A Plan for Disaster

I CAME BACK TO RECLAIM MY FAMILY HOME, BUT HE WAS WAITING TO CLAIM ME I told myself this would be a quick trip. Sign the papers, sell the estate, and get back to my real life. But I should have known better. My name is Tessa Quinn , and returning to Cedar Ridge was never going to be simple. I thought I could outrun our history, but the moment I crossed the county line, I found myself trapped in the suffocating orbit of the man who once shared my childhood secrets. Emmett Lawson. He isn't the boy I left behind years ago. He's grown, hardened, and now he rules this town with a quiet, terrifying authority that leaves no room for defiance. I expected him to be angry. I didn't expect him to be everywhere. He looks at me like I'm a ghost he's been waiting to exorcise, yet his possessive hunger threatens to consume the life I tried to build. I should hate him for making this difficult. I should hate the way he challenges every decision I make. But when we're in the same room, the air changes. His touch brands my skin, a silent claim that makes me forget the world I left behind. I tell myself I'm leaving as soon as the house is sold, but Emmett has other plans. He is ready to burn every bridge leading out of this town to keep me exactly where I belong. He says I'm home for good. And the terrifying part? I crave the thrill of being owned by the only person who truly knows my soul. "Finally, a small town romance that delivers on the angst! Emmett is the perfect grumpy protector-he's hurt, he's stubborn, but the way he loves Tessa? absolute swoon material. The history between them is palpable." - Kindle Customer Book 1 of 3 in The Mess Of Love series - an emotional small town romance about second chances, deep roots, and the one love you can never really escape.