I barely knew Jake Cavendish in high school. He was two years ahead of me?the golden boy everyone knew was destined to leave our small town of Empire behind. And he did.

So when we cross paths years later at a glamorous black-tie gala in Toronto, I'm not surprised he doesn't recognize me. What does catch me off guard is the undeniable spark between us. One unforgettable night feels like the perfect escape. After all, our families have been feuding for generations, and there's no future for us. Better to leave it as one perfect memory than risk getting hurt.

Then Jake returns to Empire to settle his father's estate.

Suddenly, staying away from each other is impossible. Every stolen moment makes the attraction harder to resist, and our secret affair only raises the stakes. I'm committed to preserving my family's vineyard, while Jake is chasing a partnership at one of Toronto's top firms. Our lives are pulling us in opposite directions, and neither of us is looking for forever.

But somewhere between the laughter, the late-night conversations, and the stolen kisses, this stopped being just a fling.

Falling for the enemy was never part of the plan. Yet the more I get to know Jake, the more I wonder if everything I believed about our families?and about him?has been wrong. The only question is whether we're willing to risk everything for a love neither of us saw coming.