The deeper you dive, the sweeter the reward When college offered an escape, Lily fled her hometown of Coral Beach and never looked back. Now a marine biologist, she must return there on a job to preserve the reefs that give the town its name. But going back means dealing with her past, her family, and worst of all, Sean McDermott. As teens, while Lily passed through an especially awkward phase, Sean--attractive and self-assured--was her constant tormentor. Lily doubts that things will have changed. But Lily's awkward phase is long over . . . and though she finds that Sean still makes her blood boil, it's for very different reasons. As mayor, Sean knows how important it is to maintain the town's natural beauty--and if the return of Lily Banyon is the price he has to pay, so be it. He can overlook her cold shoulder and give back as good as he gets. What's harder to disregard is the fact that Lily has grown into a smart and beautiful woman, as passionate about saving Coral Beach as she once was about leaving it. While working closely together, it becomes obvious to Sean that if he and Lily can put the past behind them, they could have a passionate future. . . .