Ever since he was a kid and his orphaned family split, sending him into foster care, Captain James Barlow knew he was a jinx to anyone he loved. He'd hidden out safely in the marines…until a detective found him and most of his siblings. The captain had seen battle, but no enemy made him uneasy like his newfound family — and the beautiful Carrie Rand.

Even before Jim walked into her Dallas P.I. office, Carrie had fallen for his photo. The square-jawed hunk she'd sought had starred nightly in her fantasies…until the real thing put the dream lover to shame. But how could Carrie transform the stoic ex-marine into a hot-blooded man?