His lawfully dreaded wife… When disaster strikes, Marianne Bray finds herself in quite a mess, and the most important things in the world are at stake; her family name and her reputation. Desperation leads to a solution she cannot bear, but she has no choice. She must bind herself to a man who can protect her, save her, and, more importantly, tolerate her. Unfortunately for her, that man is Kit Gerrard. Her awfully wedded husband… Kit knew he ought to have left Marianne to her fate, which was no more than she deserved, but he'd always had a weakness where she was concerned, so there was no alternative but to save her and sacrifice himself in the process. With his heart at risk, he takes her, swearing to harden himself against the one woman he's always wanted, and prays it will be enough. But before long, he realizes he may be the one in need of saving. .