1847 Ireland was a place of hardship and devastation, and Bess and her father wouldn't have been able to escape without Colm Devaney. But Bess' feelings for Colm go well beyond gratitude. Now they find themselves together in an immigrant neighborhood in New York City, sharing close quarters. And Bess wants to get even closer.

Three things aid Colm's survival-a small bit of savings, his ready fists and his desperate desire to have Bess . . . in every way possible. Every night he spends in their cramped shack, trying to force himself not to peek at her luscious body as she bathes, is pure torture. The few stolen minutes of passion they finally share are heavenly but leave them both fraught for more.

Determined to win Bess and take her far from their dirty, dangerous life, Colm sets his eyes on another prize-an exquisite sapphire that goes to the winner of the fiercest prizefight in Five Points.