Thirsty Thursdays — J.L. Brannick

The agreement is simple. He needs a fake girlfriend, and I need a safe place to stay.

But life is rarely simple. And living with the hot, growly Canadian hockey player who calls me his sweet little casserole in French is anything but safe.

When my father turns his rage on my little girl, I need to escape. But I'm broke, beaten down, and out of options. So when my best friend asks me to be Titus's live-in fake girlfriend, I seize the crazy offer.

Titus, a.k.a. the Spartan, must convince a judge that he can provide an appropriate family environment for his toddler, and we get to stay in his sunny Palm Springs home and pretend to be a family. It's the perfect arrangement -- as long as we don't end up in a Canadian jail.

But nothing goes according to plan. My quiet daughter starts to adore him, and we can't seem to control the explosive heat between us.

Could getting involved with Titus jeopardize his son's safety, and is running the only way to protect the people I love?