Audrey Hathaway is in no rush to find a husband, despite the fact that she is being wooed by an earl, no less. Having seen her siblings sublime happiness with their own partners, she is prepared to wait until she finds her soul mate.

Still, she believes the Earl of Allingham has potential, right up until she meets Kirkwood, the earl's illegitimate older brother. He is nothing like his goodnatured brother. Indeed, he is not like any man Audrey has ever met and, while there is no doubt he is extremely attractive, she decides that she dislikes him immensely. And she continues to dislike him, even after he kisses her senseless...

It should have been the most disastrous night of her life. It certainly turned her life upside down. Because no matter how one looks at it, a nice girl never falls in love with a bastard...