My entire life I've been blinded by distrust, forever damaged by the selfish choices of those meant to choose me first.
Finding my father at the bottom of a bottle while my mother sneaked around with another man obliterated all my foolish ideals and hopes for a happy family.
Twenty years later, my mother's betrayal still smarts against my skin, preventing me from forming any real connections. The steel walls around my heart are reinforced when my son is abandoned at birth by his own mother, my distrust in women cementing.
It's only fitting that I remain in Lost Hope, a small town in the heart of snowy mountains and lush green forests.
I'm as hopeless as the town's name until an unexpected Thanksgiving dinner ends with HER in the close-confines of my car.
Quiet, reserved, and impossibly beautiful, she puts a spell on me.
My reputation doesn't repel her, and all my efforts to keep my distance evaporate when I see her flirting with another man. Between my deep-rooted obsession and her innocent curiosity, we strike a deal. A one-night deal that ends with the sunrise.
Except... one taste is not enough. My instincts to run away fade into nothingness with every stolen glance and possessive touch. Her lips are forbidden to me, yet all I think about.
I may wear a badge, but I'm no wallflower's knight in shining armor.
Can I shake my obsession with her before I inevitably destroy the wallflower of Lost Hope, or will I become a self-fulfilled prophecy and lose the last shred of goodwill I have left in town?
Atramentum et Telum Pulvis is the third book in the Lost Hope series of interconnected standalone novels. It's a single dad romance with a pinch of suspense, complete with HEA, and a cliffhanger introducing book four of the series. This book is intended for readers 18+, with explicit scenes, mature language, touching on sensitive topics, and more.
