'An immutable bachelor', this is what London society has to say about the notorious Duke of Northington, Stephen Alexander Warfield. After his horse leaves him stranded at an abandoned keep, the reserved Duke is in no mood for company, but the farmer who finds an unconscious female isn't concerned with that. He dumps the wet beauty and flees the cursed castle. Faced with a scornful reputation, Melina Pouliot is determined to march straight back to the safety of her grandmother in Gozo, Malta. In spite of her curiosity to understand the smoldering depth of her rescuer's eyes, she wants nothing from the arrogant stranger whose ultimatums leave her fuming. Before she can run off again, Stephen sweeps her into his arcane world while he unravels the sinister events that had left her for dead. In his obsession to protect the stubborn temptress, he must wield an invisible leash; aggressive enough to subdue her defiant nature, yet gentle enough to capture her heart.