Acts of Atonement

Book excerpt: Unattainable. That’s what he is. Thirteen years my senior, my uncle’s best friend, and my father’s business partner. The man could not be any more untouchable if he lived on the moon itself. William Hawthorne has haunted my dreams for the better part of my teenage years. Coming in like a dark knight on the most tragic of days, he swooped in and quietly guided me back to sanity, offering me the support I so desperately needed. I've kept my distance, but a series of events have landed me on his doorstep. Literally. I’m both the nanny and his charge, making it practically impossible to stay away. Trying to swallow around a ball of emotions, my breath catches. Letting William see me, the real me—all battered and broken inside, pining after a love I cannot have—is not an option. As the front door swings open I give myself one last warning. But I have to wonder, will it be enough?