Fleeing antebellum Charleston in the wake of a family scandal, BrianaCameron boards a clipper ship and meets Captain Devlin Rafferty. Facing afuture alone in San Francisco, Briana allows herself to be swept into adangerous affair with Rafferty. Briana finds herself torn between twosuitors--wealthy Cole Forrester, the man of her dreams, and Captain DevlinRafferty, who incites her passions. Now, branded by a lover she can neitherclaim nor set free, she is unaware that the other man vows to make her hisown--any way he can.