Flora doesn't know which is worse: being abducted by ogres who intend to eat her, or being saved by the barbarian warrior who'd coldly rejected her hand in marriage. Brom the Stonehearted had crushed Flora's every hope of a future where she was valued for herself, and dreams of a life where she was more than her uncle's political pawn. But as they ride toward home, Flora discovers that a warrior raised in the barren wilds of the Dead Lands recognizes value far beyond power and gold-and that his particular kind of courtship could never be cold... As keeper of a sacred oath, Aruk allows nothing to tempt him away from his duty. Not gold, not women, not power. So when the barbarian warrior is marooned in the middle of the ocean, his only thought is of escaping the island paradise and continuing his quest. Until a pretty princess washes up onto the beach. Spoiled and disobedient, Jalisa should have been easy to resist. But when Aruk discovers the secrets concealed by her beautiful smile, he'll have to decide between his duty and his heart... To save her family from a tyrant king, Mara of Aremond must win a tournament-and she won't let anyone stop her from claiming the prize. Especially not Strax, the barbarian warrior who has tormented her every step of the way. But when a sorcerer's trap binds them together, Mara must decide whether Strax is her greatest enemy, or if everything she seeks can only be found in the barbarian's arms...