He has spent years arranging the pieces on the chessboard to entrap his enemy. Now a wager made in jest threatens to waylay his plans . . . and his heart.



Meet William Armstrong: rogue, rakehell, devil may care duke-to-be. Everyone knows Will can't walk away from a wager, especially if it involves horseracing. The subject of this wager? The prim and proper Lady Simone Laurent. This is a bet he will enjoy winning.



The youngest sister of a large and boisterous family, Simone is used to being overlooked. She is wise enough not to fall for a future duke's honeyed words. But as she is swept into his world of racing and excitement, she feels herself changing and becoming confident that the feelings Will inspires are more than a passing fancy.



But there is more to Will than meets the eye—a burning determination that he has carefully kept hidden from friends and family alike. When Simone discovers his secret, will she join his quest for revenge, or will they both be consumed by the tempest?