When Olivia Mason catches her fiance cheating, her life gets turned upside down. With no family and no real place to call home, she heads south for a fresh start in Charleston, South Carolina. Determined to gain her own independence and protect her heart, the last thing she needs is a sexy, tattoo-covered guy to cross her path and test her resolve. Just as she's beginning to put her life back together, she uncovers a piece of her past that shakes up everything.Dex Porter has his own demons. A former Marine, he's haunted by the past and uses whiskey, women and fighting to drown the pain and guilt that consume him. When Olivia arrives in town, he finds himself drawn to her immediately and is surprised by his desire to get to know her. She's unlike anyone he's ever met but he knows he can't get close to her without exposing the part of himself that he keeps hidden.As Dex and Olivia strike up a friendship and fight their attraction to one another, they begin to chip away each other's walls and help each other heal. However, the past is never far behind and they soon learn that no matter how fast they run, it will always catch up with them.