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Rafferty Abrams has been having the time of his life since joining the Pittsburgh Titans, but a poorly thought out one-night stand is about to cause unwanted drama with potentially serious repercussions. As a member of the Pittsburgh Titans, I’m afforded a certain level of leniency in my behavior. The perks of being a celebrity, I suppose. But a run-in with my “one-night stand turned borderline stalker” has me crossing all sorts of lines with a beautiful but unsuspecting grocery store employee. When I surprise the complete stranger with a giant kiss and quiet plea to help a guy out, she not only plays along but gets my blood racing like I’ve never experienced before. Score one for Rafferty Abrams. Temperence Martin isn’t just the stunning girl in the international foods aisle. Tempe is also a devoted daughter taking a break from college to help her mother as she heals from a serious accident. That includes making sure her younger brother stays on track with school and keeping everything running at home. To say she’s burning the candle at both ends is an understatement, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t see the spark in her eyes after our spontaneous make out session. That’s exactly what has me coming back for more, even if I use that pesky stalker as my excuse. As we get to know one another, I realize a fake relationship just isn’t going to work. I want something other than a ruse, something real, and lucky for me, so does Tempe. But when my mistake of a hookup starts telling lies in retaliation for my alleged betrayal, things get messy. For me and for Tempe, who has found herself embroiled in a love triangle that doesn’t even exist. I can only hope Tempe isn’t scared away by the baggage I unintentionally brought to our relationship because the truth is, I saw my happily ever after with her the first time our lips met.
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4.5 stars
This is a super quick read that still packs a punch. Because it’s not very long, Rafferty and Tempe fall hard and fast. It starts with a dubious meet-cute, turns into a fake relationship scenario, and morphs into the real deal over a couple of weeks. Yet I felt the connection and was fully invested in these two finding their HEA.
The chemistry between Tempe and Rafferty is palpable from the moment they meet in the grocery store and he basically accosts her. Rafferty’s gamble pays off with Tempe, but his obsessed one-night stand doesn’t fall for their act and Rafferty goes back to the store to ask the unassuming grocery clerk to be his fake girlfriend for a few events. I love Tempe and her willingness to have an open mind about things. She loves her family deeply but seems to do the favor for Rafferty for more than the money that will help them out. Tempe seems to thrive when she’s helping people.
As I said, this is a quick read. Part of that is because Tempe is very even-tempered, even when faced with some interesting scenarios. She thinks before she reacts and trusts Rafferty to be the man she knows he is. He’s never trying to dictate her life, he’s always trying to enhance things for her and clear her path. He also understands she doesn’t take help lightly so he is careful of her independence.
I love this couple and look forward to seeing their story continue to play out in the background of future books in this series.