Cindy Masters had been content to withdraw to her grandfather's farm in England and care for her cousins--anything to escape getting caught up in her mother's promiscuous bet-setting world.

But her peace of mind was short-lived once a foreign correspondent moved into the village Saul Gonzago seemed brash and insensitive. Yet he aroused feelings that Cindy found distinctly threatening.

Torn by her reaction to him and her fear of becoming like her mother, Cindy beat a hasty retreat to Venice, never thinking that Saul would follow her--as if to prove there were no escaping the stranger's touch.