Book excerpt: Left alone on the family estate, headstrong Brien Weston has learned to manage for herself. But when she becomes too independent for her noble father’s tastes, he orders an arranged marriage “for her own good.” Taking matters into her own hands, Brien discovers that what makes a woman truly ineligible for marriage is marriage itself. So how does a woman acquire a husband . . . who won’t really be a husband? Having rejected his own father’s title and fortune, shipbuilder Aaron Durham vows to find a way to finance his dreams. But what is a charming scapegrace to do when a desperate young lady and a small fortune fall into his lap . . . with a shocking condition attached? One irresistible night of passion will change their destinies. Touch by touch, kiss by kiss, they fall deeper into a love large enough to span continents . . . strong enough to overcome deception . . . and sweet enough to make them forget that they have been.