I came to this mountain retreat to disappear. Fifteen years as a hitman leaves scars that never heal, and secrets that can get you killed. All I wanted was to blend in, stay quiet, and learn how to bake some damn bread. Then I see her—Annie. Soft curves, flour-dusted hands, and a smile that hits me like a bullet to the chest. One look and I'm obsessed. One touch and I'm lost. She's everything I'm not—sweet, open, pure. Everything I don't deserve. But when danger follows me to her inn, threatening the only woman who's ever made me feel human, the killer inside me awakens. I'll protect what's mine with savage fury. Because Annie doesn't just bake bread—she's melting the ice around my heart, one sweet taste at a time. I know I should walk away. Keep her safe from my darkness. But her body calls to me, her trust breaks me, and I can't resist claiming her completely. She's my weakness. My obsession. My salvation. I run a baking retreat in the mountains where people come to find themselves in the gentle art of baking. But when Ben walks through my door—tall, dangerous, with storm clouds in his eyes—I know he's not just here for the sourdough. The electricity between us is instant and undeniable. His rough hands, his cautious smile, the way he watches me when he thinks I'm not looking—it all awakens something wild inside me that I never knew existed. I should be terrified when I discover who he really is. A former hitman with blood on his hands and shadows in his past. Instead, I'm drawn deeper, craving the intensity only he can give me. In the safety of my kitchen, in the heat of my bed, I want all of him—even the darkness. When danger threatens to tear us apart, I realize I'm stronger than I thought. This isn't just passion—it's something deeper, richer, more intoxicating than any recipe I've ever created. He thinks he's the dangerous one. He has no idea what I'm willing to do to keep him mine.