I never expected love to show up on my doorstep. I hadn't ever dreamed of what life leaves behind, I'd sworn off risking my heart. But then Blaire, my best friend's little sister, decided to show up in my small hometown of Rosewood Pines. From the moment she stepped into town, I was caught in her trap, and I had no idea why.

There was an instant pull—one I knew I shouldn't have felt. She wasn't mine to want, or even protect for that matter. But everything inside me screamed to take care of her, to erase the fear I saw in her eyes. I didn't know her story, but I could tell she was hiding something—something that made her look at me like she wasn't sure whether to run or let me hold her together.

And damn it, I wanted to be the one to hold her.

She was forbidden. A sworn line I knew I should never cross. But the attraction was too strong to ignore. I wanted to be the one who made her feel safe, made her forget the past, even if it was only for a minute. I knew I wouldn't play by the rules—not when it came to her.

She was mine now and I wasn't about to let her go. Not without a fight.