From bestselling author Linda Lael Miller comes the story of a firebrand heroine and a dashing sea captain—an engaging couple that is fiery and tempestuous, but captive to an unspoken mutual desire. Kidnapped and confined in a harem—that’s not the scenario Charlotte Quade envisioned when she prayed for just one grand adventure before sailing home to Washington Territory from Europe. While exploring the ancient, exotic island kingdom of Riz, Charlotte foolishly lost her way. In a dizzying moment, she was snatched, bound up in a sack and unceremoniously dumped... more—completely naked!—in the ship’s cabin of the very same man who had caught her fancy as a young girl in Seattle: Captain Patrick Trevarran. But Charlotte’s dream lover turned out to be no gentleman! He had once gallantly fetched her, as a mischievous teenager, from the riggings of his ship, but now he appraised her with exasperation and quickly packed her off to the harem of a sultan friend. When they were reunited—as much by mercy as by fate—it was clear that Patrick wished merely to tease and trifle with this pretty, rebellious American. But, through their adventure, Charlotte had discovered a provocative man torn between recklessness and devotion, between storm and calm. Now, with all the strength and passion she possessed, Charlotte would chart a course that would sweep them at last to their destiny—a glorious and resounding love. The daughter of a town marshal, Linda Lael Miller is a #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than one hundred historical and contemporary novels, most of which reflect her love of the West. Raised in Northport, Washington, Linda pursued her wanderlust, living in London and Arizona and traveling the world before returning to the state of her birth to settle down on a horse property outside Spokane. Published since 1983, Linda was awarded the prestigious Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007 by the Romance Writers of America. She was recently inducted into the Wild West Heritage Foundation's Walk of Fame for her dedication to preserving the heritage of the Wild West. When not writing, Linda loves to focus her creativity on a wide variety of art projects. Visit her online at LindaLaelMiller.com and Facebook.com/OfficialLindaLaelMiller. Chapter One Even at that midmorning hour, the air of the marketplace, or souk, shimmered and undulated with heat. Chickens squawked, vendors shouted and argued, monkeys wearing little vests and fezzes shrieked for attention, and strange, incessant music curled among the stalls in place of a breeze. The smells of spices and unwashed flesh competed with pungent smoke from cooking fires, and the bright silken folds of Charlotte's borrowed robe and veils clung to the moistness of her skin. She was enthralled. Her companion, Bettina Richardson, who was a few years younger than Charlotte and clad in a similar disguise, did not share this enthusiasm. "Papa will murder us if he finds out we've come to this dreadful place!" she hissed, the veil covering her pretty face swelling with the rush of her breath. "Why, we could end up being carried off to the desert by some sheikh!" Charlotte sighed. "We won't, more's the pity," she said, just to annoy Bettina. "Charlotte!" Bettina cried, shocked. Charlotte smiled behind her veils. The Richardsons had sailed to the island kingdom of Riz, which lay between Spain and the coast of Morocco, to visit old friends, wealthy merchants they had originally known in Boston. Bettina had wanted to stay in Paris until it was time to sail for London and then the United States, but Charlotte had campaigned against the idea. She wasn't about to miss a chance to visit such an exotic place as Riz, since there was at least some potential for adventure. That, of course, was exactly what vexed Bettina so much. She'd had to be coerced into borrowing the robes and veils from their hostess's wardrobe, sneaking out by way of a side gate, and venturing through the narrow, dusty streets, following the odors and the cacophony of sounds to the souk . Standing in front of one of the market stalls, Charlotte touched a crudely made basket tentatively. She would remember this day all her life, and out of desperate boredom, she would no doubt embellish it at some point. She might add a grand sheikh mounted on a fine Arabian stallion, riding to the marketplace to buy slaves, or perhaps even a band of marauding pirates, scattering chickens and merchants in every direction with their swords... A stir at the end of the row of tawdry little booths and crevices in the ancient walls interrupted her colorful musings. Bettina grabbed Charlotte's forearm with surprising strength and whispered, "Let's go back to the Vincents' house, Charlotte, please!" Charlotte stood staring at the tall man striding through the crowd, barely able to believe her eyes. For a few breathless moments, she was thirteen again and back in Seattle. She'd climbed u