After losing her entire family, Clarisse Carrington is closed off and not welcoming to her pursuer, Stanton Rourke. With a rocky past between them she struggled to keep herself distant.

Stanton Rourke is a steely mercenary, dangerous in every way-- especially to Clarisse Carrington's heart. She and Rourke were playmates as children, but she's not the innocent girl he once knew. When tragedy robbed Clarisse of her entire family, her life was changed forever. As she struggles to keep her distance, sparks as hot as a Texas summer fly between them. But danger is following Clarisse, leaving her no choice but to rely on Rourke, even as the old wounds lying dormant between them flare up again....