In the early 1800s, Delia Marlowe is a woman suffocating in the narrow expectations of her small, judgmental town. Promised to a man she loathes and desperate for freedom, she takes a reckless chance-stowing away in the wagon of a mysterious traveling merchant passing through at dawn. Rhys Calder has made a life of solitude and survival, trading goods across the frontier and answering to no one. Hardened by a past soaked in violence and betrayal, he trusts no one and needs nothing-until he discovers Delia hidden among his wares. Intrigued by her defiance and beauty, he gives her a choice: be left behind or ride with him under his terms. What begins as an unspoken agreement quickly deepens into something more. As they travel from town to town, facing storms, threats, and the ghosts of their former lives, Delia and Rhys form a volatile bond forged in fire, lust, and fragile trust. But as she transforms from runaway to partner, and he from outlaw to protector, their connection is tested by the pasts they can't outrun-and the future they dare to want. When old enemies return and choices must be made, Delia must decide whether love is just another kind of captivity-or the freedom she's been fighting for all along. Cross-Country Desire is a sweeping historical romance about two souls on the run who find home, redemption, and fierce passion in each other's arms. Gritty, sensual, and deeply emotional, this is a story of survival, sovereignty, and choosing love no matter the cost.