Ruffled Feathers — Katherine Granger

THE SPIRIT OF COMPETITION

Ryan St. James definitely ruffled Cass Dickens's feathers. The survival of her old-fashioned fried-chicken stand was threatened by the arrival of his glitzy new Burger City -- and the hard-won independence of her heart was threatened by its devastatingly attractive owner. Nonetheless, Cass was determined to fight the huge corporation tooth and nail -- or beak and claw, as the case might be.

At the pinnacle of success, Ryan was looking for a new challenge, and this raven-haired beauty was it. Cass wondered if Ryan was playing with her heart to get her secret recipe -- but she soon found that he was playing for keeps.