A brooding rake. A runaway lady. A scandalous arrangement that could ruin them both—or lead to everything they never dared to dream.

Desmond Amador has built a life most men would envy—title, wealth, and power earned through royal favor after his sister's marriage to the King of Cardenas. But his rise came at a cost: betrayal by his adulterous wife and disillusionment with the court's empty glitter. Now, Desmond wears his reputation as a wicked libertine like armor, determined never to love—or trust—again.

Lady Anastasia Harden is desperate. Fleeing a cruel cousin determined to force her into marriage, she finds herself penniless, alone, and hiding among the shadows of The Red Rose, a brothel that caters to the elite. Faced with survival, Ana is offered a choice: labor in drudgery as a maid, or live in luxury as the mistress of the brooding Gypsy Lord.

When Desmond discovers the beautiful stranger scrubbing floors, he sees a tempting distraction. What begins as a scandalous arrangement soon spirals into something far more dangerous. With each stolen night, Ana chips away at the icy walls around Desmond's heart—but she harbors a secret that could destroy the fragile trust between them.

And when the truth surfaces, it brings danger that neither of them could have foreseen.

The Gypsy Lord is the fifth decadent installment in The Royals of Cardenas, a sweeping historical/fantasy romance series filled with dark passion, daring heroines, and brooding heroes who fall hardest when love is least expected.