At the mercy of a cruel, rapacious captain, beautiful Jennifer VanDerLind is about to be assaulted before the leering crew when a sailor springs to the bridge, holds a dagger to the officer's throat, and orders the girl released. When she learns that her handsome rescuer is really an American captain—a fugitive pirate—Jennifer escapes with him to the Colonies. But Lancelot Savage is captured, accused of piracy, treason and other crimes, and sentenced to be hanged. Jennifer's pleas for leniency are heard by the Tory Governor who makes her an offer: he will spare Lancelot's life on the condition that she live with him as his mistress for a year. In desperation, Jennifer makes a supreme sacrifice and becomes a prisoner of lust—submitting to the perverse pleasures of a man she secretly despises in order to set free her beloved... the only one who could ever completely possess her—body and soul.

Never in her wildest dreams had Isabella VanDerLind Jones dared to believe she would ever become a queen. Suddenly, here she was, a naive American girl now the supreme empress of an exotic Mediterranean island...an Eden that none could enter except at her command.... Until an audacious French adventurer topples her from her throne. Although she despises the rash revolutionist D'Arcy Calhoun, fate refuses to free her from him. Bound together by their desperate, mutual need to survive, Isabella soon finds her bitter hatred turning to burning love....