To spare her family shame, spirited Pleasance Dunstan sneaks into Tearlach O'Duine's room at night - in order to retrieve torrid letters of love indiscreetly penned by her foolhardy sister. But her scheme is undone by Tearlach's untimely return. And now Pleasance must submit to a punishment far worse than the pillory: indentured servitude to the ruggedly handsome fur trader.At first the infuriated Scotsman feels nothing but scorn for the brazen miss who robbed and assaulted him. But vengeance soon gives way to desire, as the sight of the lovely, sensuous thief stirs up passions Tearlach can scarcely control. In his backwoods mountain cabin, he resolves to make his reluctant servant pay dearly for her crimes - never dreaming that it is his own lonely, loveswept heart that will ultimately be enslaved.