Reluctant desire smolders between an assassin and the woman he's meant to protect . . .

A bastard-born spy and assassin.

Ciarán Quinn is accustomed to doing the dirtiest work for the Crown. Sent to hunt down ruthless Scottish smugglers, his orders are clear: eliminate their leader by any means necessary and destroy the operation. Falling for the prickly, stubborn beauty he rescued from a fate worse than death two years earlier is not part of his mission.

A survivor haunted by the past.

Lucy Muir leads a reclusive existence along the rugged Solway Coast, closer every day to giving in to her demons. She neither wants nor needs interference in her life—particularly not from a devilishly compelling man who challenges her at every turn. Quinn’s dark good looks and rough-edged charm entice her, and his patience threatens to destroy every fragile wall she’s built.

Volatile attraction and irresistible desire.

White-hot passion blazes between them, but Lucy’s jagged edges reopen Quinn’s deepest wounds. As danger looms in every direction along the wild Scottish coast and old enemies close in, love may be the riskiest bargain of all—and the one most worth making.

Set in 1819, Bargaining with the Devil is the second book in Lea Hollis’s spicy Sirens & Spies series. Set in a sweeping historical setting, this book is perfect for readers who enjoy bodyguard romances, forced proximity, the one-bed trope, and a dash of he-falls-first. It also has depression representation.