Twelve years ago and in one fell swoop, Hunter Sullivan lost everything that meant anything to him. Since then, his life has been about work and detachment and keeping his distance. He had his chance at love and a good life, and he failed to protect it… that’s his punishment and that’s OK. Or it was OK – until he met Cordelia at work. Suddenly, no matter how many walls Sully throws up around his heart, she brings them down with a single shining, perfect smile.

Cordelia Patton has a tough life: she’s a single mother, her son is ill, she works full-time. But by far her biggest challenge still lies ahead of her. When her boss sends her and Hunter undercover as a married couple to bust a child kidnapping ring, she has to stomp down hard on her desire for the coldest, most distant and shut-down man she’s ever known. After all, Hunter’s made it clear that he has no interest in her…

Alone and depending solely on each other, Sully and Cordelia try to keep work and personal feelings separate. But when they break the kidnapping ring wide open and one criminal gets away, they’re both in danger – the kind of danger that may once again take away everything that Sully has come to love.