Mick has the honor of showing her paintings at the prestigious Golla Christmas Gallery in Atlanta, but there’s only one problem. She has to lift the paintings from her celebrity ex-boyfriend’s home when he refuses to let her—or her paintings—go. When her ex shows up to ruin the biggest night of her career, she’s reminded that some crimes do go unpunished as Curtis Black, lead counsel to The Pride, comes to her defense. Having known her all her life, he’s no stranger to her antics, and this is one time she can use the help. Just this once. Despite being the sexiest man she’s ever known, she can’t ignore what he does for The Pride. Or is nothing as it seems?Curt enjoys defending Mick’s antics with her ex until he finds out her ex is involved with a long-standing enemy of The Pride. Protecting her needs to be from a distance, but for the first time, she’s willing to give him a chance.