This story is set in England, in the year 1770. Beneath the silk and lace of London society lies a secret, elite organization of spies. Protecting the Crown from its enemies is hazardous, but for Marcus Ashford, protecting his heart from an unyielding passion is the far greater peril...As an agent to the Crown, Marcus Ashford, the Earl of Westfield, has fought numerous sword fights, been shot twice, and dodged more than any man's fair share of cannon fire. And yet, nothing excites him more than the primitive hunger his former fiance, Elizabeth, arouses. Years ago, she'd jilted him for the boyishly charming Lord Hawthorne. But now the elegant widow is his to defend, and he will do so while tending to her other, more carnal needs, showing her the depth of a real man's desire...Dangerous secrets led to the murder of Lady Hawthorne's husband, secrets she now holds in a diary many would kill to obtain. But to entrust herself to the protection of the most seductive man she's ever known? Outrageous. Unthinkable. Irresistible. For it was Marcus's strong passions and burning desire that frightened her into abandoning him years ago - and her answering craving has never waned. Now he means to be at her service, in every sense. And perhaps the only sensible course isn't to resist temptation, but to surrender to it completely...