Because of his childhood and an unfortunate situation in his past, he feels unable to trust in and commit to any woman. It does have an interesting plot and it is very well-written. But there's more to a romance than structure and use of the English language. It needs heart and feeling. The situation and the relationship of the characters in Beholden provide little of either.
Terry is a very sympathetic heroine.
In fact, during most of the book I thought she was a tragic character. Her only crime was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and now she's running for her life, disfigured, and mourning the loss of her best friend. She's told she will have to change her identity and never see her beloved family again, and she has to live with the knowledge that her father's health has deteriorated due to the stress of believing his beloved daughter is dead. Now, she's falling in love with her protector who is a cold, unfeeling man who doesn't believe in commitment, but is certainly willing to sleep with her. It might be more humane than all the heartache this pathetic young woman has to suffer through.