On the run from an abusive relationship, book reviewer Kayla Kane needs a place to lay low, but she won't risk her parents' lives. Especially when a visit to her Honolulu childhood home resurfaces memories of her deceased teenage brother, reinforcing all they've already lost. To keep her family safe, she finds the perfect place to hide... with her brother's best friend—the man she's crushed on forever.
Former Navy SEAL Jaxon Hale has never found a woman who could compare to Kayla and the single night they shared the summer after graduation. When she reenters his life a decade later, he vows to do whatever it takes to make a relationship with her a reality. This time, the promise once made to his best friend won't stand in his way.
Kayla and Jaxon soon realize that sharing a living space doesn't come without complications. The past shadows their every turn, and tensions escalate as they dive headfirst into painful memories for a chance at a future. Despite the safety of Jaxon's home, her troubles aren't over. With the stalker ex-boyfriend looming and an unknown threat closing in, bringing more secrets to light, Jaxon risks losing Kayla forever.