Emma Hallaway has not seen her husband in twelve years - and that's fine with her. As a young girl she'd agreed to a simple marriage of convenience, allowing her to pursue her private passion for painting. And though unknown to the rest of polite society, Emma is now one of the most daring and sought-after artists in London. However, when her secret is threatened to be exposed, Emma is forced to open her heart - and her home - to a total stranger: her husband. Richard Mansfield, Earl of Ashbury, is all too familiar with danger. As a matter of fact, it is hard on his heels when he returns to England. Still, even he is shocked to learn of his wife's scandalous double life as an artist. But once he sees the vibrant woman she has become - so passionate, so strong, and so alluring - his undeniable attraction to Emma stuns him. Suddenly Richard is determined to turn their sham of a marriage into a true and lasting love. But how exactly does a gentleman seduce is own wife?