He was the town's golden boy, their all-American hero. But there was a side of him he'd only shown her.

When Lyric Jackson stopped for gas in Redemption, Tennessee, she wasn't sure what to think of the small town nestled in the middle of the Smoky Mountains. Then she got one look at Holton Clarke, saw that charming smile, and fell instantly. One night with the man in uniform sparked an ember of hope, but things didn't quite end how she'd expected.

All Holton Clarke ever wanted to do was protect the people he cared about. He thought he'd be able to do that better as a deputy for his hometown, but one call turned his whole world and everything he thought he knew upside down. Including what he'd hoped for his future with a certain sassy librarian.

But when danger from Lyric's past comes calling, Holton has to put his fears and insecurities to the side to save the woman who has gotten under his skin, but she refuses to make it easy or give him a second chance. Now she's under his roof, sharing his bed, and throwing him attitude and dirty looks every chance she gets.

She might claim that nothing is ever going to happen between them, but that one night they'd shared was his favorite mistake ever, and he has every intention of repeating it for the rest of his life.