Sheriff Guy Trident doesn't have much to do with off-worlders; he has his hands full keeping his own planet safe. But he'll do anything, go anywhere to save Jewel Quinn. She broke his heart years ago when she left to marry a Terraloft aristocrat. Now she's run away from her husband, only to fall into the clutches of slavers. Posing as a wealthy playboy, Guy arrives at Zuthuru Station to learn he's too Jewel's memories have been erased. She's been tipped in silver, a process that leaves nothing behind except her body, sexually bound to pleasuring her master. Unwilling to give up hope, Guy buys her. Jewel fights to reclaim herself, recalling a different connection to the handsome sheriff, remembering the frightened eyes of a young boy and the events that made her run. Together she and Guy search for her cure, plan her son's rescue from her ruthless ex, and test if they have any kind of future...before the past catches up to them. 70,000 words

Lieutenant Brice Levski commands his Mounty deputies with aloof precision. It's the only way to keep citizens in his corner of the universe safe. When one of his best deputies falls victim to the latest nano-silver tech, all his cool reserve and control is flushed out the space hatch. Deputy Olivia Celeston dedicates her life to taking down the corrupt, the rich and powerful. After all, they defy the rules the most—that includes her Lieutenant, even if she hasn't found the dirt on him yet. Accidentally infected with the countdown bug during a bust, Livy gets her shot to work closely with Brice and finally see what makes him tick. If the countdown doesn't kill her first. Or the wild and remote planet Coil, with its deadly volcanoes. Or the drug dealers responsible for tying her life to Brice—unable to be more than a few feet away from him without a painful death. All that wouldn't be a problem, if being close didn't send them both molten, and the countdown of Livy's life wasn't winding down as fast as their waning control.