Born on an abandoned colony barely held together by sealant tape and hope, Aurora Sato is at the very bottom of the social pecking order. Hard work and brains got her into a coveted spot in the quadrant's top university . . . But her new supervisor is a woman who's not about to let an upstart like Aurora get anything close to a break.



And a break is exactly what Aurora needs right now. Her home colony is dying and nobody is in any rush to save it or her family. Aurora's research project is their last hope, but only if she can complete it in time—an impossible task.



One night out is all she'll allow herself. One night to forget her troubles. She never expects to meet a man who dazzles all her senses. Magnus Thorne is a battle-hardened, ruthless cyborg. Rich, respected and powerful, he's too much for innocent Aurora. For one magical night he makes her feel like a princess, awakening a longing she doesn't know how to quell.



But Aurora is in more danger than she realizes. And Magnus isn't about to let her face it alone, no matter how hard she tries to shut him out.



He's determined to break every rule to save her from ruin. But will she trust him enough to let him?