Over a decade ago, I laid my bat aside and walked away from the Majors with no regrets. Being a Marine was in my blood. My code is simple:  Discipline, Control, Protection —words I live by. Which is why, the night a fiery woman approaches me to help her friend, I'm all in. The emerald-eyed beauty across the room awakens my protective instincts. It started with harmless flirting. Until the moment my lips crossed hers and everything changed. In an instant, she runs, leaving me without a word. It doesn't take long to find Willow Richards, and this time she's not getting away. Willow denies our connection. She calls me a daredevil. An adrenaline-fueled junkie who thrives on danger and has no place in her controlled world. From the ball field to the battlefield, I thrive on challenge. Breaking through her walls turns out to be my biggest obstacle yet. When the façade she's living implodes, exposing the betrayal she's buried, my purpose becomes her happiness. Just as things fall into place, my past collides with my future, threatening every promise I've made. But one thing is certain, Willow Richards is mine. And I will  scorch the earth  before anyone hurts her again. Including myself. All she has to do is trust me … My name is Talon Simms. I've waited a lifetime for this woman. I'm not losing her now. Contains mature themes.