Preparing for her fourth season with no prospects, Lady Sarah Conningham believes she'd rather endure spinsterhood than marry in the conventional norm. Sarah wants love and passion within her marriage and strives for the ideal as she realizes her chances are growing dim. Then to her amazement, her neighbor, Charles, the Earl of Meredith, offers matrimony. She's been secretly infatuation with him for years, but he's never given any indication that she'd caught his eye. Sarah surprises herself, and Charlie, by declining to give him an answer until they've had time to get to know one another.

Charlie has thought long and hard about his requirements for his future countess. At first glance, Sarah is ordinary and unassuming, but her displays of generosity and demeanor convince him she'll be an ideal countess. As he's considered a great matrimonial catch, Charlie is not prepared for her hesitation. He agrees to Sarah's demands with a two-week time restriction and looks forward to the unexpected challenge she presents.

Sarah, innocent but not naive, realizes Charlie's strategy is to seduce her into accepting. She counters with her own plan, trying to see if affection between them can grow into love. Sarah has her hands full as Charlie expects a conventional marriage of affection and duty.

Successful author Stephanie Laurens delivers a lush and sensual love story between an alpha male, who refuses to recognize love, and a strong and resourceful heroine, who will not stop until she captures his heart. An added treat is the tantalizing glimpses Ms. Laurens drops for her next Bastion Club story.