He was born into one of America's most powerful families. She comes from a world his family would never accept. He's wanted her for years—but his family has other plans for his future. And they'll do whatever it takes to keep them apart.
Karina Byrne has fought for every inch of her future. Raised on the wrong side of ritzy Wellport, Connecticut, medical school is her ticket out of the small-town shame she's spent her life outrunning. While working at the exclusive Marina Club to save tuition money, she comes face-to-face with the ultimate distraction.
Son of one of the oldest families in the country, Nate is heir to the massive Standish fortune, America's most eligible bachelor, and a man being groomed for an eventual presidential run. He's also quietly suffocating under the burden of expectations he never chose. And he's watched Karina from afar for years.
When their worlds finally collide, their connection is instant—undeniable—and far more dangerous than either of them is prepared for.
Karina has never allowed herself to be vulnerable, never let anyone close enough to touch the parts of herself she keeps locked away. But with Nate, she feels desire awakening in ways she's never experienced and never dared to want. What begins as an irresistible attraction quickly deepens into a fierce, all-consuming love—one that sets off a storm of scandal, betrayal, and deceit.
With high society tightening its grip and his family's powerful empire turning against them, defiance comes with a devastating price—and choosing each other could cost them everything.
