Tame the Wild Wind (Onyx)

"This is my hut. You, and everything else in it, belong to me," the handsome bandit exclaimed as he slipped his strong hands around Cecilia's waist and pulled her gently to the cool earthen floor. Was this a nightmare or a seductive dream coming true?Cecilia Amanda Sinclair's life was not exciting but it was predictable. She felt safe and secure as she followed her well-established routine that included teaching at the small wooden Austin schoolhouse. She was content, assuming that today would be like all the other days that preceded it. She did not know how wrong she was nor did she foresee that her life would be changed forever by an encounter with a bandit leader whose wish was to better the life of his people.Ram?n Bautista Renaldo y Ortega was frustrated with himself because he could not read the message of warning intercepted by his bandit band. He wanted a better future not only for himself but for the children of the camp. Little did he know that his light-hearted comment to "bring back a gringo teacher to aid him" would be taken seriously. Nor could he have realized that the passion that stirred within him for the lovely captive would endanger their love, their lives, and the destiny of their two countries. Swept up into the tides of the Mexican-American War, their love must survive every obstacle to become as strong as the great state of Texas in which they live.