Seduction is the sweetest secret... One kiss then another & before she knows it Lady Julia Leighton succumbs to the breathtaking charms of a stranger... at the ball celebrating her betrothal to a man who considers her a sister. The steamy encounter changes her life in more ways than one. When she meets her seducer again Julia is no longer a lady but an outcast a paid companion to a lady who used to be her equal-- & her desire for him burns as strong as ever. He goes by Thomas Merritt a name as questionable as his intentions. A thief with a secret past he was utterly bewitched by the beautiful & innocent Lady Julia. But after their one glorious evening together the handsome rogue left without a backward glance--knowing that he could never be a part of her world again. Now in a Vienna rife with political intrigue Thomas harbors a perilous secret--and the only person who can aid him is the woman who has captured his heart.