How far would you go for revenge? Cassandra Braxton's husband, Viscount Reddington, is evil incarnate. When he is murdered, she cannot mourn him, especially when he continues to plague her from beyond the grave. His will stipulates that she cannot claim her inheritance unless she has a child. The clause is a cruel joke. Reddington never consummated the marriage. Refusing to be defeated, Cassandra conspires to keep Reddington's death a secret. She goes to the home of Mark Foxwood, a handsome rake she has admired from afar, and makes an outrageous proposition. After being mocked by the woman he loved, Mark Foxwood retires to the country to spend the winter months alone. When Cassandra breezes into his study and asks him to get her with child, he is aroused and provoked by her determination. He agrees to her offer, but as he teaches her about fleshly delights, her open, honest passion pulls at his heart. Her love may be the only thing that can save him from despair.