Poor, plain spinster Mary Wilkins has no business falling in love with Viscount Parkhurst. They may have been best friends in childhood, but he's the wealthy, powerful lord of the manor now, and everyone knows he's bound to marry a beautiful local heiress. Mary tries to resign herself to a life of hopeless yearning, but when she and the viscount find themselves entangled in a stand of wild blackberry vines, unexpected passions flare. The viscount can't seem to keep his hands off her. But is he planning to make her his wife-or only his secret mistress?

Widowed young, Lady Julia Grantleigh can't imagine finding love again. Certainly not with the fearsome Major Holsworth, her late husband's boyhood best friend, whose harsh, brooding presence has always unnerved her. But a mysterious gold bracelet that turns up in her chambers seems to have other plans. When its clasp gets caught in Holsworth's uniform, some disrobing is required-and Julia discovers the fine line between fear and desire. After one madly passionate night, Marcus Holsworth is as determined as Julia is to put their indiscretion behind them. Although he has secretly loved her for...