Sweet Tea & Steel

Ronan Banks is seen as an internet heartthrob. "The fine police chief," which he hates and secretly enjoys, is protective by nature, cautious with his heart, and has that Southern gentleman restraint. Beneath his polished image is a man weary of a system that breaks more than it protects. Dr. Nia Price is a brilliant civil rights historian and activist. She doesn't trust men like Ronan and isn't impressed by optics. She definitely didn't expect to crave one. Despite always being labeled strong, she has a softness she doesn't often show, including a love for poetry and sweet tea. After a protest turns violent, Ronan finds himself stripped of authority as the National Guard takes control. When they're detained together inside the makeshift holding area, he meets Nia. One night of forced proximity allows them to grow closer as they share memories of the South, its beauty, and brutality. Outside, as life resumes, Nia finds herself on a federal watchlist, and Ronan must choose: his oath to the system, or his heart's pull toward a woman who's teaching him what real freedom looks like.