A party gone wrong. A dangerous attraction. And a game of pretend. But is it really?

Lilian
It was just one night, one impulsive choice. But now he’s in my life, and hiding is no longer an option.

Sebastian
Maybe it was the raw pain in her voice that made me stop. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for a damsel in distress.

Lilian Edmunds never wanted the spotlight. She’s more comfortable with her nose in a book than in the middle of a party. But one reckless night, everything changes. Caught up in a game she didn’t want to play, she finds herself face-to-face with Sebastian Barron—campus golden boy, heartbreaker, and the one person who sees right through her walls.

Sebastian Barron doesn’t do attachments, but there’s something about Lilian that’s impossible to ignore. She’s quiet, vulnerable, and so out of place in his world of parties and shallow flirtations. But there’s fire underneath her surface, and he wants to be the one to stoke it. Especially since he knows exactly who she is.

What neither of them realizes is that their families' blood feud runs deeper than hate, and some secrets are worth destroying everything for.

Perfect for readers who crave forbidden love, possessive quarterbacks, steamy college settings with deep emotional trauma recovery, secret relationships, and dynamics that blur the lines between obsession and devotion.

The spicy college romance 'close' is the third book in the interconnected Distance series and the first part of the Duet with 'closer.' Close ends on a cliffhanger. Dual POV. Please check the content note before reading.