For five years, widowed NYU professor Peyton Sawyer has avoided romance - which only makes her immediate attraction to cool, handsome community center director Malik Williams more surprising. Volunteering at his center spurs a smoldering connection. So why does Malik back off as soon as Peyton is ready to risk her heart?

Malik learned long ago that love makes people do crazy things. Smart, kind and drop-dead sexy, Peyton deserves someone who can open himself to her completely - something Malik's not sure he can do. But the only thing more difficult than confronting the ghosts of the past would be walking away from something so true, so hot and so irresistible..