Denial

He’s got a badge and a broody stare. She’s the chaos he never saw coming.

An obsessed podcaster starts unraveling my family’s secrets, and I’m forced to take sanctuary in a quiet small town. I envision a peaceful reset. What I find instead is a temporary nanny job with an overprotective single dad who clearly doesn’t trust me.

Our first meeting ends with me in handcuffs. It’s…not my best introduction.

The minor misunderstanding turns Sutton Stone into a human cactus—prickly, guarded, and determined to keep his distance. Or maybe that’s just his default setting.

But I’m pretty immune to the grumpy act. And unfortunately for him, he desperately needs my help.

Between bedtime stories, close quarters, and a forced Ferris wheel ride, Sutton’s defenses start to crumble. Lines blur. Feelings sneak in.

And when the trouble I left behind shows up uninvited, Sutton’s protective instincts surge into something fierce and personal.

Because he doesn’t just want me protected.

He wants to make me his.