One of the wealthiest heiresses in England, Eliza Thoroughgood is the ideal catch for the right man. But the husband her parents have chosen for her is a paragon of masculinity and urbane wit, while Eliza is shy and bookish and detests the public eye. So she comes up with the perfect escape from the perfect bridegroom: She will accompany her young cousin, Aubrey, to the sultry island of Madeira, where he can recuperate from a riding injury. Eliza has never been to sea, and she's in for the adventure of her life when she and Aubrey are taken hostage by a vengeful buccaneer. Cyprian Dare has waited his whole life to destroy the nobleman who abandoned his mother and made him a bastard. He doesn't believe in fate or luck—until the Lady Haberton sails out of port, setting in motion his abduction of his half-brother Lord Haberton's heir. But he hadn't planned on the boy's beautiful, fiercely protective cousin. Desire is the wild card as Eliza awakens emotions Cyprian has never allowed himself to feel before. Can a woman's loving touch heal the heart of a man who lives only for revenge? Contains mature themes.