A stripper with dreams of being a princess. An intergalactic thief with a freighter of stolen cargo. At the outskirts of space and away from the rigid control of Central Command, Granger entices Kaedi to break her strict no-lap dace policy. The repercussions force her to pack up and hitch a ride off-world in the same freighter he has hired. They discover a passion hotter than a super nova, but their plans are shattered by the untimely death of the ship's captain and the duplicity of the co-pilot. The two lovers crash headlong into the clutches of Granger's best-friend-turned-torture-happy-enemy. When Granger's heritage is revealed, Kaedi relinquishes the pleasure she finds in his arms, believing herself unworthy. Granger chases after her, determined to convince her she is more precious to him than stolen cargo. The Heart Nebula Series is a loosely-connected cluster of stand-alone stories set in a galaxy far, far away.