He's no prince charming. She's no damsel in distress.

Yara Conrad might not have been accepted into the Royal Veterinary School, but she knew her worth. Undeterred from living the life she wanted, she picked up her faithful dog, convinced her mother to chaperon her, and headed to Brighton. It wasn't for the waters, rather a clandestine mission for the Crown. She hadn't expected a handsome stranger to stop the fake kidnapping she orchestrated.

Scandal had finally caught up with Alexander von Stein. Furious with the whole situation, but mostly himself, he escaped to Brighton. Scandal he could handle, his own grief, not so much. When a gang of kidnappers threaten a young lady, alone in an alleyway, he intervenes-he could use a good brawl.

Yara didn't need saving. And Alec certainly isn't looking for an attachment. He's searching for redemption. Except Yara isn't at all what he expects. The longer he spends with her, the more Alec realizes perhaps life isn't all about running blockades and spending his profits. After all, fate has a way of interfering just when he least expects it.

Until Yara's simple courier assignment isn't so simple and they're both in danger. Evade the man trying to murder her? Easy. Stop her heart from falling for Alec? It's already a losing battle.