Threatened with marriage to a heartless man, Mary Catherine Charming escapes her abusive father and seeks refuge with a traveling circus. Knife thrower Dominic McCarthy tends to her lacerations and broken soul, but what kind of life could she expect to have with a man who sleeps on a bed of nails?

After his sister died on his operating table, Dominic gave up medicine and hunted down the man responsible for her injuries. He served two years in prison for assault then found sanctuary with a circus. When Mary Catherine barges into his wagon, she awakens Dominic's protective instinct and soothes his tattered spirit. Now, Dominic wishes he was the man he used to be – a man worthy of her love.

Can an innocent and circus performer find their happy ending or will past mistakes and a vengeful father ruin any hopes of a future together?