Miss Cora Upton thought she was doing the right thing when she accepted the hand of Lord Nicholas Turnbaugh. He was the ideal suitor – handsome, charming, well connected, but more importantly, he was the man who could restore her family's respectability after her grandmother, Lady Wheaton, threatened to destroy them. Unfortunately, Nicholas isn't the one who makes her heart pound. And as their engagement progresses, she realizes that she can't give her hand to a man who doesn't hold her heart. Talon Lyridon is a man of law and honor, as well as a secret agent for Whitehall. But even his latest case to find a missing cask, smuggled into the country and carrying a rare and expensive German wine, isn't what concerns him most. He's loved Cora from the moment he set eyes on her. He knows she's making a mistake in marrying Nicholas, but he can't very well break up a wedding. And while he knows it's wrong, he can't seem to stay away from her. As a devious plot begins to unfold, Talon must make some difficult choices, ones that will put his heart – and his very life — on the line for the woman he loves.