I wake up chained to the bed of a stranger. He says I’m his wife. I have nothing—no money. No friends. No escape. He’s everything I never imagined: ruthless, calculating, feared. A beautiful monster with a face like a god’s, cold and untouchable. A mafia kingpin whose wealth could buy empires and whose power makes the world tremble. My captor. My husband.

I was standing in the middle of a storm when Carter Bosh asks me to dance. I should have said no, but his outstretched hand and glittering green eyes were too tempting to resist. His touch sparked a fire inside of me. His kisses thrill and soothe at the same time. But it was the tenderness in his eyes that captivated me. For one beautiful night, I was the princess to his prince. The sunrise would bring a tragic reminder that fairy tales aren't written about girls like me.

I have a stalker. A masked man who watches me from the shadows. A guardian who says he's there to protect me—to help me heal from almost dying at the hands of another man. He says he's willing to do anything to help me move on. That I needn't be afraid of him. I agree to keep him my secret and share how much I'm truly struggling. In return, he guards me. Even if it means guarding me from himself.

Astor Stone built an empire on power, secrets, and control. But when he receives a ransom note for his estranged wife—the woman he’s kept hidden for years—he’s forced to play someone else’s game. The plan is simple: attend an exclusive party, get her back, and walk away. Until Sabine Hart walks in. When the night takes a deadly turn, Astor makes a ruthless decision: take his enemy’s daughter as collateral. Just for one night. ...But obsession doesn’t follow rules.

What happens when the eternally single curvy girl becomes the blue-collar bad boy’s new obsession? I love my small town and having all my friends and family around. But I’m almost forty and still single. Clearly, my Prince Charming isn’t finding me here. Especially with my car continually breaking down and sending me to Hayes Madigan’s shop. The tatted mechanic acts like being a perpetual bachelor is the only point of life. He’s happy with his parade of one-night stands and regular hookups. But I want more.