To escape her life of poverty as a tenant farmer's daughter, Ariel Summers made a bargain with the devil--she would become the Earl of Greville's mistress in exchange for the schooling and refinements of a lady. But she couldn't foresee the earl's timely death, or her own disturbing attraction to his bastard son and heir, Justin Ross.

Justin never meant to demand payment from the tempting young woman his father had so callously planned to ruin. But her innocent allure provoked his ruthless nature and he vowed he would have her in his bed.

Seduction was his plan, but Justin never suspected Ariel's innocent passion would awaken emotions he had long believe dead. Now mistrust and betrayal threaten the fragile happiness the two of them have found, and Justin must convince Ariel he isn't the heartless man she believes him.

Kat Martin's bestselling novels include Nothing But Velvet, Innocence Undone and the Raines of Wind Canyon Series-Against the Wind, Against the Fire, and Against the Law. Her book Silk and Steel was nominated for a RITA Award. She is a graduate of the University of California, where she majored in Anthropology and History, a background that helped to develop her interest in the past. "I love anything old," she says. "I especially love to visit the settings for my books. My husband and I often stay in out-of-the-way inns and houses built in times past. It's fun and it gives a wonderful sense of a bygone era." Before becoming a writer, Martin was a real estate broker. She lives with her husband, author Larry Jay Martin, in Missoula, Montana.