Winston Hills

Dr. Layanna James has mastered the art of healing broken hearts—except her own. At forty, she's one of the world's top cardiothoracic surgeons, but the sudden loss of her husband Angel has left her emotionally hollow and clinging to the routine of a life that no longer fits. Caleb Black knows grief intimately. A retired pro athlete, he once dreamed of traveling the world with his wife, Maria—until illness stole her from him far too soon. Now grounded in Winston Hills, he finds unexpected solace in the one woman who truly understands his pain: Layanna, his late best friend's wife.

Ajaih Jeffries is a 42-year-old Air Force veteran with battle scars you can't always see. After years of unraveling generational pain and rediscovering her voice, she's found refuge and pleasure in the arms of a loving, affirming polycule. But when a deeply buried trauma resurfaces, Ajaih finds herself in the emergency room, breathless and spiraling… until she locks eyes with the nurse who helps steady her world with nothing more than a quiet touch and a look that lingers.

As CEO Calla Black by day and the masked dominatrix known only as The Black Dahlia by night, I built a life that kept everyone at a distance. Control kept me safe. Rules kept me steady. And then James Carter Jr. walked into my world with his slow Southern charm and a hunger that matched the darkness I thought I had buried. I could handle him. I convinced myself I could. What I never expected was her.