Since I was sixteen I've always known the kind of life I wanted for myself. I wanted the love. The peace. The happiness. The marriage. The family. The home. But sometimes life doesn't always go as planned. Instead of getting what I wanted, I got what I needed. I got lessons. I got heartbreaks that forced me to grow. I got silence that taught me how to listen to myself. I got endings that pushed me toward new beginnings. And even though it wasn't easy, every detour shaped me into the person I am today. Stronger. Wiser. More passionate about the life I'm still building. And despite all of that, I still want the love. The peace. The happiness. The marriage. The family. The home. I still want it all. Because no matter how many times life has tested me, the desire for those things has never left. It's only grown stronger. ~ Crystal

When Ayanna is forced into a job working for her parents' trusted college friend, she expects structure-not the quiet pull of a man who sees her more clearly than anyone ever has. Langston, a forty-three-year-old record label owner and divorcé, lives by rules that don't allow desire, especially not for his employee or the daughter of people he respects. As long hours and industry chaos draw them closer, attraction turns into something dangerous neither of them is willing to name. With her parents tightening their grip and her dreams of an artistic life slipping further away, Ayanna must choose between approval and authenticity. For Langston, loving her could cost him his reputation, his principles, and the one line he's sworn never to cross.