Three years after his marriage ended in dramatic fashion, Noah Coleman has one goal—to steer clear of romantic entanglements. In fact, he steers clear of most human interaction, studiously avoiding his large meddling extended family, working until he's exhausted, and then repeating the pattern day after day. His strategy has worked well for him for years, keeping him sealed off from anything that can cause him pain or angst. Or it was working for him... before his company was hired to rebuild the Admiral Butler Inn, forcing him to co-exist with the exasperatingly difficult, gorgeous architect the inn's owner, Mrs. Hendricks, hired to oversee the project. While nursing a badly broken heart, Brianna Esposito is determined to complete the Butler Inn construction under budget and on time—and to make partner in the Boston firm where she's been working fourteen hours a day for five years. Nothing is going to stop her from achieving her goal, especially not a cranky contractor with the people skills of a rabid cougar. Noah Coleman is the most exasperating human being she's ever had the misfortune to tangle with. She's never had screaming fights with anyone the way she does him, and the fact that he's also the sexiest man she's ever met makes it that much more difficult to hold her ground. When Mrs. Hendricks intervenes and orders the two of them to resolve their differences, Brianna is stuck having dinner with the man she wants to stab one minute and kiss the next...