Nicholas, Lord Dowding, is a dangerous and reckless man. For more than five years, revenge has been the earl's only goal as he traveled England seeking to ruin the lives of those who once wronged his family. Earning himself the moniker "Earl of Deception" for his deadly, scheming ways, Nicholas is close to putting the past to rest once and for all. The only problem? He'll need a woman by his side to do it. Her education could never have prepared the romantic dreamer Miss Jenny Clifton,, for a man like Nicholas. When the earl arrives at the school to call in a favor she never expected to have to repay, Jenny is quickly caught up in a dangerous game where she must first pose as his fiancée. Nicholas is dashing but ruthless, and his heart is heavily scarred by his past when he asks Jenny to pose as his fiancée. But she can't help being drawn to this man who blazes with passion wherever he goes. She's just a lovestruck silly schoolgirl who owes him a favor. Their burgeoning friendship is a bonus, but what he requires of her is strictly business. It's a simple enough plan-in theory. But Nicholas finds Jenny is one entanglement he cannot easily escape. While the girl is vexingly naive and innocent, she also burns with a beauty and sensuality that makes his heart beat faster. Soon Nicholas finds himself brought to his knees by a woman who holds a power even greater than that of deception: love.