After the unexpected death of my mother, I'm trying to hold things together and run the diner she left me.

It's a stressful time, and when Lee Hartmann suggests meeting me back at my place after a party, I'm looking forward to it.

Lee is a rugged, reclusive, sometimes infuriating man. He's also ridiculously attractive. We spent a satisfying night together a year ago, but we both have reasons for not pursuing anything more.

The night doesn't go as planned. When Lee arrives, he finds my house engulfed in flames and rescues me moments before the roof collapses. I'm alive, but I've lost everything, and there are people waiting to take advantage of my misfortune.

You can't say no to the Matheson family. In this small town, they're the law. My mother and grandmother refused their attempts to buy our diner. Now I'm the third generation to resist them, and they've had enough. When their bids fail, they resort to more threatening means.

Lee insists I stay with him at his secluded lakeside house until things cool off. Only, things never cool off around Lee. He's brooding, secretive, and oddly protective for someone who swears he doesn't do relationships. When I catch him sneaking out to a boarded-up cabin in the middle of the night, I worry I've gone from one dangerous situation to another.

Because Lee is hiding something. And falling for the man who swears he'll never love again might be the biggest risk I've ever taken.

The Caretaker is a standalone dark romantic suspense.