He's a broody bodyguard with secrets he can't share. She's a busy single mom with a restaurant to run. They're just friends until a little white lie changes everything.

Marco Hernandez is the somber trainer here only to bend my body into shape, but when the perfectly sculpted man holds my son in his arms and smiles, I'm a goner. Weak legs. Pounding veins. Too bad as my brother's bodyguard, he'll never look at me the way I crave. Too bad I don't have the time between the cafe and my baby boy to persuade him otherwise.

Cassidy O'Neil has looked like an angel from the moment I met her...an angel I can't touch. Not only because she's my boss's sister but because I'm still trying to redeem myself for the sins of my past. The tantalizing mirage of "family" she represents will remain just that-a dream-like apparition.

Until her ex returns trying to claim the son he never wanted, and I'm the one who shows him the door. The lie that falls from my lips while trying to protect her threatens the tenacious balance we've established.

Once it's Cassidy's heart on the line, how will I defend her? Especially if I'm the one putting it at risk.

"I burned the image into my memory. This moment we let go of our former selves and became something new together."

Inspired by Ingrid Andress's "We're Not Friends," this achingly tender, slow-burn, ex-military romance from award-winning author LJ Evans has loveable characters, deep emotions, and a windy path to creating a family.

Complete, interconnected, standalone series.

Can be read in any order.