Lady Vespera lives in a gilded cage. As the ward of a powerful Marquess, her future is mapped out in dowries, seasons, and a loveless marriage to a wealthy suitor. She possesses a spirit that refuses to be tamed by the rigid etiquette of high society, until she meets the one man capable of commanding her submission. Lucien is a scholar with a brilliant mind but empty pockets. Hired to refine Vespera’s education, he finds himself tormented by her beauty and the electric tension that simmers beneath the velvet propriety of the study. He knows his place is in the shadows, yet the urge to correct her willful behavior becomes an obsession he cannot deny.