Betrayed and forced into marriage, the Countess of Blackbourne will never forgive the husband who abandoned her. After eight long years away, the Earl of Blackbourne, Jude Sinclair returns to England with one purpose; to find his wife and end his farce of a marriage. Hardened and cynical from his self-imposed exile, he is shocked to experience a fierce attraction to the woman his wife has become. But even that will not alter his plan to finally be free of her. Clever and determined, Anna Locke is the successful owner of the finest Thoroughbred stables in Britain. Threatened by a blackmailer desperate to ensure Jude never learns the true circumstances of their marriage, Anna must choose between fighting against her husband or fighting for him. With a past tangled in lies, Anna and Jude's marriage becomes a battleground as passionate anger slides too easily into bold desire. Can they overcome mutual distrust to destroy a long-held secret before it destroys them?