We burned too hot. Crashed too hard. And now he’s back… I rebuilt my life from the ashes Ronan Tate left behind. Poured everything into The Pines Table Restaurant. I built something real. Something mine. And then he strolls into Hartwood Pines, all smooth charm and stormy blue eyes. Acting like nothing happened, like we never happened. He’s Older. Richer. Still dangerously gorgeous. And now he owns a stake in the festival that keeps my restaurant alive. But the way Ronan watches me—the heat, the hunger—says he hasn’t forgotten. And I know he suspects the truth. Because Charlie ...

Being a single dad while managing one of the biggest businesses in New Orleans keeps me very busy. I spend my free time with my daughter, Bella—reading to her, styling her hair, or choosing nail polishes appropriate for an eight-year-old. But I’m okay with that, because she is my whole world. After my divorce, I made myself a promise: I wouldn’t date until Bella was older. Then, all my good intentions go up in smoke when I hire our newest chef for the flagship restaurant in the French Quarter.

This weekend I was asked to be a bridesmaid at my best friend's wedding. After arriving at the resort, I caught the elevator to the second floor with the man of the hour who was not the groom but his rich older brother, Stone. Stone Alexander had a tall muscular build, chiseled jawline, and beautiful eyes which means he is out of my league. Every female here wants a piece of him, and they do not care what secrets he may hold up in his penthouse suite.

Semyon Kopolov. Gorgeous and formidable. My childhood crush and brother’s best friend. They call him the Ice King—cold, ruthless, unforgiving. He’s the reason my mother’s dead. Now he’s my husband. Once he was my protector. The boy who carried me when I fell and swore to shield me from monsters. Until he became one.

You want to know the secret to everlasting happiness? Never fall in love. That was the wisdom my father imparted to us James boys after our mom died, and it’s a piece of advice that’s served me well. Until dear old Dad asks me for a favor over Sunday brunch. No big deal, right? I love making my old man happy. Except this “favor” is a lot more complicated than picking up his dry cleaning. Dad wants me to marry and provide a few heirs for the James empire, and he’s even done me the courtesy of handpicking my bride-to-be. Lucky me.