The only thing worse than watching the woman he loves marry someone else would be marrying her himself… Ethan Ashford, Earl of Griffin, swears on what little honor he has left that fetching Lady Kyra Deverill home from Scotland for her wedding is his familial duty and nothing more. With her father gone, he's responsible for her well-being—an unlikely assignment for a renowned playboy, under the best of circumstances. Yet Grif finds the assignment all but impossible, and not just because Kyra escapes him at every turn. In truth, he's lusted after her for most of his life. Fleeing England after her father's death is by far the most reckless thing Kyra has ever dared. It's either hide in the Highlands or marry the repulsive Earl of Brumley, and she refuses to spend her life married to a troll. But from the enthusiastic way Grif chases—and then kisses—her, it's clear he no longer thinks of himself as simply her guardian. Even if Grif wanted to marry Kyra—which he doesn't—it's quite out of the question. He is standing on the brink of financial ruin, after all. And Kyra has never trusted Grif with anything. The rest of her life doesn't seem to be the place to start. 98,000 words