Book excerpt: Katharine Fairfax is a high bred lady who enjoys a privileged life as the youngest daughter of Lord Fairfax. But when she rebuffs an older man's insulting proposition of becoming his mistress the man decides to exact a most frightening revenge. Katharine is kidnapped from her comfortable home and family in England and taken to Arabia where she is sold to a powerful sheik. Sheik Mohammed Aksam Al Sabid is captivated by Katharine from the first moment she is brought into his audience chambers by two Arab pirates. He pays an outrageous sum for her and intends the white woman to join his harem. But Katharine demands to return home. When the sheik denies this request - a clash of wills begins. While each struggle with their emotions, Katharine falls under the Arab's spell in a world of sand and heat. Mohammed is equally bewitched and decides that he will have no other woman but Katharine and ultimately disbands his harem to start a new life with her. But there is someone within the sheik's palace who does not want Katharine as Mohammed's wife and will stop at nothing to tear the two apart.