From the beloved Sandra Brown, whose "storytelling gift [is] surprisingly rare" ( Toronto Sun ), comes this New York Times bestselling novel, an exquisitely sensual tale of a young woman's sudden, irresistible affair with a stranger—a man whose secret could shatter her life.... Since the death of her husband, Alicia Russell has struggled to take care of her two young sons alone. But when a sudden storm threatens to ruin a family camping trip, Alicia must rely upon a stranger for help. Before long, the man offers much more than shelter from the storm. Handsome, sensual, and slightly mysterious, Pierce Reynolds showers much-needed attention on Alicia's sons—and reminds her how it feels to be desired. But even as Pierce tempts Alicia to explore her newly reawakened longings, he holds her at arm's length, his only explanation a silent refusal to share the secrets of his heart. Alicia knows she can't give Pierce up without a fight. But how can she convince him that love is a risk worth taking? "A novelist who can't write them fast enough."— San Antonio Express-News "Author Sandra Brown proves herself top-notch."—Associated Press From the beloved Sandra Brown, whose "storytelling gift [is] surprisingly rare" ("The Toronto Sun), comes this "New York Times bestselling novel, an exquisitely sensual tale of a young woman's sudden, irresistible affair with a stranger--a man whose secret could shatter her life.... Since the death of her husband, Alicia Russell has struggled to take care of her two young sons alone. But when a sudden storm threatens to ruin a family camping trip, Alicia must rely upon a stranger for help. Before long, the man offers much more than shelter from the storm. Handsome, sensual, and slightly mysterious, Pierce Reynolds showers much-needed attention on Alicia's sons--and reminds her how it feels to be desired. But even as Pierce tempts Alicia to explore her newly reawakened longings, he holds her at arm's length, his only explanation a silent refusal to share the secrets of his heart. Alicia knows she can't give Pierce up without a fight. But how can she convince him that love is a risk worth taking? From the beloved Sandra Brown, whose "storytelling gift [is] surprisingly rare",* comes this New York Times bestselling novel, an exquisitely sensual tale of a young woman's sudden, irresistible affair with a stranger -- a man whose secret could shatter her life.... Since the death of her husband, Alicia Russell has struggled to take care of her two young sons alone. But when a sudden storm threatens to ruin a family camping trip, Alicia must rely upon a stranger for help. Before long, the man offers much more than shelter from the storm. Handsome, sensual, and slightly mysterious, Pierce Reynolds showers much-needed attention on Alicia's sons -- and reminds her how it feels to be desired. But even as Pierce tempts Alicia to explore her newly reawakened longings, he holds her at arm's length, his only explanation a silent refusal to share the secrets of his heart. Alicia knows she can't give Pierce up without a fight. But how can she convince him that love is a risk worth taking? Sandra Brown is the author of more than fifty New York Times bestsellers, with over seventy million copies of her books in print. She and her family divide their time between South Carolina and Texas. First priority was to find them lodging, someplace where the boys could fish and hike and generally soak up Mother Nature, which she had been promising to let them do for months. Not too isolated, not too crowded, not too far from home. Woods, mountain air. This place had been perfect. Now she might have to take what she could find. Rescheduling the trip would cause innumerable problems. She had arranged with the boys' teachers to excuse them this week. Undoing all that would be a pain. The clerk at the main desk of the lodge listened sympathetically when she told him about the storm damage the cabin had sustained. He scratched behind his ear. "'Course, those places up there on that ridge are privately owned." "I know that, but I've already called my friend who owns it. She gave me permission to see that things are cleaned up and the window repaired. She'll pay the bill. Could you find someone to take care of that for me?" "Sure, sure. See no problem with that. I can have someone out this afternoon to get started." "Thank you. Now we need a place to stay. We'd like to rent one of your cabins for the week." "This week?" Alicia mentally counted to ten. "Yes, this week. Right now." He must have had a terrible itch behind his ear, for he was scratching it again. "Don't have any available, little lady." Alicia clenched her teeth against the chauvinistic slur and instructed Adam to keep his fingers out of the ears of the buffalo head mounted over the mantel of the lodge's fireplace. She tried cajoling. "Surely you have something. I don't care how large or how small--" "Nothing," he said emphatically, and flip