Being raised in the foster system has made Kinley Taylor feel like a lifelong outcast, but it's witnessing a young girl's last few minutes on Earth that proves just how alone she truly is. Kinley has no one to turn to, no family, no friends...except perhaps the gorgeous Delta Force soldier she met months ago. The one she ignored when he'd tried to keep in touch, convinced he couldn't really be interested in a relationship.

When Aspen Mesmer asks a complete stranger to kiss her one night in a bar, she never expects to have an immediate connection with the man. Kane “Brain” Temple knows he isn't the kind of man women look at twice, but when Aspen did just that after their explosive impulsive kiss, he's thrilled. But even as things between them get serious, someone doesn’t want either to be happy, and is willing to do whatever it takes to break them apart. 

For as long as she can remember, Ember Maxwell’s life hasn’t been her own. A world-renowned influencer, she’s a brand unto herself, created by her parents - who also want Olympic glory for their only daughter. Years of grueling training have led to Seoul, Korea, and a spot on the modern pentathlon team. It’s a turning point for Ember in more ways than one. Chafing against her parents’ tight reins, she opts to stay in the Olympic Village, a decision that leads to a gravely harrowing event...and a man unlike any she’s ever met.  

When Devyn Groves needed a place to get away, she left her Midwestern state and headed for Texas, to the town where her Delta Force brother is stationed. It was supposed to be a brief stop, a safe and temporary refuge on the way to wherever she decided to settle next. Fast-forward over a year later, and she’s made amazing friends, is working part time as a vet tech, and is no closer to leaving. But there’s always the possibility...which is why she keeps Lucky, her brother’s teammate, at arm’s length. Even though it’s the last thing she wants to do. 

Porter “Oz” Reed knows as well as anyone the damage words can do. So while he’s not looking for a relationship, he has no problem standing outside his apartment looking intimidating as his sweet neighbor finally kicks her verbally abusive ex to the curb. Just in case. But it’s Oz who’s punched in the gut when, at that precise moment, his 10-year-old nephew Logan is dropped on his doorstep.  

The loss of his Delta brothers - and his arm - has Dane "Fish" Munroe still struggling months later. He's moved to Idaho, where an isolated lifestyle is making things worse, not better. Not that there's anyone left to care. Actually, Bryn Hartwell cares. In fact, she tries to surreptitiously make life just a little easier for the mysterious man who comes into the grocery where she works late at night, only to get a tongue lashing for her trouble. Still, he's obviously hurting; someone has to worry about him, spurring Bryn to nurse Dane when he hits a particularly low point.

Ford “Truck” Laughlin and Mary Weston have weathered their share of storms over the last couple years. Truck’s job, Mary’s health. His bossiness, her bitchiness. All while dancing around their intense attraction. Mary’s tried to push him away for his own good but Truck won’t let her give up…on herself or on them. Just when she decides they deserve a fair shot, disaster strikes. Truck has wanted Mary since the moment he saw her. The prickly woman pushes all his buttons and looks beyond his scarred exterior, something few women have managed.

One minute, Casey Shea was minding her own business, doing her job, teaching entomology to college students, and the next she was in the middle of the Costa Rican jungle fighting for her life. Troy “Beatle” Lennon has watched his friends fall head over heels in love, but never thought it would happen to him. Until he sees a picture of his teammate’s sister. But that joy is currently being threatened by an unknown person who had Casey kidnapped and hidden deep in the jungle.

Aspen "Blade" Carlisle is the last of his Delta Force team to find love...and he’s pretty bummed about that fact. Which might explain why he finds himself chatting up a telemarketer as if she’s a long-lost friend. But Wendy is surprisingly easy to talk to, so when they go from occasional calls during her work, to nightly conversations on their cells, it somehow feels right. So right, Blade eventually convinces the funny, sweet woman to meet him in person.

Avery Nelson never imagined she’d find herself a hostage in Afghanistan. She isn’t the kind of woman to sit in a corner and cry, but she can’t deny it’s a welcome relief when the Navy SEAL she’s secretly been crushing on back in California suddenly appears to help her out. Cole “Rex” Kingston has saved his fair share of women over his time as a SEAL, but no mission has ever seemed as important as the one to find nurse Avery Nelson. 

Sam "Mozart" Reed's life changed the day his little sister was found abused and murdered when he was 15. He's spent the past 19 years looking for the serial killer who took his sister from him and ruined his family. Using his connections, and SEAL training, Mozart believes he's finally tracked the killer to the town of Big Bear, California. Summer Pack is working in a crappy motel up at Big Bear Lake until she can find something better, more meaningful, more real.

Graham "Hollywood" Caverly feels the chemistry with Kassie Anderson in the emails they've been exchanging through a dating site. When they finally meet in person, and that online chemistry proves to have real-life sizzle, he knows she's the one. He couldn't be happier when their first date, at an annual Army Ball, goes better than he could have imagined. Until Kassie drops a bomb. Kassie doesn't want to approach Hollywood on the dating site, but threats to her family leave her no other choice.

After her capture by rebels in the mountains of Timor-Leste, Kalee Solberg doesn’t think she’ll live to see her father, friends, or hometown again. What started as an adventure with the Peace Corps until she figured out what to do with her life has turned into a waking nightmare, every day a struggle to survive. Beaten into submission, Kalee guesses she’s been presumed dead by now. And she has been...by everyone but one man.  

Kason "Benny" Sawyer was the last single man on his Navy SEAL team. He loved his teammates like brothers and respected each and every one of their women. They'd all been through hell and they deserved their current happiness. But seeing the love between his friends and their women made it tough to be the odd man out all the time.

Living in Southern California, Cheyenne was used to seeing hot military men as she went about her daily business. An anonymous encounter at the grocery store cemented her crush on one such man. He was big, built, and incredibly easy on the eyes, but it wasn't as if he would ever really notice her. Always in control of any situation, Faulkner "Dude" Cooper knows explosives. As a bomb expert, he's lived through many high pressure situations.