AJ woke screaming Jackie's name. The damp sheet covering his body was torn in half, the frayed edges still held captive in his clenched fists. Details of his dream had already faded, but the pain it conjured still remained. He had just watched the woman his heart couldn't live without walk out of his life... again.After thirteen years of peace his psyche had decided it was time to relive the agony he had tried so hard to forget, and his self-inflicted penance couldn't have come at a worse time. His boss had accused him of embezzlement. The board's investigation had uncovered evidence to support the allegation and left AJ with nothing but his word. Even his alibi had put him at the scene of the crime with Samantha, the woman who had been named as his accomplice. The only thing he hadn't had to deal with were the authorities, and he knew it was only a matter of time before they were involved. So despite Samantha's objectionable reputation, AJ had agreed to work with her to clear their names.Almost from the start he had realized the rumors about her character were as fictitious as the charges against him, and the extraordinary woman he had come to know had managed to rekindle the part of his soul he thought had been lost forever. But allowing Samantha to penetrate the wall around his heart had pushed the dreams of Jackie to an unbearable level.In a desperate attempt to end the torment, AJ has confronted his past and discovered a diabolical deception so scandalous his world has been left in ruins. Will he find the strength to rebuild his life or has the past finally destroyed him?