It begins on a dark， scented patio in Rio. . . with the rich rhythms of a samba. . . and the warm caress of a masked stranger with magic in his touch. . . and explodes into Jennifer Blake s most sensual novel yet， sweeping from Rio to New Orleans in an erotic haze of seduction and sensuality， passion and betrayal. . . TIGRESSAs acting CEO of her grandfather s shipping company， Jessica Meredith must face off against shipping tycoon Rafael Castelar and his ruthless takeover bid. But their meeting in Brazil puts them at a stalemate. Then Jessica attends an elegant party during Carnival that， under the cover of darkness， turns into a lurid orgy. Luckily， Jessica is rescued by a dashing masked stranger whose embrace offers comfort， then sweeps her to ecstasy. Drawn into a web of haunting sensuality， and confronted with a rival--and a family--she can neither trust nor turn away， Jessica sharpens her claws to fight. . . even if it means going willingly into the arms of a man determined to own the family empire， and the woman who possesses it. . . .