Have you ever fake dated your bodyguard? I highly recommend it.

Especially if he's anything like Erik Wilder: former football player, world class know-it-all and unrepentant grump.

Trust me, I know how that sounds. Despite all that, this man ticks every single box I want ... ticked.

From the outside, I get why we wouldn't make any sense. 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. We're not oil and water-more like Erik is the fire and I'm a can of gasoline he wants at a safe distance.

All it takes is one touch, and I want all the heat he can give me. And I'm not the only one holding a match, even if he won't admit it.

Erik's words might say that the lines have to stay firm between us, but those dark eyes of his? They tell another story when he looks at me.

When our fake dating plan starts to heat up, it's only a matter of time before that line between us is reduced to ash. I just have to hope my heart doesn't burn right along with it.