Swashbuckling adventurer, Thomas Wycliff, finds himself back in dreary old England on the hunt for a wife, despite his vow never to be tied down by one woman. His recently deceased father, the Viscount of Blackmoor, has stipulated in the will that the sum total of the inheritance will go to Thomas or to his vile cousin, Francis, depending on who first marries and sires an heir.
Anna Godwin, heiress to the recently deceased Viscount of Hythe, has always wanted children. Her mother died in childbirth and she grew up lonely. As she grew older and unusually beautiful, several unpleasant encounters with men have left her terrified of marriage and all that it entails, despite her desire for children. When she accepts the hand of sedate and staid, Francis Egerton, she believes she has ensured a marriage that will demand the minimum of physical contact.
When Thomas and Anna set eyes upon each other, neither is prepared for the attraction that ignites between them and fuels an obsession that upends all of their plans.