London, 1817
"You are suggesting that, now our year of mourning for our husbands has come to an end, we should all take at least one lover?"
Sophia Rowlands, the widowed Duchess of Clayborne, is shocked by her friend's daring propositionโbut is even more astounded when Dante Carfax, Earl of Sherbourne, offers to do the honor! He may be rakishly handsome and undeniably arousing, but he's also four years her junior and they've been at odds ever since he stole a kiss from her ten years agoโฆ.
As a young man, Dante had taken one look at the beautiful Sophia and desired her more than any other woman beforeโor since. After years of longing, he's determined to claim her at last. But can he convince Sophia to risk scandal and surrender to their passion?