No words could terrify Julia Stewart more. After two years of hiding, of dreaming about darkly sensual police detective Cord Hunter and the life she'd left behind, Cord had found her. And he'd brought their orphaned goddaughter—a child in danger….

Julia's career as a child protection officer had ended after a near tragedy. But she couldn't turn away from the little girl she'd sworn to protect, even though it meant working side by side with the man she still loved with furious passion. Even though it meant exposing the secrets she'd driven Cord away to keep…