling his reason for summoning her out to the house’s rear porch wasn’t for the purpose of pointing out all the pretty stars in the darkened eastern sky. Her fears were confirmed when she stepped out and saw him seating himself on a hard-backed wooden chair. The switch he’d chosen and prepared waited in his right hand, and did that thing ever look dangerous to her butt.

After one failed relationship, Jillian Kingoff has sworn off the idea of every finding a dominant man who can give her the kind of relationship - and disciplinary guidance - that she needs. But her meddlesome sister, Claire, is determined to see that pretty Jillian gets back into the dating world, even if she has to trick her to do it. When she invites Jillian to a fundraiser, Claire fails to mention it's a bachelor auction. Soon Jillian finds herself pressured to bid and is surprised when she ends up winning the auction entitling her to five dates with handsome antiques dealer Gage Walker.

Jillian is reluctant about dating again, but as Gage wins her over she realizes that there's more to this man who meets the eye. Under his courtly manner lies a no-nonsense, old-fashioned guy who slowly starts to thaw his frosty date. But will Jillian's emotional baggage be too heavy for the relationship to bear? Or will she realize that Gage Walker is the best investment she's ever made?