Love and redemption in the Old South...Catherine is tricked into attending an infamous quadroon ball during Mardi Gras. That Rafael takes her for one of the exotic masked courtesans is not his fault, but neither is it easy to forgive. The last thing Catherine wants is to marry this notorious swordsman who made love to her with such shattering skill.
Rafael, relentlessly honorable, ensures that his proposal is accepted. Following a hasty wedding, he escorts Catherine to his secluded mansion where past secrets and forbidden passion drift in the sultry air.
Catherine is beguiled by her new husband's caresses, enthralled by his tender possession--but someone wants their marriage ended, one way or another. Can she survive long enough to accept her place as Rafael's wife...or admit to her own wild desire?
A New York Times, Publishers Weekly and International Bestseller!