Do you see this ring on my finger? A grouchy mafia hitman put it there, and I barely know him. If you think that sounds wild, wait until you hear the rest of the story…

Everyone knows Carmine "Cale" Connelly is the second in command to his terrifying uncle, head of the Amato crime family. A decade older and formerly my brother's best friend, Cale has always been a man to steer clear of. The fact that he's a towering monument of muscled sin and piercing eyes is irrelevant.

Anyway, I haven't seen much of Cale in years. He's practically a stranger at this point. I had no reason to change that.

All I cared about was finding a way to save my beloved animal sanctuary. This wasn't easy, especially when my family and I were barely on speaking terms after I ditched wedding plans to the horrid son of my father's business partner.

When Cale suggested we could help each other, I thought he was kidding. But Cale was looking for a way out of a marriage arrangement. Meanwhile, I needed enough cash to save my rescue ranch. All we had to do was tie the knot, convince everyone that we're in love, and hope that Cale's mafia boss uncle doesn't catch on.

Just a few simple lies, right?

But something happened while we were pretending. Our arguments turned flirtatious. Our kisses became passionate. And Cale Connelly turned out to be far more than a fearsome enigma.

Now, this little game of make-believe we've been playing is the biggest lie of all. And I'm in way over my head...

This book can be enjoyed as a complete standalone. Tropes include: sunshine animal lover and grumpy mafia prince one-bed antics, hilarious opposites-attract banter, age gap, small-town mischief, protective hero, and "my wife..."