Cali I'm coming up on my 30th birthday and I've never been in love. My outlook on dating has become jaded in recent years and getting hurt again terrifies me almost as much as being alone forever. The arrival of a new, and loud, upstairs neighbor leads to an explosive first impression. With his superior attitude and designer suits, Banner is a walking red flag. Too bad he's also the most attractive man I've ever seen and there's much more of him that lays beneath the surface. Banner gets under my skin more than anyone and challenges me to work past my fears and take a leap. The only question is, can I trust him to catch me? Banner After running from a bad breakup in New York, I end up in a walkup in Chicago's northside. My goal is to be inconspicuous and bury myself in work, until I can stomach going back home. No distractions and definitely no women. My goals are thrown out the window, when a spitfire of a woman comes banging on my door in the middle of the night. Dressed in tiny pajamas and fluffy slippers, her fiery eyes and sharp tongue have my attention instantly. Cali is a knockout on the outside, there's no doubt about that, but she also matches me in every aspect of life. I want to show her how easy it is to love her and earn her love along the way. The only problem is, I have secrets that could ruin everything. *This story contains explicit sexual content, profanity, mild violence, and topics some readers may be sensitive to.*