Norah Bennett has spent the last year trying to rebuild her life after loss, heartbreak, and the quiet unraveling of everything familiar. As the daughter of a high-profile diplomat, she's learned to keep her guard up and her heart closed. But when a suspicious threat resurfaces and her father hires a private bodyguard, Norah is forced to share her space—and her guarded world—with a stranger who makes her feel anything but safe. Jack Carter lives by protocol. As an ex-military officer turned elite bodyguard, he's used to detachment. His latest assignment—protecting Norah—should be simple. But from the moment she challenges him with sharp wit and quiet sorrow, the lines begin to blur. What starts as duty becomes personal. Every shared silence, every midnight conversation, every crack in their emotional armor pulls them closer. But when danger comes too close and trust is tested, Jack must choose between walking away like he always has—or standing still for the one person who refuses to run. Can a man built to disappear learn to stay for love?