Last Jesse heard, Roman "Bane" Protsenko, naked surfer and habitual pothead, was extorting the rich and screwing their wives for a living. Which is why she's more than a little surprised to find him at her door, looking for her friendship, her services, and most puzzling of all―looking humbled. Her scarred heart calls to his, but Jesse is on a boycott. Literally. After all she's been through, she's cut boys from her life permanently. The problem is, Bane is not a boy. He's all man, and she's falling, crashing, drowning in his sweet, perfect lies. Because to Bane, Jesse Carter―hot as hell, cold as ice―is just a means to an end. He made a deal with her oil tycoon stepfather, and she's collateral, a plaything for him to kill some time with on his path to power. She might be one tough nut to crack, but Bane has the teeth for it. At least, until he finds that inside her damaged shell, Jesse has claws, too. And when she digs them in deep under his skin, Bane is no longer sure who he really is…or if he ever wants to let her go.