Once upon a time, Kirk Mann led a normal life. Now, as second-in-command at Savage Seven, he takes on assignments no one else would dare to handle. Like protecting Olivia Pountuf, a sexy, pampered socialite who was engaged to the manager of a diamond mine - until she discovered her fiancé's murderous business tactics. Kirk arrives in Johannesburg too late to stop Olivia being kidnapped, but rescuing her stirs up a firestorm of longing as hot as it is dangerous. And that's just the kind he likes...Olivia grew up believing that money would protect her. But the man she was to marry wants her dead, and the one person who makes her feel safe is a rough-around-the-edges ex-Marine who couldn't care less about wealth or privilege. Now, the only way to survive is to uncover an illicit scheme that others will kill again and again to protect, and trust in a desire that's veering straight out of control...

They're the Savage Seven-a ragged group of mercenaries who trust no one, risk everything, and get the job done, no matter what it takes . . . J.P. Lazarus is an ex-Navy Seal who's parlayed his technical expertise into a lucrative and dangerous career. Laz has never lost any sleep over his choices, but then again, he's never met anyone like Dr. Daphne Barrett. She saves lives; he takes them. He changes his persona with every mission; she's straight as an arrow. His latest assignment-setting a trap for Somalian pirates-was risky before, but with the doctor on board his tanker, it's a matter of life, death, and off-the-charts desire . . . Working in Africa for a summer seemed like a good way for Daphne to regroup after her divorce. But when her vessel is hijacked, Daphne's status as a senator's ex-wife makes her a perfect target for ransom. If there's one man equipped to protect her, it's Laz. But the more she learns about him, the more questions arise-about the secrets he's hiding, the chemistry that feels too good to fight, and a future that neither of them can take for granted . . . "Katherine Garbera rocks" -Cindy Gerard