The Heirloom Protocol

He restores broken history for a living. But he'll break every rule to keep her. Elias Thorne is a master of architectural restoration, hiding his scarred past behind long sleeves and iron-clad emotional walls. He doesn't do messy, he doesn't do unpredictable, and he absolutely detests intruders. Then Maya Lin storms into his cursed ruin of a manor. She's a brilliant antique appraiser with a micro-pig named Truffle, a missing past she's desperate to uncover, and a stubborn refusal to be intimidated by his growls. When a sudden storm isolates them within the decaying stone walls of Blackwood Manor, Elias is forced to share his space with a woman who threatens his carefully constructed sanity. An unyielding line drawn on the dusty floor was supposed to keep them apart. But every accidental touch, every shared night by the fireplace, and the scent of cedar and rain begin to blur the boundaries. When a ruthless conspiracy threatens Maya's safety and the truth behind Elias's family scandal comes to light, the grumpy master artisan must choose: stay hidden in his beautiful ruins, or burn the whole world down to save the woman who showed him that his scars were never ugly. The Heirloom Protocol is a full-length, standalone contemporary romance featuring a brooding, touch-averse hero, a sunshine researcher heroine, a high-IQ micro-pig, and scorching-hot open-door steam. No cliffhangers, no cheating, and a guaranteed Happily Ever After.