His firm, sensuous lips pursed around an expensive cheroot, Ruark Stewart waited impatiently as the lavish paddle wheeler made yet another stop along the banks of the great Mississippi. But when he caught sight of the spirited black stallion and the raven-tressed beauty that came up the gangplank, his boredom quickened to excitement. The horse was clearly a champion, the woman just as clearly a mystery, and Ruark knew he must possess them both. Determined to have the thoroughbred in his stable and the spitfire in his bed, Ruark began a wild pursuit that would take him to heaven and back for the elusive Miss Angeleen Hunter.