She stood at danger's threshold--

then love beckoned her in.

In the shelter of her country cottage, Sara Feilding puts pen to paper to create dreams. But curiosity has enticed the prim, well-bred gentlewoman out of her safe haven--and into Derek Craven's dangerous world.

A handsome, tough and tenacious Cockney, he rose from, poverty to become lord of London's most exclusive gambling house--a struggle that has left Derek Craven fabulously wealthy, but hardened and suspicious. And now duty demands he allow Sara Fielding into his world--with her impeccable manners and her infuriating innocence. But here, in a perilous shadow-realm of ever-shifting fortunes, even a proper "mouse" can be transformed into a breathtaking enchantress--and a world-weary gambler can be shaken to his cynical core by the power of passion. . .and the promise of love.

"A Real Joy . . . Hard To Put Down"

-- Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

"Wonderfully Refreshing . . . I Enjoyed It From Beggining To End."

-- Johanna Lindsey

"Lisa Kleypas is more than just a fine writer of rich and passionate historical romances, she's a genuine phenomenon."

-- Heart to Heart