Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills delivers an emotional he-falls-first sports romance with swoon-worthy scenes, big-time stakes, and a quarterback who refuses to lose the one thing that means more than the game.

Annalise Stephens seems to have it all—teaching literature at Vanderbilt, building her dream career. But beneath the surface hides a devastating secret that’s tearing her life apart.

On her worst day, she breaks all her rules and kisses a stranger she met in an elevator. Why not? She’ll never see him again—until she attends a party for NFL athletes and comes face-to-face with Theo Hughes, golden boy quarterback for the Nashville Tigers. The spark from the elevator ignites, and when Theo offers her a cat-sitting job, Annalise accepts despite a messy breakup and a future she can’t count on.

Theo is fighting a PR nightmare that threatens the career he’s given everything to. But he can’t resist the brilliant, funny woman who keeps pushing him away. He wants to know everything about her, even the parts that could destroy them both.

Annalise falls knowing she might have to leave. Theo wants forever, and he’s not letting go. But the truth is catching up to her, and she’s running out of time to decide: protect the man she loves from what’s coming, or trust him to stay and fight when everything falls apart.