Heart of Steel — Cathryn Cade

Dr. Daria Lovejoy, advice maven for the galaxy, can't talk her way out when she's kidnapped by a pirate. But then, why would she want to?

Jark Steele may be as fearsome as the space pirate on the cover of Daria's favorite romance, but he's also much, much more. He battled his way out of the slums of Earth I with his immense size and brawn, but this cruiser pilot has brains as well. And he's not missing this chance to prove it to the woman of his dreams.
When Daria discovers Jark saved her from being snatched by kidnappers hired by her own fiancé, she rewards him and herself with a night of passion. She discovers this man of steel is one alpha male who knows how to make a woman feel ravished ... in the best possible way.
But despite her fame for urging others to go after their dreams, will she find the courage to grasp all that's possible in their newfound passion … or will she retreat behind her safe, public persona?

A 36K novella in the Frontiera Series. A much shorter version of this story appeared on the Samhellion site several years ago, but the story has been extensively rewritten & edited.