Betrayed and forced into marriage, the Countess of Blackbourne will never forgive the husband who abandoned her.<br><br>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.<br><br>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.<br><br>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?