She came seeking a sanctuary, but found a master who demanded total submission.
Ivy, an orphan with a legendary clumsy streak and a desperate hope for a home, arrives at the imposing Blackwood Hall to work in the library. The manor is a place of suffocating silence and secrets, ruled by the reclusive and formidable Earl, Gideon Thorne.
When an accident in the gallery destroys a priceless antique, Ivy braces for dismissal. Instead, she discovers that Gideon's justice is far more personal. He does not tolerate carelessness, and he exacts a stinging, hands-on discipline that leaves Ivy humiliated yet undeniably aroused.
As Ivy is drawn deeper into Gideon's dark world, she uncovers the tragic secrets of his past and a sketch of his late wife that hints at a mysterious death. But their forbidden connection threatens the order of Blackwood. When Gideon's manipulative mother, the Dowager Countess, arrives and frames Ivy for theft to drive her away, Ivy must face the scorn of the entire household.
It takes a raging fire in the stables to strip away the lies. Ivy risks her life to save Gideon from the flames, shattering the barriers between master and maid forever. Now, Gideon must choose between the rigid expectations of society and the “untidy Countess” who has captured his frozen heart.
