Desperately seeking a fiance . . . Miss Sarah Battersby is in dire need of a man, preferably one skilled at deception. Upon her father's death, she will be left with no home and nary a penny. With time running out, she must either accept the proposal of a man she loathes, or stall long enough to secure a teaching position by telling one teensy, trifling lie-that she is promised to someone else . . . who doesn't technically exist. But Sarah refuses to be defeated by insignificant details. The answer lies in finding the right man for the job. And, as luck would have it, she has stumbled on just the candidate . . . though he could use a little patching up. Desperately seeking a refuge . . . Where Lord Colin Lacey goes, trouble follows-even when he attempts to do right. Tortured and hunted by a brutal criminal, he is rescued from death's door by the stubborn, oddly fetching Miss Battersby. In return, she asks one small favor: Pretend to be her fiance. Temporarily, of course. With danger nipping his heels, he knows it is wrong to want her, wrong to agree to her terms. But when has Colin Lacey ever done the sensible thing? Desperately seeking a love to conquer all . . . As lies turn to longing, and longing to something deeper, they realize it will take more than passion to see them through the danger to come. They will need a plan. They will need family. Above all, they will need a love strong enough to steel a lady's resolve and transform a scoundrel's heart. Contains mature themes.