A sensuous romantic-suspense novel with supernatural elements.

Beautiful, red-haired shipwreck archaeologist Stacy Madison believes famous treasure hunter Michael Augustine is a money-hungry grave robber bent on destroying the cultural heritage of humankind. In turn, Michael (a devastatingly handsome blond daredevil) thinks Stacy is a rules-obsessed bureaucrat determined to destroy free enterprise, adventure, and discovery.

Unhappily for both of these stubborn, headstrong people, they are forced to work together to locate the fabled treasure of the infamous 18th-century pirate Nathan Augustine-Michael's direct ancestor.

Legend has it that the treasure includes an enormous and exquisite emerald of incredible value-but the legend also says that the emerald is cursed in some terrible and mysterious way.

But no one really knows the truth of the matter. Is the whole story just another crazy pirate legend? Did the emerald ever actually exist at all? Who knows?

However, one thing is absolutely certain: Neither Michael nor Stacy understands the horrifying and deadly forces-both human and demonic-that are at work against them in their quest to find the treasure...and to find love and happiness in each other's arms.