 by Melanie Moreland.jpg)
Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
One of the Donner boys. Troublemakers.
That was the reputation that followed Chase his whole life. Until he grew up and realized he could do better. Be better.
But that choice cost him. His freedom, his family, his chance at love.
By making amends, he found a different path. A new set of friends. A new family.
Life was good. He thought he’d finally found everything he needed.
Then she answered his ad.
Now the roommate he needs is the woman he wants.
Desperately.
How long can he keep his feelings under the radar?
Or is Hannah Gallagher the one to help him break free of his past once and for all?
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
CHAPTER ONE
Chase
I sat down heavily on the sofa and ran a hand through my hair in frustration.
What a clusterfuck.
When I’d advertised for a roommate, I thought it would be easy to find someone.
Some of the people I interviewed today were downright scary. Two of them, I was certain, were only here to case the joint. I made a big point of talking about the state-of-the-art security system and the guns I kept in the house.
I had neither, but I hoped that would deter them.
One woman who showed up asked me for reduced rent. She’d “make it up in other ways,” she informed me with a lewd wink. She even offered a sample.
I got rid of her as quickly as I could.
Another woman was searching for someone to look after her. When I explained the shared duties, she pulled on her hair and asked me if I could just “do all that stuff” and she’d stay out of the way. I could barely manage on my own, so I wasn’t what she needed.
The obviously high dude who asked about using the basement to grow his necessary “medicine” was a no-go as well.
I was ready to give up.
There had only been one decent possibility, and he had called an hour after he was here to say he’d found another place.
I sighed, looking around. It was a great house. Easily shared, but if I didn’t find a roommate, I would have to beg Charly to let me go back to the apartment since I couldn’t afford to live here on my own.
I knew if I told her, she would laugh and remind me I had millions in the bank, but I refused to touch that money. It was used to help others because it had never done me any good when I’d needed it. I didn’t want to use it now. She’d give me a lecture about letting the past go and that purchasing the house was a positive move. Financially responsible.
The doorbell sounded, and I frowned in confusion. I wasn’t expecting anyone else. I opened the door a little faster than I should, startling the person on the other side.
Amber eyes, golden-red hair, and thousands of dots of cinnamon on a heart-shaped face that haunted my dreams met my astonished stare. It was a face I saw often when I shut my eyes.
I met Officer Gallagher on a day when I was dealing with some painful memories. Determined to rid myself of them, I sat alone at Zeke’s, drinking far too many shots of tequila and chasing them with beer. When the agony of the memories became a dull roar, I hazily recalled stumbling outside to my truck, knowing I needed to sleep it off. The back bench had been used more than once for a quick nap, and I fumbled with the locks, which refused to work.
Like an angel, Hannah had appeared. Instead of busting my ass about how drunk I was, she talked to me, and I attempted to explain my problem. She was sweet and understanding, more concerned about my pain than the fact that I was drunk. I knew I said some inappropriate things to her, but she only smiled and kept me talking. I was in and out, drifting at times, and the next thing I knew, Brett and Kelly were there. I explained to Brett in what I thought was a quiet voice my instant fascination with the pretty police officer and her freckles. They were a particular weakness of mine. I called her Officer Cinnamon, although it came out sounding more like Occifer in my state. Brett was equal parts amused and annoyed, and he manhandled me into his car to take me home. I hated leaving the pretty police officer and apparently was quite vocal about it. I needed Occifer Cinnamon’s contact information before I could go home and pass out.
I never got it.
The next day, Brett was quite happy to fill me in on every detail of how I embarrassed myself in front of Hannah. Yet the next time we met, she was as sweet and gracious as my foggy memories told me she was. I didn’t pursue her, given the fact that she was a cop and I had a record.
But she was here. At my door.
Why?
I realized I had been staring at her, silent.
She smiled, her overwhelming prettiness becoming beautiful. I had to swallow before I could speak.
“Officer Cinn—I mean, Gallagher. Is there a problem?”
She shook her head. “You had an ad up in the general store looking for a roommate. Did you find one?”
I gaped at her.
“You wanna be my roommate?”
“Well, I need a place to live. You need a roommate. Solves two problems, I think.” She frowned. “May I come in?”
“Oh, right. Yes, of course, come in.”
She walked in, her scent swirling as she squeezed past me and headed to the living room. I followed in her wake, greedily inhaling. The urge to reach out and touch her was strong, but I resisted.