They've teased each other mercilessly since childhood, but Whittaker Cole, Earl of Thurston, and Miss Mirabelle Browning are about to discover that trading kisses is much more enjoyable than trading barbs.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts, the saga of The MacGregors continues with the story of a man and woman at odds when it comes to practicing law—only to find common desires that put both their hearts on trial. Attorney Caine MacGregor has never lost a case. His combative persona serves his clients well in the courtroom, and his persuasive arguments have won him many conquests in the bedroom. But in counselor Diana Blade, Caine has met his match. Her legal expertise would make her an excellent partner, and discovering her personal passions would make an enticing challenge. And as Caine deliberates with Diana about business and pleasure interests, he realizes he’s truly mediating for a chance at love.

In 1519, Pedro, a Franciscan priest, sets sail from Cuba with Hernan Cortes' brutal expedition to South America. Though filled with passion for adventure and converting native peoples to Catholicism, Pedro is unprepared for the shocking barbarity he is about to encounter. Accompanying Pedro is his friend Aguilar, who spent eight nightmarish years enslaved by natives after being shipwrecked. As the journey to Mexico City grows increasingly treacherous - fraught with disease, deprivation, and attacks - Pedro and Aguilar bear witness to scenes of unimaginable cruelty. They stand amazed by the intelligence and charisma of King Montezuma and the exotic sophistication of the Aztec capital with its ornate temples decorated in thousands of sacrificial human skulls. Yet beneath the surface beauty lies a dark terror: cages of men, women and children being fattened for ritual sacrifice, their beating hearts cut from their chests as offerings to the gods. As the campaign unfurls, Pedro and Aguilar are shocked by the brutality of their own countrymen. The ruthless exploitation of natives causes them to question their purpose here. Are they true men of God or merely instruments of Spanish greed? When fellow conquistador Alvarado orchestrates the brutal massacre of Aztec nobles at the feast of Toxcatl, Pedro and Aguilar are forced to make an existential reckoning. Their encounters with local people lead both men to reexamine every aspect of their lives and reconsider what they once thought was their higher purpose.

Carrie Thomas arrives in Las Vegas with one goal in mind: land The Grand Portofino Casino account. So getting stuck, twice in one day, with the hottest man alive puts more than a little crimp in her plans. Especially when she learns the man she's craved since their accidental tryst in the elevator is her new client. Jack Dillon is at the top of his game. Burned by women in the past and consumed with building his empire, falling in love is the last thing on his agenda. But when Carrie walks into his life, all bets are off. Too bad she's determined to keep their relationship strictly business. But Jack is used to getting what he wants. And he wants Carrie. Two weeks of giving in to their desires and fun in Sin City. It's an offer she can't refuse. Can they mix business and pleasure, or are they just tempting fate?