They both want what they can't have--each other. Blackie Scarpacchio has had hard lessons kicked in him from birth, leaving him cynical and afraid to trust in love. Lori Gordon has loved Blackie all her life. After one stolen night together, he'd torn her soul in two when he admitted their relationship was based on vows he'd made to her father. Five years later, she's come home to discover that absence has made her heart grow fonder. Blackie doesn't know how to deal with his own unresolved feelings. But when Lori starts receiving threats, his protectiveness thrusts him into constant contact...and reborn needs.