Her brother's best friend was supposed to be a shield—not a temptation. Teagan Madden worked hard to bury her reckless past and is weeks away from college graduation. But when a dangerous mistake—Eric McKinnon—returns with threats and ties to the mafia, her carefully rebuilt life starts to crumble. Enter Jaxon Lawson, her brother's best friend and the one man she's always trusted. Jaxon knows exactly how ruthless Eric can be, and he'll do anything to keep Teagan safe. His plan? Pretend they're a couple to scare Eric off. What starts as a fake relationship quickly sparks into something real—slow-burn desire that neither of them can ignore. But Eric isn't backing down. Each threat tightens the noose, forcing Jaxon and Teagan to decide how far they'll go to protect each other...and what lines they'll cross when love becomes the most dangerous game of all.