The head strong child of Chandos Straton and Courtney Harte， Casey Straton inherited her mother s eyes and her father s stubborn temperament. Despite her unladylike prowess at roping， riding and shooting， the responsibility of running her late grandfather s ranch was given to Casey s older brother. She s a beautiful young woman of marrying age， Chandos tells his daughter， and she should be looking to settle down--which only infuriates Casey， sending the high-spirited hellion storming away from her Texas home， determined to prove to her family that she can do much more than "woman s work."Damian Rutledge III has left his home far behind as well. A successful New York businessman， he used important connections to gain a U.S. Deputy s badge.And now he has come west to kill the man who murdered his father. But despite his powerful physique and unwavering courage， the handsome Eastern "dude" is like a fish out of water in the untamed and unpredictable country. And his inability to handle a shooting iron would have cost him his life at the hands of two desperate outlaws if it weren t for the timely intervention of a half-pint bounty hunter called "Kid"--a youngster whose cool head and lightning-fast draw Damian quickly decides will be valuable assets in his hunt for his father s killer.But there is more to Kid than first meets the eye. For beneath a large hat and dusty poncho， and behind two blazing six-guns， is a stunningly sensuous young lady: Casey Straton. And despite Casey s resolve to maintain her disguise at all costs， the nearness of this proud， fearless and undeniably masculine gentleman has awakened the fires of her womanly passions and touched her vulnerable， aching heart--which could lead to serious complications on a rocky trail that winds dangerous duty to irrepressible love.