Jessica Walsh never wanted to go West. That had been her pa's dream, not hers. She was quite content to stay in Boston, where law wasn't a luxury and survival wasn't a daily struggle.

But when a brutal attack on the wagon train leaves her orphaned and stranded, Jessica knows it won't be long until she succumbs to the perils of the West.

Dusty, rough cowboy Johnny Truman is her only hope, and he quickly makes it clear to her that he will do whatever it takes to keep her safe, whether she likes it or not.

Just when Johnny's supplies are running out, the pair stumble across a trail drive - a team of drovers taking cattle north to the railheads. Where Johnny sees employment and hope, Jessica feels only disdain, and she soon finds herself across Johnny's dusty thighs, his hard hand spanking some sense into her: without the help of the drovers, they will likely die.

A cattle drive is a dangerous place for anyone, especially a city girl who doesn't like to follow orders. And the ways of the west are very different to the life she's led. If she is to survive out here, she must learn to do as she's told. Will she let herself accept Johnny's love and discipline, or will she turn her back on the dusty cowboy who claims a bigger part of her heart each day, forever?