Touch — Sarah White

Leah's dreams of a happy ever after with her college boyfriend came crashing down when he left her to pursue his graduate studies on the other side of the state, far away from the school she has chosen. She moves into her new apartment alone, still holding on to the hope that he will realize his mistake and come back to her. She may have a broken heart, but she still believes in love that lasts. Noah, Leah's new neighbor, has spent the last three years studying the dissolution of couples for his doctoral thesis. He learned firsthand that love doesn't always work out, and hopes to prove that touch is a predictor of success in relationships: when couples stop touching, they also stop loving. So far, his data supports his theory that it's better to have a few nights of fun than to try to capture forever. When one of Noah's assistants drops out of his dissertation project, Leah agrees to fill in. She and Noah do their best to ignore their growing attraction -- after all, she doesn't do casual sex and he doesn't do long-term relationships -- but when a flood in Leah's apartment puts them under the same roof for several weeks, they find it harder and harder to resist the physical connection they crave. Will the clinical evidence from Noah's study convince Leah to stop believing in fairytale endings or will Noah come around to the idea that love is worth taking a chance? Can the two of them beat the odds and build a foundation for forever with each tender touch?