<P><EM>An obsession that blooms into scandal</EM></P> <P>Since childhood, Ryan Donally adored Rachel Bailey, though the brilliant, beautiful lass saw him as just another rowdy boy. The years pulled them apart, carrying Rachel to a place of responsibility and respect few women of her time enjoyed . . . while Ryan ascended to undreamed-of heights of wealth and success, and bound his heart to another.</P> <P>Now fate has brought them together once again—and Rachel sees not the boy she once spurned, but a breathtaking man she desires. Yet Ryan has moved on and is unwilling to forgive, and Rachel hides a secret shame that could destroy everything she has worked for. Then, in one moment of unrestrained passion, the walls between them tumble, and the price they must pay is a marriage neither can afford. But will a sensuous fire too-long resisted bring tragedy . . . or will it forge a glorious and undying love?</P>