As headstrong as she is beautiful, Lady Cassandra Vernham defied convention when she refused to marry the man who had compromised her. Now, estranged from her family and the subject of speculative gossip, Cassandra struggles to make ends meet. A recent auction of her jewels has brought her a modicum of relief, but one of the most valuable lots was never paid for by the highest bidder: handsome, rakish Viscount Ambury. Cassandra needs that money badly, and not to buy a new hat. It is time for Ambury to settle with her unless he is no gentleman.

Ambury has only to look at Cassandra to begin imagining her in his bed.. He has not settled that outstanding debt for a reason. He suspects that the expensive baubles were stolen, perhaps even by Cassandra, and he has been charged with discovering the truth. Erotic fantasies about her notwithstanding, this worldly sophisticate is not to be trusted, for she already has destroyed his good friend—the man she refused to marry, and who later lost his life in a duel that Ambury suspects was fought over Cassandra.

To Ambury’s annoyance, the fiery Cassandra is not cowed by either past scandals or present suspicions, and she seems to thwart his investigation at every turn. But proximity breeds imprudent passion, and draws these two adversaries into each other’s embrace and life. They discover compelling pleasure with each other, but also much more — about each other, about those jewels, and about secrets they never imagined.

“(Hunter’s) characterization is superbly subtle, and the sexual chemistry she cooks up between her deliciously independent heroine and delightfully sexy hero is pure passion.” —John Charles, Booklist, starred review

—RT Book Reviews