A Sexy, Small Town, Close Proximity, Alpha Protector standalone romance from bestselling author, Stacey Lynn. I thought it was pranking kids making a mess in the alley behind my restaurant, The Fireside Grill. I never expected to find a woman, cowering in the dark, feeding a dog from the palm of her hand. With her perfectly manicured fingernails and her salon-styled hair, there was no reason she should have been back there... except the bruise on her cheek and the cut above her eye told a very different story. The more I learned about Trina, the more enraged I became on her behalf. On the run from a life she won't talk about, with only her car and dog to her name, I couldn't help but want to protect her and keep her safe. Now I have a breathtaking woman living in my home, working in my restaurant and tempting me with her presence. Without knowing her story, I already know we come from different worlds but when our eyes meet across the room and the tension sizzles between us, I know nothing else matters but us, here and now. Until we get word her husband is on the hunt for her, and he'll stop at nothing to find her. But he hasn't met me yet, and I'll do anything to ensure the woman I'm falling in love with is safe. He doesn't know it yet, but the minute Trina showed up outside my restaurant, she became mine to protect