Earth linguist Marley Mathews accepts a job deciphering ancient scrolls on a space station orbiting the planet Zaidor. She's furious when the station commander orders her to go planetside. The Zaidoreans unsettle her, especially Xander, an infuriating and overly handsome alien pilot assigned to take her to the surface. How can she get through the next few weeks in his company...especially when one of the Zaidorean leaders insists Marley reside in Xander's home for the duration of her assignment?

When she's escorted through the wintry landscape by horse and coach, Marley suspects the Zaidoreans have an agenda quite beyond the translating of ancient scrolls--if only she can thwart their plots before she's seduced by their scheming.