Lady Maximillian is the daughter of the powerful Duke Croyso, but she is rarely allowed outside her family's sprawling castle for fear that her stutter will tarnish their noble name. When she is forced to marry Sir Riftan, a low-born knight caught in one of her father's schemes, Maxi doesn't dare hope for happiness, let alone love. Her stumbling communication and his gruff manner sour their romance before it can begin, and Riftan leaves without a word the morning after their wedding night.

Now, three years after their wedding vows, Riftan has returned as a war hero. To Maxi's bewilderment, despite rumors that he was offered marriage to Princess Agnes, a beautiful and reknowned sorceress, Riftan still wants Maxi for his wife. And when he comes to claim her, his want becomes a desire that threatens to suffocate Maxi, even as she is overcome by the scorching heat that Riftan's presence now ignites within her.