Just when I'd almost given up hope, I found her again – the woman who haunted my dreams. This time, I'd keep her close, keep her safe. Keep her, period. No matter who wanted to take her away.

Grace Mathews had haunted my dreams for what felt like forever. She wasn't the one who got away, she was the one who had never been. She'd never been mine, never been anything more than just a sweet, shy co-worker, even though I'd wanted her to be so much more. She vanished from my life the same way she'd entered it – like a sudden flash of light, here one minute, gone the next.

But fate has a way of circling back. One ordinary day, in a place I'd never expected, there she was.

When I discovered the truth behind her sudden disappearance, I promised to help her. And when trouble found her again, I married her, vowing to have and to hold her, to watch over her and keep her safe.

It was supposed to be temporary, a ruse to convince the man who pursued Grace that she was out of reach. But it wasn't long before the lines between fake and real began to blur and I wondered how I'd ever let her go.

I was looking for our happily ever after, only Grace's past wasn't done with her. Not by a long shot.

But I'd made a promise to Grace, a vow to protect her. And I was determined to keep my word, no matter what it cost.

Holding Grace is book one in Kristyn DeMaster's new Blueprint for Love contemporary romance series. It's a fake relationship, protector, found family, he falls first romance with plenty of steam, no cheating, no third act breakup, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Note: Holding Grace is a spin-off from Kristyn DeMaster's popular Brothers Pub series. Though several characters from that series make an appearance in this story, Holding Grace can be fully enjoyed as a stand-alone.