Count Francesco da Luca doesn''t like being made a fool of. When his bride fled the marriage bed, he vowed she''d pay the debt she owed him—their wedding night!

But Alicia Cross is no longer the trembling, naive innocent he married—and she won''t be pushed around by the masterful count. His runaway bride is proving to be more of a challenge than he anticipated—until he discovers she''s still a virgin. The wedding night Francesco wanted is his for the taking!