Melting Point

"The Harlots gave me a place in the world."
32-year-old Denali 'Everest' Bernard has never had it easy. Raised in the gritty streets of Chicago by an abusive father and a powerless mother who disdained her, Denali saw the military as her escape. That dream was shattered into a million tiny pieces when an act of self-defense led to a dishonorable discharge and a decade behind bars. When she's released, Denali finds herself adrift. On the edge of society, the Prez of Memphis's Royal Harlots gives a home. With a new family, she quickly rises through the ranks as their treasurer.

"I write about happily ever afters, but it seems like I'm not destined to have one."
26-year-old Estelle Pratt-Milton thinks she has it all. Raised by a loving mother and stellar stepfather, she used her love of writing to launch a lucrative career in the erotic romantasy genre, creating worlds where love conquers all. Her family is a tight-knit unit, and Aydin, her fiancé, treats her like a queen. At least, he did, before the secrets she didn't know Aydin harbored started coming to light, threatening to unravel everything she holds dear.

Little does he know Estelle has secrets of her own.

Denali and Estelle's worlds collided as children, before life saw them lose contact. Years later, they reconnect at a bar, leading to a night of passion. They go their separate ways, but the strings of fate keep pulling them back to one another, throwing both of their lives out of orbit. The bubbly author easily breaks down Denali's perfectly crafted walls, proving to be her melting point as the two start an affair. The fixation that forms is far from logical and further complicated by Estelle's engagement to an enemy of the Royal Harlots.

Denali's solution? To kill two birds with one stone and hold Estelle hostage, duh.