In the scorching heat of the Southwestern desert, a frightened old man knows his time is quickly running out, as the bad karma of his own good fortune is finally closing in on him after 50 years.

Eric Wilde has always known that Piper Lane isn't for him. She is his younger brother's best friend...and probably more. But that hasn't stopped Eric from wanting her. For longing for the one woman that he can't have. Sure, he's rich, successful - he's built a security empire, and he's got the world at his feet. Only he doesn't have her.   

When does a man have enough? When his wife is viciously attacked, what comes next? Well, if the woman attacked is Katherine Anderson, beloved wife of Joseph Anderson, what comes next is a nightmare for anyone foolish enough to harm the single most important person in his world. Joseph Anderson is the patriarch of the world-famous Anderson Empire who believes in family above all else. There’s nothing he hasn’t accomplished, and now he has a new mission — to take down the scum of Seattle.

As an event planner, Gillian Romano’s an expert at rolling with the punches and solving unexpected problems. But her flight getting hijacked while returning from a job is definitely out of her skill set. Passengers are being murdered, and when she’s chosen by the terrorists to be their mouthpiece, even more innocent lives rest on Gillian’s shoulders. Only the calm, reassuring voice on the other end of the line keeps her sane, forging a bond with a stranger she’s never seen but trusts with her life.

The Earl of St. Merryn needs a woman. His intentions are purely practical - he simply wants someone sensible and suitably lovely to pose as his betrothed for a few weeks among polite society. He has his own agenda to pursue, and a false fiancée will keep the husband-hunters at bay while he goes about his business. The simplest solution is to hire a paid companion. Finding the right candidate proves more of a challenge than he expected.