A beast, alone with the horrors of his past, the scar on his face a constant reminder of the man he's become. A beauty, on the run with her life in a tailspin, finds herself on his doorstep seeking protection. Deeply misunderstood and dedicated to his life of brooding solitude, Maxwell Black is hesitant to let Elle McKellan into his home where his hideous secrets hide. But he's unable to resist the allure of this desperate stranger. Soon the magnetism between them is undeniable, the temptation unbearable. Elle, reluctant to risk losing her heart to this dark and broken man, struggles against the sexual tension, only to surrender to the combustable heat between them. When Elle's life catches up to her and threatens to tear them apart, Maxwell will protect the precious love he's found by any brutal means necessary.