Motivated by a childhood promise, Paris Garrett travels to the wilds of Arizona Territory to seek fame as a stage actress. Never mind that she doesn't possess a lick of experience or that her true passion is songwriting. Before he died, her beloved papa encouraged her to reach for the stars. She promised to lasso the moon! She's already slipped free of her over-protective brothers. Nothing and no one, especially some badge-wearing Romeo, is going to rein her in or stand in her way. Joshua Grant's life went from diamonds to dirt in less time than a rattler strikes. His uncle was killed, leaving him with an opera house he doesn't want, and forcing him to quit the law enforcement job he loved. The topper: In order to keep his sidewinder snake of a cousin from inheriting, he has to honor his uncle's will and marry within two weeks. Life can't get much worse, and then he falls for an eccentric, spitfire songwriter with a mysterious past and a passel of troublesome admirers. Marrying Paris is about as smart as kissing a coyote, but that's exactly what he intends to do—whether she likes it or not. Together they could realize their dreams. That's if they don't drive each other crazy first!

Emily McBride is in a pickle. The preacher's daughter secretly writes scandalous romantic adventures. But someone's uncovered her secret talent and threatens to expose her double life. Her small town friends and the man of her dreams will never speak to her again. Worse, she's growing fond of her new friend, a literary poet, who would surely be horrified by her novels. When the Peacemaker Alliance recruits lawman, Seth Wright, he's ready, willing, and able to kick ruthless desperado butt for the covert government agency. His enthusiasm wanes, however, when his first assignment takes him to California to propose marriage to Miss Emily McBride on behalf of his boss and deliver her back to Arizona Territory. He's a lawman, not a courier. Worse, the small-town librarian mistakes him for a dandified poet! Before he sets her straight, she confesses she's mixed up in something tawdry. With two unwanted suitors hounding her, the woman needs protection. So Seth assumes the fancy pants identity to room in her house without compromising her reputation. Seth's good intentions take a monumental twist when he develops genuine feelings for the passionate book lover. She's not what she seems. More jolting, neither is he.

Famous for bending the law to get his man, former Wells Fargo detective, Rome Garrett, signs on with the Peacemaker Alliance, a covert government agency intent on taming the west. Unfortunately, his first assignment involves teaming up with the only woman who ever broke his heart in order to entrap a cold-blooded killer. Bringing down Bulls-Eye Brady would restore Rome's tarnished career. As a personal bonus, he vows to show his old flame how it feels to love and lose, vanquishing the beautiful hellcat from his dreams once and for all. Retired cardsharp, Kat Simmons, has been in hiding for six years. Now she's being asked to risk her hard-won obscurity by baiting the very man she fears. Not only that, the plan involves spending intimate time with Rome, the only man she ever truly loved. Re-adopting her flamboyant persona, Kat joins Rome on a whirlwind poker tournament tour, gaining notoriety as they clean up at the tables. When word gets out that Kat Simmons is back on the circuit, with any luck, Bulls-Eye Brady will show up to reclaim the woman who "got away." Meanwhile, Kat and Rome grapple with rekindled passion, past betrayals, and a secret that could prove their doom.