Jude's protective dominance offers Odessa the stability she secretly craves for her niece, yet their marriage of convenience requires endless proximity over scattered petitions. Every hour spent building the case turns strategy into something closer to raw possession. That could ruin their bid.

Every shared night in the apartment blurs the lines further, his steady command clashing with her hesitant warmth until surrender feels inevitable. His old wound of betrayal and her denial of attachment make each moment more charged. The threat of their rival seizing custody hangs heavy, but the hunger to breed a real family together grows harder to deny with each passing day. Will they secure guardianship before their forbidden connection exposes them all?