Lyra Phoenix is so close to freedom she can taste it.

One last heist, one priceless Xylothian artifact, and she’ll finally be able to disappear for good. But when a self-righteous (and annoyingly sexy) ranger catches her red-handed, everything falls apart.

Orion Asterth should turn her in, but he’ll do anything to stem the tide of looting of his planet’s sacred artifacts—even if it means a less-than-honorable deal with an even-less-honorable Velusian criminal.

Lyra doesn’t do partners, especially scowling ones who follow rules like religion. But with her back against the wall, she agrees to the deal—perhaps failing to mention that her quirky Velusian biology comes with a little complication: when she’s stressed, her blood triggers uncontrollable lust in others. And judging by the heat in Orion’s eyes, it’s already working. She warns him not to trust it. She definitely doesn’t trust him.

Stuck together aboard her ship, tension sparks into something neither planned for. And when Orion starts looking at her as more than leverage, Lyra fears this mission won’t just cost her freedom—it’ll cost her heart.