Her fate was in the cards...

Kierin McKendry was humiliated when the cold-hearted owner of her indenture papers used her as a tempting ante in a game of poker and lost her to a rugged, dark-haired stranger. But she was thrilled when her handsome new master offered to free her--if she would pretend to be his bride. The harmless deception seemed a small price to pay for liberty, but Kierin never expected that Clay's nearness would torment her so. Night after night, she lay beside him, longing to be enfolded in his masculine warmth. And when he finally turned to her, his sky-blue eyes aflame with passion as he pressed his lips against hers, explored her rounded curves and taught her the way of love, she knew Clay Hold would own her forever.

He drew the queen of hearts...

Tossing his winning cards on the table, Clay Hold reluctantly claimed his prize in the smoke-filled saloon -- the auburn-haired Kierin McKendry, whose green eyes flashed in anger and fear as she realized her fate was now in his hands. The rugged frontiersman had no room for her in his Oregon-bound wagon train, nor in his battered heart, but he despised the low-down cheat who'd just gambled Kierin away, and Holt relished robbing the scoundrel of such a fetching possession. He'd only intended to win Kierin so that he could set her free, but once Holt tasted her full pink lips, touched her soft form and teased her into surrender, he wanted to hold her in love's ultimate embrace and forever treasure passion's prize.(