A detective must help a single mom rescue her child from a deadly enemy in this classic romantic suspense tale by a New York Times–bestselling author.

"The friction between the characters is fun and breaks the drama up with some humor. Anderson is a master at details, and her "seven degrees of separation" element gives the story additional depth." —RT Book Reviews (4 1/2 stars)

Bud Mac Phearson's job is to protect Mallory Christiani and her young daughter, Emily—not to get personally involved with either. But after Emily disappears and the trail leads directly to a well-known crime boss, Mac can't refuse the beautiful single mother's pleas for help. With assassins hot on their trail and danger around every corner, the tentative partners race to find the missing key needed for the ransom . . . even as they try to fight the attraction blooming between them. But when Mac trades his own life for Emily's, Mallory must risk it all to save the man she's come to love . . .

First published in 1990.