"Loving a monster is madness; it is no easy task, and not as simple as just loving them. Loving a monster is to be consumed by them-pliant enough to weather the storm, and strong enough to fight back."

Stetson

I am good at being alone-the best really. You don't have to rely on anyone, don't have to apologize when they feel like you've messed up, don't have to forgive them when they inevitably let you down...being alone is better. But I've never really been completely alone; my demons keep me company in the darkest hours of the night. And even though I'm comfortable being alone, I also want to believe bad people get happy endings-the house, the horses, and the man waiting to tie me up when I misbehave. But now that I'm here, surrounded by the eerie silence of my family's deserted ranch, with the weight of miles of fence to fix and the ghosts of my past lurking behind me at every turn, a happy ending feels farther away than ever. I need help, but where do I turn?

Augustus

I'm used to living in the shadows-the shadows of my older brother's expectations, the shadows of my inner demons, and the shadows of her apartment building. But I'm tired of hiding. As a retired bronc rider, it's time to start fresh and Moztecha, Texas feels like just the place to do that. Lucky for me, a desperate yet determined, blonde-haired vixen has a ranch that needs fixing up, and she just stumbled into my path at the local feed store. Just. Like. I. Planned. Every cell in my body screams at me to consume her, devour her, destroy her-and that's exactly what I plan to do. I will gladly burn the world to ash if anything keeps me from her; that includes her own dark demons.

"It takes a monster to love a monster."

As Stetson and Gus navigate the tiresome Texas heat and their explosive sexual tension, they must decide what secrets are worth keeping, and just how far they are willing to go to brand themselves on the other's heart. With the odds stacked against them, and eyes watching their every move, a happy ending seems farther and farther away...like a fire flickering in the distance.

Will the flame in their hearts come together, or will the Texas heat burn them, and everything they love, alive?