If Conrad isn't good enough to be a principal dancer, at least he makes a stellar teacher, stern with the kids coming through his studio, but chatty with anyone else who stands still too long.

Dusty likes the quiet spaces between words. Since a brutal beating as a teenager, he's content to go unnoticed, reconciled to his broken brain and a dance career lost before it ever began. Cleaning Conrad's studio is perfect for a guy who doesn't want to be the center of anything.

Convinced if Dusty comes out from the shadows, he'll shine, Conrad can't seem to leave him to his simple work—or stop talking. Because Dusty not only hears him, he also listens. It's been a long time since anyone listened.

Far from being annoyed, Dusty is drawn to the man hidden behind Conrad's babble. But Conrad has the life Dusty never got to have, and wanting someone from that world could shatter him all over again.