A decade of friendship.A pact they never expected to matter.A love that just won't stay hidden.Riley Morgan thought she had everything under control-until life handed her a promotion she's not sure she deserves, a breakup she definitely didn't want, and a family who keeps asking when she'll finally settle down. She's juggling stress with caffeine and stubborn optimism… and barely holding it together.Then Ben Carter walks back into her life.Ben has been Riley's best friend for ten years, the one person who understands her better than anyone else. He's also the guy she once made a silly college pact with:If they're single at thirty, they'll marry each other.It was only meant to be a joke.But when Riley needs a date for a family event, Ben steps in as her fake boyfriend, and suddenly everything feels dangerously real. The easy laughter, the lingering touches, the quiet comfort of being with him-it all blurs the lines between friendship and something much deeper.As secrets surface and old feelings spark to life, Riley must confront the truth:Maybe love wasn't missing from her life.Maybe it was standing beside her all along.A heartfelt, clean, friends-to-lovers romance about second chances, slow-burn chemistry, and choosing the person who feels like home.Perfect for readers who love:• clean & wholesome romance• friends-to-lovers stories• fake dating with real feelings• slow-burn emotional love stories• heartfelt, feel-good contemporary romance Clara Whitmore is a passionate storyteller who believes in the magic of second chances, heartfelt connections, and love that stands the test of time. Writing in the Clean Romance genre, Clara creates emotionally rich stories filled with warmth, nostalgia, and characters who feel like old friends. When she's not writing, she enjoys curling up with a good book, sipping coffee by the window, and finding inspiration in the quiet moments of everyday life.
