Despite his noble family, a life of idle indulgence has never suited Gil Charleton. Fortunately, working as the Earl of Crawford's estate manager requires the same caution, care, and charm he already uses to hide his true desires. On a discreet visit to a pub catering to men like himself, he's dismayed to see the earl's imprudent valet. At least the reckless, flirtatious Jarrett doesn't see him in return. Jarrett Welch takes any chance to have a little fun-or a lot of fun. But when a man he flirted with winds up dead, he can't give his alibi. After all, that kind of fun between men carries the same sentence as murder. Gil knows Jarrett is innocent, but it's his own life on the line if he comes forward. The only other way to save him is to find the real killer before their shared secret can be revealed. Working together to clear Jarrett's name, the attraction between them becomes impossible to fight. But the more the mystery unravels, the more it becomes clear that one of them will have to choose which is more important: his love... or his life.