Never date your (sexy as hell) next door neighbor. File that under great advice—not taken. Especially if he’s hot. And witty. And successful. Did I mention hot? Never mind. The point’s the same. I moved to Wildrose Landing because my life was a structure fire burning down around me. They say a phoenix rises from the ashes, new. I crossed my fingers and took a leap of faith, hoping that proved true. After a certain ex who shall not be named, did something so…unspeakable, the absolute last thing I'm looking for is love. I don't have the energy for complications. I need time to heal. To rebuild. Alexander Prescott stumbles into my life and doesn't care about any of that. He offers me a dream job without so much as asking for my resume...which I take without thinking. (Hey, a girl’s gotta eat.) Besides, saying yes to new experiences is the kind of thing you do when you’re rising from the ashes and redefining yourself as fearless. And Alexander Prescott is the walking definition of new experience. From his dark curls and whiskey eyes to the spark of chemistry I fight like hell to ignore. He’s a bestselling author. An icon in his own time. But he says he’s in over his head and swears I’m the only one who can help. I know there’s something he isn’t telling me but that’s okay, there’s something I’m not telling him.

I'm structure. She's chaos. I'm practicality. She's spontaneity. She's off-limits. Nothing, and I mean nothing, will happen between us. Jack Cooper’s a devoted single dad, just trying to make it through the morning without burning breakfast. His life is all about lists and rules and boundaries. Meanwhile, I’m a shameless free spirit looking for signs from the universe. And Jack? He's my sign all right…and he's flippin’ hot. Like total package, scream-his-name-while-biting-a-pillow hot. But he's sworn off dating. And we're total opposites. The last thing I want is to further complicate his life. So what if I melt a little every time he smiles? Who cares if I have a thing for dark hair and blue eyes that caress my body when he looks at me? All right, so I can’t stop fantasizing about the guy and completely adore his kids. It's not like that should stop me from trying to help the guy out...right?

I thought the proposal was a joke at first. You would too, given the circumstances. Anyone would. When my brother’s best friend asks me to marry him—right after we fell into bed together!—it’s not for love. And it’s certainly not because he has his eyes set on a happily ever after. Oh no. He wants me to be the future Mrs. Malone because he’s in a bind and “kind of needs a wife.” But I’ve been head-over-heels, stupid-in-the-brain in love with the guy since I was sixteen. SIXTEEN. While he’s talking about a business proposal, I’m staring at a dream come true. Obviously, I should walk away from this crazy idea with my head held high, but when it comes to Jude, I’m weak. I always have been. Plus, after our drunken rendezvous the night of my brother’s wedding, I’ve got some very real reasons to say yes. I can get through this with my heart intact…can’t I?