Bound by duty to her Highland clan, Tessa Brodie must do the unthinkable - she must cast aside her dreams of love and marry Angus Grant, a man old enough to be her grandsire to secure a war-time alliance.The harsh reality of her impending marriage forces Tessa to face the truth - she has fallen desperately in love with her childhood protector and best friend, Ethan Mackenzie.Tessa makes a bold request of Ethan that will forever change the course of their lives.She asks him to take her virginity so that she will know the passion of being with a man that she loves.If Ethan indulges the deepest desires of his heart, will he ever be able to relinquish Tessa to another man?Or will he choose to fight for Tessa and the love they share by risking everything to claim her as his own?