Jasper Sutton—London’s most dedicated scoundrel—needs a wife, and he needs one quickly.

He needs one yesterday, in fact. His requirements are precise: she must be capable of mothering the wild twin daughters who have unexpectedly appeared in his life, and so must possess the patience of a saint and the understanding of an angel. Better still if she is plain and has no expectation of a true marriage. He is not about to reform his ways.

But how is he to find such a paragon of womanly virtue when troublesome, maddening baggage keeps haunting his gaming hell and getting herself into scrapes?

Lady Octavia Alexander, the ton’s most dedicated spinster, has no need of a husband. She is quite firmly and happily on the shelf, a devoted aunt to her beloved nieces and nephews. But she does harbor one illicit dream: she wants to start her own newspaper devoted solely to scandal and gossip. What better way to do so than to immerse herself in the sordid underworld of the East End? There is just one problem standing in the way of her plans, and his name is Jasper Sutton. But Octavia won’t abandon her independence and her future for an unscrupulous rogue. No matter how handsome he is, and regardless of how irresistible his kisses.

Between running his family’s gaming hell, chasing after his wayward daughters, and keeping Lady Octavia from being robbed, spirited away by some enterprising criminal (or worse) Jasper is losing his patience. Even more concerning: he’s beginning to fear the only woman he truly wants to marry is the vexing lady who has sworn she will never wed. All he has to do is change her mind and win her heart.