Theodora Saxby is the last woman anyone expects the gorgeous James Ryburn heir to the Duchy of Ashbrook to marry. But after a romantic proposal before the prince himself even practical Theo finds herself convinced of her soon-to-be duke's passion. Still the tabloids give the marriage six months. Theo would have given it a lifetime.. .until she discovers that James desires not her heart & certainly not her countenance but her dowry. Society was shocked by their wedding but it's scandalized by their separation. James heads to sea where he becomes a notorious pirate & Theo builds their estate into a flourishing concern. Back from the seas a scandalous tattoo of a poppy under one eye James now faces the battle of his lifetime: convincing Theo that he loved the duckling who blossomed into the swan. Theo will quickly find that for a man with the soul of a pirate all's fair in love
- or war.