Closet romantic Miss Sarah Crombly has always believed in romance—though her dreams of a happily ever after are dashed with the news that her father has gambled away her hand in marriage to none other than James Foxworth, the Duke of Pillberton, her old childhood friend and now sworn enemy. Though he may be sinfully handsome, and a Duke to boot, Sarah vows to make sure she will never fall in love with him and devises a plan to escape.

James Foxworth has enjoyed a life filled with privilege as befitting of a man of his rank. From the best horseflesh to the finest clothes to more estates than he can count, the Duke of Pillberton wants for nothing. There is one thing he desires more than wealth or title, his childhood friend Sarah Crombly, and nothing will stop him.

Seeing an opportunity to set right old wrongs, James sets about winning Sarah's hand in a game of chance, though he finds his prize more resistant to his idea of marriage than he had anticipated. When his wife-to-be disappears, James knows that if he is to earn a second chance, he must find her and win both her trust and her heart.

How can James find a way back into the heart of the only woman he has ever loved? And how will Sarah find a way to forgive him and learn to love him once again?