Betrothed at birth . . . Promised to Merrick of Tregellas when she was but a child, Lady Constance was unwilling to wed a man she remembered only as a spoiled boy. Sure he had grown into an arrogant knight, she sought to make herself so unappealing that Merrick would refuse to honor their betrothal. Yet no sooner had this enigmatic, darkly handsome man ridden through the castle gates than she realized he was nothing like the boy she recalled. And very much a man she could love . . . Bound by desire . . . Haunted by secrets from his past, Merrick was unwilling to return to Tregallas—until he caught sight of his bride-to-be. Beautiful and spirited, Lady Constance was everything he wanted in a wife. She stirred his passion—and his heart—as no woman ever had before. But what would happen when she discovered the truth? When enemies begin plotting their downfall, only trust can save a match never meant to end in true love.