When the choice is prison or marriage, it's not really a choice. Noella Paix wants to remain in Louisiana and practice her art. When circumstances turn bad, the only solution is to marry a man in Colorado whose previous wives all came to a deadly end. The pampered young woman's desperation leads her to steal from Nicholas Winter, former Texas Ranger turned rancher, to escape, placing her in a different kind of trouble. With a judge making her choose between a man who wants her but will likely kill her, a man who doesn’t want her but has shown he’ll protect her, and prison, Noella is running out of options. Nicholas Winter just wants to be left alone. When a brazen young woman is placed in a desperate situation, in part, his making, Nick shoulders a responsibility he has no confidence he can handle. Will the dark-haired, creole beauty be his second chance, or will she break what’s left of his heart? Publisher's Note: This steamy western romance contains action, adventure, and a theme of power exchange.