Emma V. Leech

He is building a grand hotel. She is determined to bring him to heel. Neither expects to lose their heart in the process.
Lady Henrietta is accustomed to admiration. Beautiful, high-born, and impossible to ignore, she has always known how to command a room - until one infuriating gentleman-architect refuses to be charmed.
Gideon Bramwell has no time for flirtation, society games, or dukes’ daughters with sparkling smiles and dangerous eyes. He is in Little Valentine for one purpose only: to build the magnificent Grand Hotel that will secure his future. But when Hetty inserts herself into the project at every turn, their clashes ignite into something far more perilous than irritation.
Because beneath Gideon’s cold composure lies a secret that has ruled his life for years - one that has convinced him he must never marry, never love, and never risk ruining an innocent woman’s life.
Yet the more Hetty sees of the man behind the restraint, the less willing she is to let him hide from happiness. And when scandal, sabotage, and family shadows threaten everything Gideon has worked for, Hetty must decide whether her heart is worth the risk… and Gideon must choose whether love is a weakness - or the one thing strong enough to build a future upon.