The rules are simple for reclusive cowboy Lucas Hart. Make sure Maddie Vale is safe, and then disappear before she even realizes he's there.

But some rules need to be broken.

Rancher Lucas Hart trusts no one outside his immediate circle, and he has no interest in getting serious with a woman. But when he tracks down Maddie Vale as a favor to his brother, he soon finds himself captivated by the sassy, courageous woman he's supposed to protect...from a distance.

Maddie has a business she loves, loyal besties who keep life fun, and a therapy dog that terrifies everyone, but she can't escape the shadows that haunt her, rooted in the past she can't remember.

When Lucas shows up at Maddie's door with dangerous information about her past, Maddie boots the sexy cowboy out of her life as fast as she can. But when her shadows turn to real danger, she has no choice but to saddle herself with the billionaire bodyguard who is far more handsome and charming than she has time for.

When danger pushes Maddie and Lucas together, a spark ignites...a spark that lights up Lucas in a way he never expected. Is it too late for the two battered hearts, or can Lucas find his way to the woman he never knew he was looking for?

?AUTHOR BIO: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Stephanie Rowe is "contemporary romance at its best" (Bex 'N' Books). She is a winner and a five-time nominee of the RITA(R) award, a Vivian(R) Award nominee, and a Golden Heart winner and two-time nominee. As the author of more than sixty novels, Stephanie loves strong, sexy protective book boyfriends and the sassy, smart heroines who win their hearts. Humor, melt-worthy romance, and heat for the win! She has written for Grand Central Publishing, Harlequin, HarperCollins, Sourcebooks, and Dorchester Publishing.