When Thomas Hardacre, the cold-hearted Duke of Stanthorpe, receives an invitation to Christmas dinner from his widowed neighbor, Mrs. Anna Rowntree, his initial reaction is to say no. Even though he once shared an incendiary mistletoe kiss with the sweet-as-a-sugarplum daughter of his former estate steward, Thomas has since placed her on the "do-not-ever-touch" shelf. He suspects the comely but lonely Anna wants more than "dinner," and while the idea of bedding her sets him aflame, he's sure that he cannot be the man she truly deserves.

But what's a duke to do? Thomas is not a saint and he knows from experience that Anna's kisses are pure fire. Only one thing is certain: Christmas dinner has never proved to be so tempting...