Jennifer August

In Regency England, respectable young ladies do not write wicked tales for underground scandal sheets. They certainly do not hide behind a mask, trade places with a courtesan, and surrender their innocence to the man they have always desired. Victoria Ashford intends to steal only one forbidden night with Matthew Corwin, the dangerously commanding Earl of Sussex. But when Matthew discovers the true identity of the exquisitely responsive woman in his bed, he is determined to punish her deception one scandalous lesson at a time.
Neither expects their illicit bargain to become something deeper. Yet when a ruthless blackmailer threatens to expose Victoria's secrets and destroy her reputation, Matthew must decide whether he merely wants to be her dark master or the man who will risk everything to claim her heart.