The son of a proud naval dynasty, Gabriel Hawkins was born to command the sea. But he left the Royal Navy in disgrace, disowned by his family. As captain of his own ship, he's earned his living in ways both legal and illegal, and his experience makes him the best choice to ransom an aristocratic beauty captured by Barbary pirates. Lady Aurora Lawrence is horrified by the prospect of spending her life as a harem slave. Her only hope of escape is a quiet, steely captain who has a history with her captor. Together they undertake a dangerous mission through troubled waters-- and encounter another kind of danger as attraction burns hot within the close confines of his ship.