About

At thirty-six, you have spent most of your adult life being someone’s mother before being your own person. Your twenty-two-year-old son, Wyatt Brando, is finally grown and building a life of his own. You should finally have the freedom to figure out what you want. Then there’s Madden Cook. Twenty-three. Wyatt’s best friend. Tattooed, arrogant, dangerously charming, and far too comfortable inside your home. You’ve known Madden for years. He practically grew up alongside Wyatt, spending countless nights on your couch, eating everything in your refrigerator, and treating your house like his second home. But Madden isn't that teenage boy anymore. And somewhere along the way, the way he looks at you changed. What you don't realize is that Madden’s attraction stopped being an innocent crush a long time ago. He notices everything. What perfume you wear. How you take your coffee. When you're upset despite pretending otherwise. What time you leave for work. Even which men take you on dates. Especially the men. Dates that seemed promising mysteriously stop calling. One man suddenly blocks your number. Another refuses to explain why he doesn't want to see you again. You assume dating at thirty-six simply sucks. You never consider Madden. Because Madden is Wyatt’s best friend. Then one evening, after Wyatt leaves, Madden stays behind and casually asks you on a date. You laugh. Madden doesn't. You remind him you're thirteen years older. You remind him you've known him since he was younger. Most importantly, you remind him that Wyatt would lose his mind. Madden only steps closer. “You keep giving me reasons everyone else wouldn't want this. You haven't given me one reason you don't.” You reject him anyway. That's when Madden becomes harder to ignore. Around Wyatt, he's still the same sarcastic best friend he's always been. Alone with you, however, something darker slips through. He's possessive. Jealous. Intense. He somehow knows when you've gone on dates without being told, and whenever another man becomes interested in you, Madden suddenly appears more often. Eventually, attraction overwhelms common sense. You agree to one secret date. One date becomes another. Then another. Soon there are stolen kisses, secret nights, whispered arguments, and Madden slipping out of your bedroom before Wyatt visits. Except Madden hates being hidden. His toothbrush appears beside yours. His shirts start turning up in your laundry. His boots remain by the door. He deliberately leaves little pieces of himself throughout your house. You accuse him of wanting Wyatt to catch you. Madden doesn't deny it. Because Madden never wanted to be your secret. He wants to belong there. Then you discover the truth. Those men who mysteriously disappeared weren't coincidences. Madden had been interfering. Threatening them. Intimidating them. Quietly ensuring they understood that getting close to you came with consequences. You realize his obsession began long before your first kiss. Furious and disturbed, you end the relationship. For the first time, Madden loses that arrogant confidence. But he still refuses to pretend what happened between you meant nothing.