In Wicked Chains — Avril Ashton

Everyone has secrets. Some people simply bury theirs deeper. Kingston Hughes is one of those. Painful childhood memories plague him, sending him spinning out of control and running from any kind of commitment. He pretends not to feel the pain and loneliness while indulging in sexual encounters with nameless, faceless women.

With the twist of a doorknob, his carefully cultivated façade is shaken by the woman he'd forbidden himself to need.

The daughter of a recently slain mobster, Elina Vicente has secrets, too. They weigh her down, stealing her strength and her dreams. She's developed an unhealthy crush on Kingston though he's never looked at her as anything but his sister's quiet friend. When she walks in on him in a compromising embrace, Elina seizes the chance to move Kingston from her dreams and into her arms.

For only the second time in her life, Elina takes something just for her, but try as she and Kingston might, they can't prevent their pasts from intruding. Shadows of pain and bitterness rise with a vengeance and the lovers will have to decide whether to break free or remain bound…In Wicked Chains.