They were complete strangers searching for the same thing-- solitude. But thanks to a matchmaking friend, Deirdre Joyce and Neil Hersey found themselves stranded on an island off the coast of Maine. Forced to coexist, they discovered there was no escaping the inevitable--irresistible attraction. The idea of living alone again was unimaginable, and so a marriage of "convenience" seemed like the perfect solution--he would run her family's company and she would pursue her career. But could their feelings survive the forces of the outside world?Paige Mattheson is reputed to be as beautiful as the alabaster sculptures she creates--and just as cold. An intensely private person, she is perfectly happy living by herself, until Jesse Dallas walks into her life. Paige's fierce desire for Jesse both exhilarates and terrifies her. And after spending six glorious weeks with him at her isolated beachfront home, she is a woman passionately in love. But can she trust this loner not to walk out of her life as easily as he has entered it?