Theodora Lawton has no need of a husband. Unfortunately, her father signed her life away in a marriage contract to the future Earl of Stonemere. But then the cad upped and died, leaving her fate in the hands of his brother, one of the renowned Lustful Lords.Achilles Denton, the Earl of Stonemere, emotionally scarred by his last tour of duty, finds respite by keeping a tight rein on his life, in and out of the bedroom. But his brother’s death has left him with responsibilities he never wanted including fiancée who comes with his equally unwanted title.Saddled with a hand-me-down countess, he soon discovers the woman is a force unto herself. But, can he stay alive long enough to figure out who’s trying to kill him while he tries to tame his headstrong wife?