A fascinating and exasperating young lady The Marquess of Darkefell has enough to worry about with a bloodthirsty wild beast rampaging the countryside and sinister family secrets to protect. Then Lady Anne Addison arrives, with unquenchable curiosity and intelligence that drive him to distraction An infuriatingly unyielding man Lady Anne finds the marquess darkly handsome, seductive, and forceful, with a ruthless magnetism that challenges and stimulates her. But he seems determined to keep secrets that may threaten both herself and her helpless friend Thrown together in a time of crisis, with a murderer on the loose, the marquess picks an absolutely dreadful moment and the worst possible way to declare his intentions PRAISE FOR DONNA LEA SIMPSON: "Donna Lea Simpson is absolutely brilliant." Fresh Fiction "Impossible-to-put-down romance with just the right touch of the ominous, the perfect amount of suspense, and plenty of sexual tension to keep you reading late into the night and finish satiated." Romantic Times "Simpson excels at imbuing her realistic characters with subtle depths" John Charles, American Library Association "a treat for lovers of gothic romance" "There's a natural progression here from the traditional gothic of eerie occurrences with rational explanations to a true paranormal twist, and Simpson keeps the sultry sensuality at a strong simmer." Nina Davis, Booklist