He came back from war a different man,and doesn't feel worthy of love.She's never been more determined to prove him wrong.Cora Sanderson has loved Harlan Lockwood since she was in her teens. As a close family friend, she watched him change from a boy to a man and waved goodbye as he left for the military. After Harlan was imprisoned for several months by the enemy, Cora was there when he was released and again when he started a personal security firm. In fact, she works as his secretary and the time spent with him is a strange combination of elation and torture. If only she could do something to break through the dark cloud he's carried ever since he arrived home.Harlan Lockwood has always been duty focused, but the one bright spot in his life was Cora, his little sister's good friend. He fell in love with her right before he left home, but kept it to himself, not willing to ask her to wait for a soldier. Now that's he home for good, he feels too broken to pursue the relationship he always wanted. His time as a prisoner changed him in ways that no woman should ever have to deal with and Harlan is determined to keep Cora from experiencing his nightmares.When Cora witnesses a murder, Harlan is the only one who can protect her and together they go into hiding. Now that it's just the two of them, Cora is dead set on helping Harlan see that he doesn't have to go through life alone. Can she break through his barriers to the wounded heart underneath? Or will he continue to push her away, too focused on protecting her to let her in?