To bed or to wed?Mistress Merielle St. Martin yearned to visit her orphaned niece in Winchester, and waited anxiously for her guide. When Sir Rhyan Lombard arrived in Canterbury to escort the wealthy young widow, Merielle was enraged. Due to a family contract, Sir Rhyan had to approve her next husband, and he lost no time in telling her that if she wanted anyone–be it lover or husband–it would have to be him! No matter that his kisses stirred her passions beyond measure, Merielle was determined to marry another. But Rhyan could be very persuasive….