Book excerpt: An outrageous free spirit meets her match in an introvert with a secret leather business Raised as a free spirit, Beth Jenkins refuses to submit to the Ton’s rigid rules. She has fun where she wants, with whomever she wishes. By day, she excels at matching people’s needs with those who can provide them. That talent and her cousin, Lady Althea Egerton, are the only barriers standing between her and complete ostracization. When her cousin requires an investor for her business, Beth gains them an entrée to a house party hosted by a wealthy earl, where she encounters Robert Orford. The intimate leather apparel and toys of pleasure he creates entice Beth as much as the man himself, and she is determined to pursue him. As the stocky second son of an earl, Robert was bullied as a child and hates being in the public eye. Beth’s behavior is far too outrageous for his tastes. If only she didn’t have the curvy figure he most admires, perfect for testing his leather pieces. But Beth refuses to be tamed, so if she can’t convince him to care less about society’s disapproval, they could be forced to walk away from the perfect partnership for leather and love.