Shielded Hearts by Em Petrova

Her dream job comes with hidden risks—and he’s her only shot at survival.

Colt Malone doesn’t do emotions—or attachments. The elite soldier turned bodyguard prefers thesolitude of his family ranch, where the nightmares from his past can’t haunt him as much. But when a new assignment lands him in close quarters with Aspen Grace, the vibrant force of nature he’s sworn to protect, his carefully built walls start to crack.
Aspen has stared death in the face and lived to tell the tale. After beating cancer, she made a promise to herself: live boldly, love fiercely, and never look back. But when a threat from her past resurfaces, she’s forced to rely on Colt—the stoic protector who’s as infuriating as he is magnetic.
The closer danger comes, the more determinedly Colt keeps his distance, even as Aspen refuses to let him slip away. With shadows closing in and time running out, Colt must face his own demons to protect the woman who’s breathing life back into his soul.