Behind Seth Jackson’s easygoing smile lurks a pain he’s well-rehearsed at ensuring few ever see. The lovable ex-Marine and career firefighter makes a great show out of his zest for life and beautiful women. But when his anxiety and nightmares become too much to bear, he seeks the professional help he knows he needs. To his great dismay, his therapist suggests the unimaginable—befriend a woman instead of immediately bedding her. The challenge would have been far easier had Vivian Deveraux not entered his life. In her eyes he sees traces of the same anguish that haunts him. Yet the chemistry between them stirs up feelings both kept buried for years. Can the pair help each other heal from the pain of the past? Or will the time they spend together tear open old wounds on their bruised and battered hearts?