Betrayal tore them apart. Blackmail brought them together. Only love can save them.

Nine years ago, Henry Beaumont broke Louisa Picard's heart. Now another man's rich widow, she will do anything to protect her independence. But she harbours a secret that could destroy her reputation, and when a blackmailer threatens to expose her, who should overhear but her former flame and the man she vows to hate?

Henry is haunted by the mistakes of his past. Still hopelessly in love but knowing she will never forgive him, he does his best to make amends by offering his help with her current predicament. But he has problems of his own: a family destined for financial ruin and the expectation that he will marry to save them.

As they work together to thwart her blackmailer, it becomes increasingly difficult to deny their mutual attraction. But although Henry claims that his help—and his feelings—have nothing to do with her fortune, Louisa knows how deep his duty towards his family runs.