It's been a year since Tom Quick became a partner in the detective agency, Moreland & Quick, that he operates with his lifelong friend Constantine Moreland. When he catches an intruder breaking into the agency, obviously looking for something, it's clear that a new case is afoot. But this intruder wears an alluring scent, moves like a trained acrobat...and is clearly an attractive woman.

After a hardscrabble childhood, Desiree Malone grew up to be a talented performer, and now, she wants to find her real father. All she knows is that he's an aristocrat, and he abandoned her and her brothers when they were small. When she finds something at Moreland & Quick that gives her a lead, she can't help but follow it.

Tom wants to help Desiree, but he's still a little suspicious of her, even though he can't help but be drawn to her. But as Desiree and Tom dig deeper into Desiree's roots, they stumble on a mystery larger than either of them imagined--a mystery that threatens both their lives.