Chloe Adderley is on the run from an unwanted marriage and a father who is far more dangerous than she realizes.
After finding herself with an ultimatum that she can't accept- marry the man or starve to death in her room- running to her grandmother's house in Italy seems the only thing to do. She will pretend to be a governess, and hire a ship to take her there. It is a flawless plan. When she is attacked and knocked unconscious, however, she never suspects that the man who finds her will mistake her for a harlot.
Captain Darion Bannon is dismayed to discover that the unconscious woman he has taken aboard is actually an innocent lady. When they find themselves falling in love, Darion admits that he is a Privateer for the Sons of Liberty. After being arrested for piracy, as the Crown calls it, they face a cruel prison and transportation to the Colonies. When they are finally able to relax and be together, her father sends a man to come after her, and Darion finds himself fighting to keep the woman he loves. Only their love can help them survive the cruel twists of fate.