The first time I saw Major Cade Jameson, his pants were around his ankles...Every line of hard-earned muscle beckoned me to "squeeze here." But I'm getting ahead myself. To tell this story right, I'll have to start with the present, not the past. I owe Cade a debt. A life for a life. My name is Brecklyn Brannon, and I'm not who I claim to be.

My heart opens to Cooper Haywood the moment we meet. How can it resist? He's charming, devastatingly handsome, and sweeps me off my feet before I realize the impact he's making. And then it's too late. We fall too fast to worry about the consequences. We love so hard that we ache when we're apart. Even though I have a past that still haunts me and he has a future that could put us at risk, none of that matters when we're together. Until it does. And then everything changes.

What happens when you strike a deal with baseball's most talented pitcher? You slip a plastic ring on his finger and say, "I do." Quirky meets broody in this laugh-out-loud, romantic comedy from best-selling author, Kristy Marie. The tattoo down his forearm reads: My power is perfected in weakness. It inspires bad decisions in everyone who crosses his path. Not me though, I’ve made worse decisions before breakfast. Marrying baseball phenom Cooper Lexington for his health insurance...doesn’t even rank top five.

No kissing. No cuddling. No blah, blah, blah. He wrote the rules onto our skin - every ink stroke tragically smeared by the lines we’d crossed. He claimed it was the only way we could be together - the only way we wouldn’t destroy our families. But there was an exception to his rules - one he never saw coming. All I needed was opportunity and a sunburn. The girl who played by his rules is gone. This girl...is not his “friend”.

In my defense, he was wet - and shirtless - and had this really cute birthmark that looked like someone had kissed his ridiculously defined hip bone. I got sidetracked, okay? It was an accident. Especially when I kissed him so hard my wig shifted sideways, and he realized I was someone else - someone like his enemy. Awkward, right? So imagine my surprise when Sebastian shows up at my door months later with clenched fists, demanding I pretend to be his girlfriend so he can win a million dollars.

A brilliant surgeon. A master sculptor. The media touted Dr. Potter as a savior dressed in a crisp suit. I think he’s a vicious madman of jerk-sized proportions. But fate is a wicked tease. Only Dr. Potter can give me what I need. A fresh start. A new identity. But he refused, leaving me to take matters into my own hands by accepting a job as his partner’s new secretary. Dr. Potter can’t turn down my case forever. Or at least I thought so until I uncovered Dr. Potter’s secret. A secret, which came with a venomous warning...one that destroyed everything.

I knocked up my best friend's sister. Let's start with how she decided to inform me and Pacey the news...together. Imagine that nightmare. I was going into what I thought was a hockey marketing meeting, and then bam! I'm going to be a dad and my best friend/teammate is attempting to imprint my face with his fist. Threats were tossed around, friendships were revoked, and then I was marched up to her apartment, suitcases in hand, and forced to live with her so I could take care of her every need. Now I'm finding it harder and harder not to fall for my best friend's little sister.

He's a billionaire heir. A grump supreme. Hater of people. Bigger hater of peopling with people. And my new fake boyfriend. "Emotionally unavailable" doesn’t even begin to describe Hayes Rutherford. He has more defenses than a nuclear missile silo. And he’s the ultimate catch of the century. At least, according to his bank statement. My job’s simple: Keep all interested ladies away from the walled-off heir, by pretending to be his one true love. But you know what they say about fake-dating a billionaire: It’s all fun and games, until the scandals start.

I moved to Chicago six months ago, determined to finally open my own bakery. My landlady was this sweet woman who treated me like her granddaughter. Then she sold the house. Now the devil himself is my landlord and neighbor, since I live in the guesthouse on his property. Declan Maxwell is moody, unreasonable, and takes himself far too seriously. Unfortunately for me, he’s also damn sexy. Then one day I come home injured from work and he surprises me by taking care of me. And kissing me. And just like that, all my best intentions go up in smoke.

Have you ever fake dated your bodyguard? I don't recommend it. Especially if he's anything like Erik Wilder: Former football player, world class know-it-all and unapologetic grump. To be clear, I didn't want a bodyguard (hence the fake dating idea). Most days, I can’t figure out why he wants the job either. We drive each other insane, probably because we’re as opposite as two people can be. He’s suspicious, never talks about his past and has the comfort skills of a cactus. I’m a happily-ever-after kind of girl who knows exactly what she wants out of life.

The last person on earth I want to be stranded with is Gianni Lupo. But, thanks to the blizzard of the century, I’m trapped in a roadside motel room with that cocky bastard for two straight days, and with one small bed. Some women might thank Mother Nature for delivering a polar vortex that maroons them with six feet of solid muscle, those deep blue eyes, that sexy grin - but not me. I’ve known Gianni Lupo all my life, and he’s never brought me anything but bad luck, and trouble. I should have known what the disastrous end result would be.

I was never supposed to see him again. Him being the man wearing the perfectly tailored suit, who oozed an intoxicating mixture of wealth, rebellion, and sex appeal. One night. No strings. No names. Still riding the high from last night, I walk in to meet my new client, and he’s wearing that same dangerous smirk. Yes, I’m consulting for Callahan Sharpe. That Callahan Sharpe. Billionaire heir who abides by no rules, bucks convention, and is determined to complete one final project to honor his late father’s legacy. Luckily, and unluckily for me, I’m tasked to help.

I would say Dr. Cruz Costello is my archenemy. But that would require acknowledging one another, which we haven’t done in more than a decade. He’s the town’s golden child. The beloved quarterback-turned-physician. I’m the girl who got knocked up at 16 and now works at a diner. He is Fairhope royalty. I get my monarch dose from tabloid gossip. He’s well-off. I’m...well, off. When our siblings get engaged, Cruz’s parents invite both families to a pre-wedding cruise. Except Cruz and I find ourselves stuck on a different ship from everyone else.

Please leave your message at the sound of the beep.... Penelope, I know that it’s three o’clock in the morning, but I need to get this off my chest. I can’t give you any more advice on landing this other guy, can’t tell you another “sexy” thing that you should do, or suggest a new set of filthy words that you should text him late at night. As your best friend, I’ve reached my limit, and I can honestly say that he doesn’t deserve you. I’m not saying all of this because I’m f--king jealous, or because he had the audacity to say that he makes more money than me.

I have a type. I love the good guy. Responsible and stable. Safe. So when a beer-drinking, quick-witted, tattooed hockey player asks me to tutor him, I'm suddenly thrust into the world of bad boys and bad decisions. Jordan is a renowned player on campus. He doesn’t take anything seriously, except hockey and partying. But he gives me butterflies. I’m a wallflower tutoring Valley University’s hottest player.