He married her to protect her. Now he'd sacrifice everything to keep her.She wanted freedom. He gave her protection. Neither expected marriage-let alone love.Layla Braithwaite was born into two worlds but claimed by neither. Hidden away, stifled by grief and an unwanted betrothal, escape felt impossible-until she accidently stowed away on a British merchant ship and met the man who would alter her fate.Philip Conrad came to Egypt to reopen trade routes. Adventure, not attachment. But when Layla falls into his path-determined, desperate, and undeniably magnetic-his quiet honor forces his hand. One scandal leads to another… and soon, he's calling her wife.Their marriage was never meant to be real. But secrets don't stay buried, and when Layla uncovers clues that her parents may have been murdered, Philip becomes the one person she can trust. Together, they plunge into danger, hunting the truth beneath layers of betrayal and lies.With each secret they uncover about her family, Layla and Philip grow closer. But will it be enough to last a lifetime? Or will the weight of those secrets bury their marriage before it truly begins? C.K. Mackenzie masquerades as a librarian by day and loves nothing more than falling down research rabbit holes. Ridiculous tidbits of (mostly useless) information? She's all about that but will never remember to answer in the form of a question.She is the author of historical romance adventures with heroines who fight for what they want and the heroes who stand proudly beside them.You can find C.K. at the beach no matter the time of year, writing in her nearly perfect office (there's no ocean view!), walking her dog, or enjoying time with family and friends. Visit C.K. online at ckmackenzie dot com and follow her on Facebook at CKMackenzieBooks and on Instagram at CKMackenzieauthor.
