My new neighbor is a firefighterâand a scorching hot single dadâbut I swear I didnât set off that smoke alarm on purpose.

Ignite, an all-new smoking hot, single dad romantic comedy from USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author Melanie Harlow, is available now!
My new neighbor is a firefighterâand a scorching hot single dadâbut I swear I didnât set off that smoke alarm on purpose.
(And I was beyond mortified when he rushed in and saw me naked.)
Nothing happened, of courseâbecause I, Winnie MacAllister, romance junkie and owner of a constantly broken heart, have sworn off men for one solid year.
Even protective men with chiseled jaws, bulging biceps, and deep brown eyes that make my breath come faster. Even former SEALs with broad chests and strong hands that make my skin sizzle. Even gorgeous, grumpy guys who have their hands full raising two adorable little girls and claim they donât believe in love.
Until Dex kisses me one night, and I drop all my defenses.
(Also my underwear.)
He says heâs not gentle, and heâs right. He says I should take the dream job Iâm offered in another state, and heâs right. He says heâs too old for me and could never be the man I deserve.
Heâs wrong.
Dex and I might be twelve years apart, but the fire between us is the kind that will never burn out.
How can I convince him to give happily-ever-after with me a chance?

Fall in love with Winnie and Dex for ZERO PENNIES in Kindle Unlimited today!
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Audio Coming Soon, narrated by Stephen Dexter & Kirsten Leigh
Excerpt
She looked a little nervous, not that I blamed her, as she held out a small pink box of Band-Aids. âI had these lying around and thought Luna might want them for her knee. Band-Aids sometimes come off in the shower, so . . .â
I reached out and took them from her, noticing she was careful not to let our fingers touch this time. âThanks.â
âThatâs itâI just wanted toâum, okay, have a good night.â She turned to leave, and I probably should have let her.
âWait a second.â
She faced me again, her expression still wary.
âIâm sorry about that.â I gestured over my shoulder with the pink box. âMy ex-wifeâthe girlsâ momâknows how to get a rise out of me.â
âOh, thatâs okay. Itâs none of my business, and I didnât really hear anything.â It was obvious sheâd heard everything.
I nodded slowly. âWell, thanks for the Band-Aids. Luna will appreciate it.â
Her smile was back, along with that stutter in my chest. âGood. Enjoy your night.â
âYou too.â
She turned around and went down the steps, cutting across the lawn to her place with that same youthful bounce in her step. Glancing down at the box, I shook my headâof course she had a whole thing of pink princess Band-Aids. I shut the door and trudged up the stairs to get the kids cleaned up.
Hallie went first, after a brief attempt to get me to let her wear socks in the shower. As usual, I refused, explaining again that the entire house had been thoroughly cleaned before we moved in, and Iâd been here yesterday to make sure of it.
While she was getting dressed, I made sure Luna washed her hair and used soap, then helped her get dried off. After hanging up their towels, I double-checked that theyâd chosen appropriate clothing and was just about to get in my own shower when I heard a series of high-pitched beeps.
âWhatâs that?â Hallie said, scrunching up her face.
Instantly on high alert, I put my hand up. âShh.â I heard it again, and recognized it as a smoke detector going off, but not in our houseâwe were hearing it through the walls. âStay here.â
I raced out of their room and took the stairs down three at a time, jumping to the bottom with five to go. Barreling out my front door, I ran over to Winnieâs and knocked. The alarm was clearly coming from inside her unit, and when she didnât answer the door, I made a split-second decision to bust in.
Fortunately, the door wasnât locked.
I shouldered it open, relieved when I didnât see or smell smoke right away. Winnieâs townhouse was laid out exactly like mine, and I immediately realized the detector going off was upstairs. Racing up the steps three at a time, I reached the master bedroom doorway just in time to see Winnie climbing onto a suitcase, one hand reaching toward the ceiling to disconnect the unit.
My jaw dropped.
She was totally naked and dripping wet.
One hand was clutching a small towel to her chest that didnât fucking hide anything . Behind her, steam from her shower billowed from her bathroom, which must have been what set off the alarmâsome detectors are that sensitive. Behind me, I heard clamoring on the stairs, and a second later both Hallie and Luna rushed into the bedroom.
Startled, Winnie looked over and saw us. Her eyes went wide as she screamed, lost her footing, and toppled backward off the suitcase. She landed hard on her ass, arms and legs flailing like a rag doll.
Averting my eyes, I strode over and disconnected the unit while she scrambled toward the bathroom on her hands and knees, presumably in search of a bigger towel.
But then she slammed the door . . . and didnât come out.
The eighty-five decibel alarm had ceased, but the sirens in my head continued.
I looked at the girls. Luna had her hands over her mouth. Hallieâs eyes were wide, and she pointed to the bathroom door. âWinnie was naked,â she whispered. âWe saw her bum.â
âQuiet,â I scolded angrily. âYou two were supposed to stay at our house. You didnât follow my orders.â
âBut Daddy, we were scared,â Luna said. Her hair was still wet and tangled. âWe came to find you.â
âWeâll talk about it later, but when I tell you to stay put, you stay put-especially in an emergency. Understand?â
They nodded.
âNow go back to our house, both of you.â
âBut what about Winnie? Is she okay?â
I went over to the bathroom door and knocked, trying not to picture her naked. The shower wasnât running anymore. âWinnie? Are you okay?â
âIâm fine!â
âAre you hurt?â
âIâm fine!â she repeated in the same false, bright tone.
A tiny smile inched onto my lips. âAre you sure?â

About Melanie Harlow
USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she’s not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like Ted, Lasso, Schittâs Creek, and Fleabag. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak.
Melanie is the author of the BELLAMY CREEK series, the CLOVERLEIGH FARMS series, the ONE & ONLY series, AFTER WE FALL series, the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, and the FRENCHED series. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.
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