When a nearly naked woman crashes into his arms, Paul, the new Earl of Latterly, knows he's left his monk-like world behind. Raised apart from females by his misogynist father, Paul hardly knows how to speak with the delightful girl who's dashed out of the dance hall. But in a single night's tryst, they discover a passion he's long denied himself. Yet to his dismay, he learns Emma is the adopted sister of the very man he seeks. The true heir to the earldom, Paul's ne'er-do-well cousin.

Although she's tried to escape her free-loving mother's reputation, Emma consents to one night of lust...for a price. But as her heart falls for the stranger, she forgoes payment and flees into the night--only to find Paul on her doorstep again, seeking her brother. And offering an inheritance that will change her family's lives forever.

Her rapscallion brother needs training to blend with the ton, and Paul needs Emma's help. Fear of becoming his eccentric father makes Paul skittish, and Emma's outré family keeps the waters well-churned. But as Paul fulfills his promise to reveal the true heir, he and Emma must forge a new path to love. Before their pasts rob them of true happiness.