The scarred Highland laird gives Jane Talbot her instructions on the wind-scoured border ridge. She finds she wants to obey. Her voluptuous innocence masks a terror of abandonment. His low measured words offer commanding protection, shadowed by guilt over the brother he failed to save. This alliance marriage pulls her toward a surrender she both fears and craves.

The forbidden desire igniting before the vows are spoken risks everything they both need, as her craving for lasting safety collides with his need to control and possess. Can she trust that his shield will hold once the harvest moon passes and the contract is sealed?