California dancehall girl Rory O'Grady dreams of buying a home of her own, but she can't help feeling guilty when her con-artist father steals the map to a gold mine from a handsome stranger. And when Garth Fraser discovers the theft and follows Rory and her father to the mine, he makes it plain that he's not the type of man to give up on anything he wants -- whether it's a windfall or a woman.

The last thing Garth wants to do is team up with the spirited beauty who duped him, but it's the only chance either has to strike gold. Their differences prove no match for the heated desire drawing them together, but neither dares to trust in their passion. Only with a menacing enemy poised to strike will Garth discover how far he's willing to go to protect a love more precious than all the gold in California....