Protecting Emma: Forced Proximity Opposites Attract Romance

Emma Hayes crashes into my world like a wrecking ball— bruised, beautiful, and running for her life.

I am Ryder Black. Ex-SEAL. Outlaw biker. Not the hero anyone asks for.
Now, we’re stuck on top of each other in this cramped, lonely apartment above my grease-stained garage.

She’s sweet and stubborn, all sunshine and scars.
I am all darkness and silence, the danger parents whisper about.
She flinches at shadows, but never bows.
I catch myself wishing I could be her safe place.

I see her trying to heal, see her spark when I push too close.
She’s fire in my fists, honey in my veins.
Enemies close in.
My old instincts snap to life.
Bad men want her.
I want to destroy them.

Steel meets softness in these four walls.
Lines blur. Hearts pound.
The real fight is for trust—hers, mine, ours.

This time, I’m not walking away.
This time, I am the shield.
Ashes turn to embers.
We burn.
And nobody will tear us apart.