The Marquis of Lyndhurst is tired of women who are more attracted to his title and money than to his charms. So when his mother requests that he go to the Isle of Wight to court another eligible woman, Ryker decides on a little game … his cousin Robby will pose as him, and he will pose as his cousin—a rake and a gambler. If the woman falls in love with him, it will be for himself. Only then will he reveal who he is.

What the marquis doesn’t expect, however, is someone like Jewelene. Lovely and provocative, intelligent and headstrong, Jewels cares not for status and wealth. Ryker finds her irresistible, and she finds herself falling for the handsome man she believes to be the marquis’ cousin.

But Jewelene is playing a game of her own. In a daring bid to repay her family’s debts, each night she poses as Babette, the French card dealer. When Ryker begins flirting with the sultry Babette, Jewelene realizes she has become her own rival. If she reveals the truth, will her house of cards come tumbling down?