The sight of Cory, Lord Newlyn, rising naked from the Midwinter river, is enough to send ripples of shock through Rachel Odell's carefully ordered life. He has always been a friend, although now she's aware of him as a man–an exceedingly handsome man. But she can't possibly entertain romantic ideas about this adventure seeker…and rogue. It does appear that Cory is waging a deliberate campaign to seduce her. What is his true intent? Can he simply wish to claim his best friend as his bride…?