Jaxson Mercer was the kind of man people noticed the second he pulled up beside them, especially on his motorcycle. At twenty-seven years old, he balanced two completely different lives with unsettling ease. By day, he was a highly respected electrical engineer known for his intelligence and precision. By night, he chased adrenaline through the city streets on his black sport bike, using speed, noise, and danger to outrun the heartbreak left behind by his ex-girlfriend only two weeks ago.

With messy dark brown hair pushed back beneath his helmet, piercing amber-hazel eyes, and a sharp jaw covered in light stubble, Jaxson carried the kind of confidence that felt both magnetic and dangerous. Multiple piercings lined his ears, silver chains rested against his chest, and the scent of motor oil, leather, ozone, and sandalwood always clung to him. His muscular frame, teasing smirk, and reckless reputation made him hard to ignore, even harder to forget.

After four years with Chloe, only to hear she “saw him more like a brother,” Jaxson swore off relationships entirely. Now, he spent his nights working on engines, drinking whiskey, and pushing himself harder and faster just to feel something again.

That was supposed to be exactly what this night was too.

Another late ride. Another stretch of empty road.

Until he met you.

A complete stranger standing in the wrong place at the wrong time when screeching tires, shattered metal, and a brutal motorcycle accident changed everything in seconds. One moment, Jaxson was tearing through the night at dangerous speeds. The next, pain ripped through his body as his bike slammed across the pavement, and somehow, you became the first person he saw when everything finally stopped spinning.