He's the one man who could ruin her future. She's the one temptation he can't resist. In the quiet, gossiping corners of small town Grantford, Pennsylvania, secrets are hard to keep and even harder to survive. Rose Winward has fought for every inch of her education. Between two jobs and a hard-earned scholarship at Darwin State, she's months away from the finish line. She has a plan, and it doesn't include distractions―especially not the gorgeous, silver-tongued professor standing at the front of her lecture hall who's twelve years older than her. Professor Roman Whitlock is everything he shouldn't be: dominant, alluring, and completely off-limits. As the heir to the university's biggest donors, Roman is used to the rules not being for him. But even he knows that Rose is a line he shouldn't cross―not when a single scandal could rock the town and destroy her future. From the moment their eyes meet, the air sparks with a dangerous hunger. One touch could cost Rose her scholarship. One reckless night could cost Roman his career. But in a town where everyone is watching, the "wrong" choice has never felt so right. In this game of forbidden desire, are they willing to risk everything for a love that could burn them both?