Oh yes, Rodney Sithall was a vile fellow. My critique partners thought the scene worked but they also gently explained that some publishers or readers might frown on such a scene in a romance novel. A different perspective came from an author friend who said that female writers often shield heroines from the logical consequence of their actions. Many of the twists and turns in a book evolve from the characters you create. They tend to take over.
Many writers are plotters.
They plan every detail before they ever write the first scene. I'm a plunger. I develop the characters, pick a setting, plan the opening scene and start writing. My characters help me write their own story based on their actions and the emotions in a previous scene. Jocelyn and Reyn were stubborn and prideful and both would pay the price.