An independent sea captain bent on chasing adventure. A rakish earl hungry for distraction. Together they navigate the tides of scandal and desire. Miss Tassandra Devenport has never had a problem being independent. Raised by her father in Wales, she descends from a line of fishermen. She adores life on the sea and dreams of the day she can sail around the world. With Burnham-On-Sea starting to become a popular retreat, she has discovered a way to earn some extra blunt—by offering daily tours along the Channel. When she’s approached by a gentleman looking to impress a lady by improving his sailing skills, she reluctantly takes him on as her pupil. The problem is that he’s handsome and arrogant and she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. She knows that it would be a disaster to entertain any sort of affair, but when they are forced to engage in a faux betrothal, the heat between them can’t be denied. Fraser Castwell, the Earl of Stanton, has always been a man eager to please. A confirmed rake, he sets out to impress one woman, but finds himself inexplicably drawn to another. Tassy, the captain of the Miss Mercury, is rather intriguing. She eschews ladies’ convention in favor of practicality. He’s never met anyone like her before and the more he is around her, the more he wants to deepen their acquaintance. He’s convinced that once he seduces her, this yearning will come to an end. However, when her reputation is in jeopardy, he is honor bound to endure a fake engagement—the problem is that she doesn’t know he’s an earl. As his heart slowly starts to become attached, he makes the decision to be the man he always yearned to be. But will the lies and deceit be too much to save their love?