9 parts Ongoing Alex had no patience for men who treated love like a game. She'd seen enough of them-smooth talkers with practiced smiles and empty promises-to know better. She valued honesty, respect, and substance, and she'd never been the kind of girl to fall for charm alone.
Then Tyler Stevens walked into her life.
One grin. Cocky, lopsided, and far too sure of itself. That was all it took to unsettle her. Tyler was everything she'd sworn to avoid: dangerously confident, magnetic without trying, and the kind of man who carried temptation in the way he looked at you.
At first, she told herself it was nothing. Just a flicker of attraction, gone as quickly as it came. But Tyler had a way of breaking past her defenses, not with sweeping gestures, but with quiet persistence. He noticed the small things-the shift in her tone when she was uncomfortable, the way she tucked her hair behind her ear when she was uncertain. He made her laugh when she wanted to stay guarded. He made her feel seen... and that was far more dangerous than charm.
Tyler hadn't been looking for her either. He'd never chased complications, and Alex was nothing but. She didn't melt under his smile, didn't let him win without earning it. She saw through him, past the arrogance and the swagger, to something he'd kept hidden even from himself. And somehow, he wanted her to.
But wanting someone was never the same as trusting them.
The closer they drew, the more tangled their worlds became, pulling them toward secrets neither of them saw coming. And when betrayal finally struck, Alex had to decide whether Tyler was worth the fall... or if loving him would break them both.
