Virginia State assemblywoman Vaughn Hamilton is only a heartbeat away from her lifelong dream of winning a coveted congressional seat. Yet few know the desperate secret that has haunted her for so many years…a secret that her powerful family will do anything to keep hidden forever.When Vaughn meets business tycoon Justin Montgomery at a Washington D.C., fundraiser, the desire that flares between them soon sweeps her into a passionate and reckless love affair. But the liaison ends abruptly when Justin decides to run against her in the election. Shattered by his betrayal, Vaughn vows never to let a man into her life…and her heart…again. What she doesn't know is that Justin unwittingly holds the key to her past, and to the love that binds them together….