> Giselle Cox |  Giselle Cox: 35. PhD in literature whose bookstore burned and left her in deep debt. She is now struggling with law school and religiously enforced virginity—although not always in that order. She lives with Sebastian out of necessity and (sometimes) reluctantly assists Knox in his schemes. |  You probably shouldn’t mess with Giselle even when she’s in a corset. |
 Bryce Kenard |  Bryce Kenard: 38, as he looks from his right side. Knox’s college roommate, tort lawyer extraordinaire, and widower whose family was killed when his house burned down. He’s having a severe crisis of faith, which he intends to end by getting Giselle into bed—and gets far more than he bargained for. |  Bryce from the left side. |
 Sebastian Taight |  Sebastian Taight: 38. Corporate restructurer and/or raider (depending on the situation) with an unusual night job. He’s led a life of debauchery and intellectual binging. He’s getting restless for the one thing he can’t seem to get: a woman who’ll dig past his pretty face and fat bank account to his soul. |  Sebastian when he has to run out for barbecue on Saturdays. |
 Eilis Logan |  Eilis Logan: 38. An embattled CEO with a lifetime of secrets and a strange connection to the war Knox and Sebastian are waging on the villain of the piece. Her only goal is to save her company and her employees, then find Ford, painter of nudes and profligate lover, to set her free from her past. |  Eilis in her garden. |
 Knox Hilliard |  Knox Hilliard: 36. Chouteau County prosecutor and UMKC law professor who can be rather … insane … at times. Murderer, blackmailer, and all-around asshole. Cousin to Giselle and Sebastian, “Dutch Uncle” to Eric and foster father to Vanessa. |  He wasn’t quite sure what hit him, either. But he didn’t like it. |
 Justice McKinley |  Justice McKinley: 22. Law student, political blogger, constitutional scholar, and farmer-by-necessity who really doesn’t want to believe all those nasty rumors about that dreamy Professor Hilliard for whom she is determined to work, come hell or high water—and he does put her through hell. |  Poor girl woke up one day and went to class and boom. Life changed. |
