Ever since he was a kid and his orphaned family split, sending him into foster care, Captain James Barlow knew he was a jinx to anyone he loved.

He'd hidden out safely in the marines…until a detective found him and most of his siblings. The captain had seen battle, but no enemy made him uneasy like his newfound family–and the beautiful Carrie Rand.

Even before Jim walked into her Dallas P.I. office, Carrie had fallen for his photo.

The square-jawed hunk she'd sought had starred nightly in her fantasies…until the real thing put the dream lover to shame. But how could Carrie transform the stoic ex-marine into a hot-blooded man?