Andrea Kane

Trenton Kingsley, the embittered Duke of Broddington, has dreamt of the day that he would avenge his beloved father's death. Returning suddenly from self-imposed exile on the Isle of Wight, he takes aim at the man he holds responsible...the unscrupulous Baxter Caldwell, Viscount Winsham. In a masterstroke of irony, he forces the viscount's hand and walks away with his most precious possession...his innocent sister, Ariana.

Ariana Caldwell has grown up in the shadow of a secret family tragedy, at the heart of which lay Trenton Kingsley. Forced to marry a man she had been led to hate-and fear-Ariana is helplessly caught in the renewed fury of an ancient feud. But despite the danger, her husband's unaccountable torment only draws Ariana closer, and her instincts will not allow her to retreat. Caught between Trenton's brooding desire and her brother's imperious demands, Ariana is on an odyssey for the truth...consumed by the promise of a passionate, overwhelming love.

Fear mingled with physical anguish.

Alone... injured... lost in a secluded garden maze with a massive and forbidding stranger. Instinctively, Ariana curled deeper into the grass, tucking her skirts around her.

"Are you hurt?" he demanded.

Mutely, she nodded.

"Don't you know how unsafe it is for a beautiful woman to go for a midnight stroll alone? Why, the mist could swallow up so ethereal a creature as you.... and never set you free."
Ariana felt gooseflesh break out on her arms. Nervously, she surveyed him as he examined her swollen ankle with his brazen cobalt eyes. He was boldly striking...yet frighteningly feral. She shivered.

"Are you in pain?"

"No... I'm not in pain."

A slow, understanding smile curved his lips. "What's the matter, misty angel? Are you afraid of me?" Ever so lightly, he trailed his thumb along the pulse in her neck.

Ariana shook her head. "No. I'm not afraid of you."

"Then you are the first."