There are some young women who do as they're told, and there are other young women who run away with devilishly handsome Naval officers.

Miss Jennifer Cartwright is as surprised as anyone to discover that she is the second type of woman.

But since her only other option is marrying the terrifying Lord Beeston, she'll fling herself on the mercy of anyone who can smuggle her off to the safety of her sister's country cottage.

It's just her luck that the man she flings herself upon is Captain Sebastian Whitby, who – quite apart from his rough manners and pistol-toting reputation – happens to owe Beeston his life.

Sebastian takes paying his debts very seriously. He'll do anything to persuade her to give Beeston a chance. Anything except stop kissing her, that is, because that keeps happening with alarming regularity.

And, though Jennifer is certain she's never met a ruder, more reckless, more impossible man in her life, she doesn't want to stop kissing Sebastian, either...