The Earl of Lindsey, Zachary Benedict, reads his father's will and bristles at a sizable bequeath to one Emma Ainsley. Confused as to why his very proper father would be leaving monies to a woman, he seeks her out, finding her to be only a chambermaid in a traveler's inn, and with a child. Assuming the child is his father's by-blow, Zach knows well his duty and insists the child be raised as his father would have wanted. If only he weren't so completely fascinated by his sire's former mistress.

But things are not as they seem. Emma resents the earl's very authoritarian manner as he tries to dictate her life now, and she wishes to God he would stop kissing her so temptingly. She wants nothing to do with him or his father's bequest, but Zachary Benedict cannot get her out of his mind, so he's surely not about to let her out of his life.