Only a lie will save his life...

Sentenced to the gallows for trying to sell the treasures of the Knights Templar, Sir Alexander de Ashby has one chance for survival. The scoundrel must impersonate the late Earl of Marston, to whom he bears an uncanny resemblance, and infiltrate the lord's border castle. But first he must convince the earl's beautiful Scottish bride that his rightful place is in her bed.

But only love can save his soul.

Relieved that the story of her long-absent husband's death was false—and enticed by a wild, sensuous side of him she had never experienced before—Lady Elizabeth cautiously welcomes "the earl" back into her heart, unaware that the breathtaking imposter intends to vanish. But escape may be impossible even after his secret is revealed. For now Alexander burns for the proud, remarkable lady... and desires nothing more than to live—and die, if he must—for a glorious love born of deception and sin.

Mary Reed McCall once studied at the University of Leningrad and considered a career in national security. However, she soon realized her calling lay elsewhere and turned to her love of books for inspiration, eventually becoming a high school English teacher and a romance writer. She began work on her first novel one week after completing her M.A. in English literature. The award-winning author of seven novels for Avon Books, Mary lives in upstate New York with her family, sharing an often crazy but always wonderful life. Please visit her on the web at www.maryreedmccall.com.