Fake Dating my Best Friend

He's her protective best friend. She's his lifelong obsession. And one fake date is about to ruin everything.Flora Miller has her hands full running her small-town pet grooming salon and keeping her overbearing mother at bay. At twenty-nine, she's single, happy, and entirely uninterested in her mother's endless parade of terrible blind dates. So when her mom pushes her too far, Flora blurted out a massive lie: she already has a boyfriend.And there's only one man who can help her pull off the charade: Sheriff Luke Callahan.Luke has been Flora's broad-shouldered, fiercely protective next-door neighbor since elementary school. He's also the town's most eligible bachelor—and secretly in love with his best friend. When Flora begs him to be her fake date for the annual Autumn Equinox Festival, Luke agrees to the scheme, telling himself he can handle playing the part.To keep her mom from seeing through the lie, Flora suggests they "e;practice"e; acting like lovers. But when Luke pulls her into his arms, a single practice kiss ignites a fire that neither of them can control.Steamy encounters in haystacks and electric dance floor touches shatter the line between fake and real. But as the festival ends and their long-suppressed feelings erupt, Flora and Luke must face the ultimate truth: their fake relationship was never a lie at all.Tropes:Small town romanceFriends-to-loversFake Dating turned realSheriff Hero who's her childhood friendHe falls first and falls harderSmall town gossipLots of longing, pining, and an explosive climaxCozy vibes, pumpkin spice latte, and fire place aestheticsSpicy romance with public scenesPregnancy + HEA