The Viscount Ashford has no immediate plans to wed. But with a mother determined to see him settled by the end of the Season, he must do what he can to salvage his freedom. Which leaves him with one choice-convince Miss Mary Trenton to accept his pretend suit. The woman he's come to think of as a friend is impervious to his charms, and that makes her the perfect choice for this pretend courtship. Mary has no illusions that Ashford would look twice at her under normal circumstances. Agreeing to help him will allow her to experience what it is like to have a man pursue her. But somewhere along the way, while enjoying the gossip they're stirring, the line between fiction and reality becomes blurred. Is it possible the attraction she's feeling for Ashford might be reciprocated?