Celina inherited both the cottage where her beloved grandmother painted her famous watercolors and a faded journal that hints at a long-ago Venetian love affair. It's the priceless Canaletto hidden away with the journal that piques her curiosity, however. An art historian and appraiser, Celina can't rest until she knows the story behind the painting - and how deeply the past owner, Conte Massimo di Palladino, touched her grandmother's life.

Lucca Palladino doesn't trust the lovely American who appears at the palazzo, particularly when he realizes his grandfather is smitten on sight. He'll use any means, fair or foul, to remove Celina, including the seductive pleasures of a midnight gondola ride. All he has to do is avoid being seduced himself....