If You Were Mine

Dorian's last words to his best friend were "I trust him." Then everything went dark, and Dorian nearly lost his life. The friend's younger sister, Harper, lost even more. Dorian promised to look after her.

Now he is back in a small town he cannot leave, and Harper is always within reach. She is younger than he is, bright where he is bleak, and he wants her anyway. He would rather shut himself away in his cabin, restoring what was once lost, but Harper will not let him.

Dorian already keeps more secrets than his family knows about, and his feelings for Harper are one more he doubts he can hold back. She sees past his scars and his anger. He suspects she hides her own wounds just as carefully.

One kiss closes off any return to how things were, even if it breaks the trust Dorian was given. The small town romance carries an age gap, a best friend's little sister and a brooding, damaged hero. It reads as a standalone and promises a happy ending.