A charismatic rogue. A determined lady. A reckless scheme that could tear his family apart. Lady Sophie Carlisle is running out of time. Her parents have made it clear that if she doesn't choose a husband this season, they'll choose one for her. Desperate to escape a loveless match, she strikes a dangerous bargain: a pretend courtship with a man who swore he'd never marry. Behind his rakish smile, Nicholas Blackwell hides more than charm. Haunted by a family secret, he knows marriage is not an option. And certainly not to the one woman who threatens to unravel his defenses. Their arrangement was never meant to be real. But as feelings begin to tangle with lies, Lady Sophie finds herself falling deeper for a man she cannot have, and Nicholas must decide whether keeping his family intact is worth the price of losing her.