Charlotte Freely has resigned herself to a life of disappointment. A failed engagement has left her an object of scandal, and at the age of 31 the chances of finding a suitable husband are slim – even in the more accommodating society of 1890's South-East Asia. As companion to her trader stepbrother, Edward, Charlotte has traveled through Singapore and China where the natives are happy to be pliable and subservient in return for Western money.

On a silk-buying trip to Hangzhou, Charlotte meets a Chinese man who is far from bending to Western whims, and she soon falls for his dominant charms. Song Chao Ming is descended from the Southern Song emperors and carries the regal command of his forefathers. While Edward shows no respect for Chao Ming, Charlotte finds herself helpless to resist such a masterful man.

But she is parted from Chao Ming when Edward decides their business is over. He has plans for Charlotte’s future that would see her marrying his beastly friend and trading partner, Johnny. When Charlotte runs away and returns to Chao Ming, she pledges herself to him, but both have a lot to learn about submission and control. Chao Ming gives Charlotte a Chinese name, Tianfu, but this isn’t enough to make her a Chinese woman. He is used to his concubines being completely beholden to him, but Charlotte’s Western ways leave her unwilling to be a slave anywhere but in his bed.