When a handsome man literally falls at her feet while she's walking through a moonlit convent courtyard, Helena knows he must be there for a scandalous liaison. Yet she keeps his presence a secret from the questioning nuns - and for her silence the stranger rewards her with an enticing, unforgettable kiss. What Helena doesn't know was that her wild Englishman is Sebastian Cynster, Duke of St. Ives. Seven years later, Sebastian spies Helena from across a crowded ballroom. This heiress is dazzling London society with her wit and beauty, tantalising all the eligible men with the prospect of taking her hand in marriage. But Helena is not looking for just any husband. She wants an equal, a challenge - someone who can live up to the promise of that delicious, never-forgotten kiss.