Washington Wolves

My new neighbor is a complete jerk. A tall, brooding, tattooed jerk. I tried to be nice, bake some cupcakes for him and his adorable daughter, and the only reaction I could come up with to his ice-cold reception was to shove those pink cupcakes right into his muscular chest. In my defense, it was a rough week. Being back in Seattle for the first time in years was hard enough, the fact that I was there for the dispersal of my father's will made it even harder. I had no intention of staying, until I got a football stadium-sized surprise as my dad's final gift to me. No ... really. He left me a football team. It's how I found myself in a conference room, staring down the veteran quarterback who wants nothing to do with a new owner. And that quarterback? It's my tall, brooding, tattooed jerk of a neighbor. Now he's everywhere. Next door with his daughter. In meetings. Don't even get me started on away games. Luke Pierson is under my skin, and pretty soon, I'm not sure I want it any other way.

Have you ever had that one guy that you shouldn't have had such a crush on, but still did? Matthew Hawkins was that man for me. First, he was off-limits, and second, I was just a gangly teenager the last time he saw me. But a lot can change in ten years. As one of the best defensive players in the league, he just came out of retirement to sign with the team that I work for. And as the publicist for the Washington Wolves, he's so good, it makes my job easy peasy. In the years since I've seen Matthew, he's bigger, better looking, and best of all-completely single. And despite our strange history, the attraction between us definitely isn't one-sided anymore. The chemistry between us is complicated-and hot. Hot enough to burn down the entire city of Seattle, which is why keeping it a secret from the press-and my family-is the only way we can be together. But the truth always comes out. And when it does, there's no predicting the ending.

Logan Ward drives me just a little crazy. It's the only reason I can explain how I ended up fake-married to him. He's got those dark eyes and broody stares, totally unflappable, which is a good trait in a star defensive football player. Maybe it's because I don't always think things through, or because he does drive me crazy, but when I find out he needs a wife to keep custody of his four younger sisters, I have no problem volunteering for the job. I have my own reasons for needing a husband, and striking a mutually beneficial bargain with Logan is the perfect solution. Plus, it can't be that hard to wrangle four young girls and a big grumpy football playing husband, right? Wrong. Our simple solution creates a whole new problem. Logan and I aren't as different as we thought. My reluctant groom has fire inside him, and I can't wait to light the match.