When a notorious rake, whose reputation is as dark as night, comes striding into Lady Anastacia Danver’s life, her world is set astir. Anastacia needs to marry, not be distracted by a handsome, unrepentant rogue and the breathless whispers of his reputation. Her only choice is to avoid him. A task easier said than done. One lapse of judgment and a whirlwind kiss later, a scandal that Anastacia cannot recover from erupts, and she has no choice but to venture into the duke’s lair. Sebastian Rupert Ainsley, the sinful Duke of Blackcress admits he is partly to blame for derailing Anastacia’s plans. But what is a rake to do when he is sure the spirited lady will prove his equal between the bed sheets? Despite a kiss gone wrong, a dark secret revealed, and a shocking moment of guilt, Sebastian still feels drawn to her and must face the hardest choice of his life yet: stay true to his nature or finally step into the role of hero.