Innocent clerk James Fitzroy is on his way to the New World when his ship is taken by the very devil himself, French corsair Rene Villon. James thinks Villon without mercy, but in the privacy of René's cabin, James learns that René is passionate and protective, and that his decisions, though violent, are just. René's desire sparks an answering lust in James that leaves him aching and confused, but it is René's heated denial of his own goodness which draws James closer. With his every breath he protests his own sinfulness, but attempts to save James from him by pushing James away. The James he returns for is no longer so innocent. It hasn't taken him long to realize that even in the New World there are men worse than Rene Villon will ever be. The corsair still wants him, but James demands more than his body, an act so bold it leaves jealousy, mutiny, and blood in its wake. James wants more than René's heart, he wants his soul, but first René has to admit to having one.