Sophie Jones doesn’t like me.
And the feeling? Very mutual.
I haven’t forgotten how her father played my dad—and sent him to an early grave.
Now his daughter’s sitting pretty on his empire… and smack in the middle of a danger zone.
When my little sister begged me to protect her best friend, I should’ve said no.
But I didn’t.
Because I’m still Eric Bennett.
Still the guy who used to run into burning buildings.
Still the guy who can’t ignore someone in trouble.
They might call me the hottest hometown-hero billionaire ex-firefighter…
… but all I care about is my eight-year-old daughter.
To make it work, we fake a marriage.
For the cameras. For the lawyers. For the secrets no one talks about.
I try to stick to scowls and grumpy one-liners.
But Sophie? She’s chaos in bare feet, wild strawberry-blonde curls streaked with caramel and gold—trouble.
And a voice that whispers “Goodnight, husband” like she means it.
Then her innocence wrecked my rules.
I tell myself she’s off-limits. That I hate her.
But hating her was easier when she wasn’t in my bed…
This was supposed to be fake.
But the longer she stays…
… the more I want to ruin her.
And now? I’m not sure what’s fake anymore.
