The duke's defiant lady.

He vowed to stay in control, until she moaned his name.

Elias Hawthorne, the Duke of Blackmoor, is known for three things: his devastating charm, his refusal to wed, and the string of hearts he leaves broken in his wake. But when duty demands he marries to secure his legacy, he sets his sights on the one woman seemingly immune to his charms, Lady Juliana Harrington the sharp-tongued daughter of a baron with a defiant spirit and a scandalous secret.

Juliana Harrington is no typical lady of the ton. Proper ladies do not argue with dukes, but Juliana has never been one for propriety. With her sharp wit, unapologetic opinions, and a daring spirit, she stands apart from the simpering debutantes on the marriage mart.

When a reckless morning ride throws Juliana into Elias's arms, It leads to a spirited banter between them, and they find themselves unable to recover from the chemistry they seemed to have.

But what started as a battle of wills quickly spirals into stolen glances, heated arguments that end with them far too close, and a tension so thick it's almost indecent.
Determined to preserve Juliana's honor after one forbidden, passionate tryst, Elias proposes marriage. But Juliana refuses, furious that he would treat her like a duty. She would rather risk scandal than be bound to a man who sees her as another responsibility, even when the memories of their secret moments leaves her sleepless.

But Elias isn't used to hearing no, especially not from the one woman he can't stop thinking about and the more she resists, the more he craves her.

When secrets, blackmail, and the uncontrollable mutual desire between them, threatens to unravel them both, Juliana must decide if surrendering her pride is worth the risk of losing her heart... and Elias must prove that behind every wicked rake is a man worth keeping.

A duke known for his detachment may find himself brought to his knees by the one woman who dares to defy him.