Brice Middleton is running from a haunted past, one that lingers in his head—a dark, sobering reminder of how trust can be twisted and wielded like a weapon, slicing through love and critically wounding the heart. Beneath his golden tan, sun-drenched blonde hair, and hazel eyes are scars that zigzag across his chest, some physical, some emotional—all painful. Devoting himself to his work at C.A.K.E., Brice distances himself from everyone. Aerial Gibson loves being an actress even if it means living hand-to-mouth in the Triad. A graduate of North Carolina’s best performing arts program, she spends most of her evenings serving up caffeinated and sugary goodness at Tate Street Café. She has a steady income, an approaching audition, and an awesome—and somewhat overly protective—family. However, Brice highlights the one thing absent in Aerial’s happy-go-lucky world—a lover. If Aerial can infiltrate the walls around Brice’s heart and capture it for herself, it would be the icing on the cake.