He was never supposed to come back for her. When Frank Castle pulls Jane out of the only life she's ever known, he thinks he's doing a clean job: extract, secure, walk away. She's twenty, soft-spoken, and looking at him like he hung the moon. He's older, hardened, and already fighting the part of himself that wants to keep her. She has been waiting for him for years. He has spent those same years becoming the kind of man who does not get to keep soft things.

lyra never expected a small audition to change her life. at twenty-five, she was broke, unknown, and almost ready to give up on acting. then she landed the role of sierra, a nineteen-year-old girl who falls for the legendary frank castle. opposite her was jon bernthal. he was married, a father, and nothing like the intimidating character he played on screen. they became friends almost immediately, and their chemistry was impossible to ignore. soon, the whole world wanted them together. edits. interviews. rumors. stolen glances. everyone was convinced there was something between them. except lyra and jon. because sometimes, the line between acting and reality isn't as clear as you think. and maybe everyone else noticed it before they did.

When she comes home for summer, the one man who makes her feel safe is the one she can never have-her father's best friend, Frank Castle. Older, scarred, and fiercely protective, Frank tries to keep his distance. But in the hazy heat of long summers and stolen moments, forbidden desire begins to unravel them both. A slow-burn age-gap romance thick with tension, tenderness, and dangerous temptation. TW: heavy smutt, swearing, alcohol, cheating mentioned, age gaps, sex, slight violence.