This was a contest of power. Man against woman--woman against man. The most primitive duel of all. When Laura Hammond left her glittering life in Boston to learn more about her father's past in Australia, she didn't realize she'd be confronting her own destiny in the arrogant, yet attractive, form of Jared Eastern. The sizzling awareness that flowed between them could not be denied, yet Jared was highly suspicious of Laura's motives. "Right at this moment," he declared, "I'm not sure whether to hate you... or kiss you senseless!"