Marcus Ward has spent his entire life preparing for people to leave. The heavily tattooed owner of Black Oak Tattoo learned that lesson young—through foster homes, broken promises, and years of abandonment that left permanent scars beneath his skin. At thirty-three, Marcus trusts his hands more than his heart. Ink lasts. People don't. Then Toby Greene crashes into his carefully controlled life. After a fire destroys Toby's apartment, the sunshine-bright illustrator ends up living in the loft above Marcus' tattoo shop. Toby is everything Marcus avoids—talkative, optimistic, emotional, and impossible to ignore. He fills the silence with music, sketchbooks, and laughter, turning Marcus' orderly world upside down. What begins as reluctant roommates becomes something far more dangerous. Because Toby sees through every wall Marcus has built. And Marcus discovers he would do anything to protect the man who makes him believe in forever. But old wounds run deep. When family rejection, painful memories, and a career opportunity threaten to pull them apart, Marcus must decide whether love is worth the risk of losing everything. For Toby, the choice is even harder. Follow the dream he's spent years chasing. Or stay with the man who finally feels like home. Built for His Heart is an emotional MM romance featuring a grumpy tattoo artist, a sunshine illustrator, age-gap romance, roommates-to-lovers, hurt/comfort, found family, possessive protection, healing from trauma, high emotional stakes, and a deeply satisfying happily-ever-after. Because sometimes the strongest hands are the ones willing to hold on.