Girl meets a handsome stranger, gets swept off her feet, and has the best night of her life. Sounds like a dream, right? If only... When I wake up the next morning in a stunning penthouse overlooking the Seattle waterfront to a note saying, “have a safe flight back to Chicago,” his message is loud and clear: One and done. Famous last words. Guess who’s waiting to greet me on the first day at my new job? It turns out the mega-rich Asher Kingcaid is far from one and done.

When my BFF asks me to be her maid of honor, I’m, well, honored. Until she introduces me to the best man and I realize we’ve already met, just this morning when…wait for it…I accidentally spilled a cup of OJ all over his pristine designer suit. Not my finest hour, but he didn’t have to be a dick about it, either. And now—God help me—I’m forced to spend five days on a paradise island with a guy who’s the complete opposite of me. He’s bossy, a clean freak, and hates tardiness. I’m sassy, messy, and will turn up late to my own funeral. But if I dig real deep, there are some similarities.

Six months ago, I escaped from a monster in the dead of night, our five-year-old daughter asleep in my arms. Desperate and rapidly running out of cash, my luck finally turns when I land a bartending job at a swanky Los Angeles nightclub. The owner is difficult, moody, and relentless in his crusade for perfection. But it’s not hard work that scares me. It’s the burgeoning swell of desire that consumes me every time our eyes meet across the crowded dance floor. But if I’m damaged, he’s wrecked. The truth is, we can’t run from our pasts.