Author note: This story is a prequel novella that does end on a cliffhanger with a happy for now, leading up to the book Midnight and Mischief. Our marriage was a sham, and what this woman did to my heart was a crime. I had no plans to follow in my father’s footsteps working at the bank, and living the humdrum life of a family man. My world in fast-paced Las Vegas was far enough away from home to avoid that, or so I thought. When I was called into action, paying back an old debt to my former lieutenant, things went terribly wrong. I had no choice but to return to Kissing Springs—married to a sassy mafia princess to keep her and her teenage daughter safe and in hiding. My family and friends celebrated our home coming. No one knew our marriage license was fake, our wedding rings only cheap knockoffs, and that newlywed glow in our eyes all an act. We played house, made the perfect pair as husband and wife, and I even allowed her daughter to call me Dad. I didn’t want this small town life. But the more I was around my fake wife’s sweet scent, and keeping her sexy body warm at night, and listening to her sassy mouth, feelings changed. Suddenly, I wanted to stay and be the man my wife and daughter needed—the only one—and somehow make things real. If only danger wasn’t coming to Kissing Springs in the form of a mob boss hellbent on revenge. Enjoy this steamy romantic suspense prequel set in the small town of Kissing Springs. Author note: You’ll recognize settings and characters related to Zee Irwin’s books in the Welcome to Kissing Springs Collection. This book serves as the prequel to Midnight and Mischief and ends on a cliffhanger with a happy for now.