Tessa is a good girl with a sweet, reliable boyfriend back home. She's got direc- tion, ambition, and a mother who's intent on keeping her that way. But she's barely moved into her freshman dorm when she runs into Hardin. With his tousled brown hair, cocky British accent, tattoos, and lip ring, Hardin is cute and different from what she's used to. But he's also rude--to the point of cruelty, even. For all his attitude, Tessa should hate Hardin. And she does-until she finds herself alone with him in his room. Something about his dark mood grabs her, and when they kiss, it ignites within her a passion she's never known before. He'll call her beautiful, then insist he isn't the one for her and disappear without a word. Despite the reckless way he treats her, Tessa is compelled to dig deeper and find the real Hardin beneath all his lies. He pushes her away again and again, yet every time she pushes back, he only pulls her in deeper. Tessa already has the perfect boyfriend. So why is she trying so hard to overcome her owen hurt pride and Hardin's prejudice about nice girls like her?