First published 2010
Emily Brockinger faces an impossible choice in lawless Colorado territory. The part-Cherokee drifter Cloud Ryder offers to guide her and her ward to safety, but his price is her virtue. No gentleman would make such a demand, and Cloud makes no claim to being one. Emily accepts his terms because she has no alternative. The Boston woman surprises Cloud with her strength and spirit as they navigate the dangerous trail. Her body responds to the virile guide despite the circumstances of their arrangement. The journey grows more perilous with each mile, and greater threats await at their destination. Cloud has spent his life avoiding commitment, drifting from place to place. But keeping Emily safe will require him to risk everything he has protected. He must open his heart to the one woman who could destroy it completely.
Genres: romance, american-fiction, historical-fiction, adventure, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity
Setting: Colorado
Period: 19th-century
421 pages · Paperback · Zebra Kensington
Content warnings: sexual-content