"I've got the perfect job for you. Can't believe I didn't think of it sooner."

"Oh God," Kenna whispered, no doubt thinking the worst like I was.

Stripper. Prostitute. Call girl. Those were just a few of the ideas drifting through my mind. Still, desperate times called for desperate measures. And for some crazy reason I trusted Lia. Which was the most important thing.

"What's this job?" I bit down on my thumbnail, leaning forward.

Lia flicked a piece of paper in her hand. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

Kenna kicked me under the table and I winced, reaching down to rub the spot on my shin.

Lia scooted the paper in front of me and tapped her matte-black fingernail on it. "Then meet me at this address at eight tonight. If you impress him, then you're good as gold for the job."

Lia stood, and my throat grew tight. "Aren't you going to tell me what the job is, at least?"

Her lips curled in a conniving smile. "Trust me. This job is perfect for you. My older brother needs a nanny for my niece, and I can promise you he'll pay you top notch."

"So, no pimps then, right?"

I cringed at Kenna's words. This time I kicked her under the table.

"Hey!" she groaned.

Ignoring my loudmouthed best friend, I folded the paper and put it in my pocket. "Thanks, Lia."

She nodded, and I watched her walk away, working the few customers in the coffeehouse like putting people at ease was her God-given gift-piercings and tats be damned, the girl was pretty awesome.

"You're not seriously going to go through with this, are you?"

I stood and slipped on my coat, still planning to go to my interview regardless of this new opportunity. Couldn't put all my eggs in one basket, but I could try two baskets.

Kenna followed me, huffing as we moved toward the door.

"What choice do I have?"

"Not the point. What if she's sending you into something cultish? Or..." She slapped a hand over her mouth. "What if she wants you to be her drug dealer?"

"You're insane." I yanked my hood over my head, the brisk wind stinging my cheeks as we stepped out into the parking lot.

McKenna stopped at her car, twirling her keys. I paused next to her, delaying the inevitable. "No, I'm a realist. And I realize that this chick-cool as hell or not-isn't normal."

"Who is normal, huh?" My eyes widened in a duh sort of way. "I'm half Filipino with a dad who could pass as my grandpa and a mom who's had more plastic surgery than a Hilton and a Kardashian combined-all because her husband told her she looked too old at thirty-nine."

McKenna cringed. "True." She settled in the driver's seat of her car, then rolled down the window. "But what happens if-"

"Stop." I pressed my hand against her door. "It's going to be fine. I am a big girl with a black belt."

"Yeah, from when you were eleven."

"Details. The point is, once a kick-ass ninja, always a kick-ass ninja." I smirked and headed across the street.

"Whatever," she hollered after me. "Don't say I didn't warn you though. Don't you dare call me collect, saying you're in jail for laundering money for the mob either. Because even though I'd fly my ass back home in a heartbeat to bail you out, I need this trip to regain my sanity."

Across the street, I turned to face her. "And I really, really love you for that, Kenna. Don't forget!"

I did too. So much. The two of us had been friends since college and would always, no doubt in my mind, have each other's backs like sisters.

Chapter 5.

Collin If you looked up the word shit in the thesaurus, my name-along with this entire past weekend-would be the number one synonym for it.

After telling me she needed to make more money during our breakfast yesterday morning, my sister quit on me as Chloe's babysitter. Apparently there was a new nightclub that'd just opened in town, one that promised benefits, along with a major raise and nightly tips. Lia had scored a job as a bartender there-starting tomorrow night. Of course she told me she'd help find a replacement, saying she owed both me and Chloe that. But I told her not to bother, that I'd handle it on my own. And there I was, stuck with no options as I tried to figure out who in the actual hell was going to watch my kid while I worked.

I'd ask the guys-they'd do it in a heartbeat if they could-but they had their own jobs, not to mention actual social lives.

My parents were in Arizona for the winter, so they were out of the picture for a while. Plus, they'd stepped in and helped take care of Chloe for me until I moved back to the States, so I hated asking them for anything. Chloe's maternal grandparents lived in New York, a hell of a long way from northern Illinois. There'd been talk of them coming and staying here to be closer to Chloe, but that's all it'd been so far-talk.

What I needed was a miracle.

"Dinner's ready," Max yelled from the kitchen. I inhaled, smelling his famous enchiladas.

Chloe was already in bed, and since Mondays and Tuesdays were my only nights off, Max had skipped a date to stay home and try to help me figure some of this shit out. Gavin would be by later too, depending on when he got off work.

"So, what's the plan?" Max sat across the table from me, wearing a red-checkered apron with the words "Kiss the Cook" written across the front.

"Don't know." I rubbed a hand over my mouth. "Call some sort of service, maybe?" Like that would work. I wouldn't be able to trust a stranger with my girl. "Maybe ask to be switched to weekends?" But that wouldn't help either. Both of my buddies worked on weekends and nights like I did. Max and I just happened to have the same nights off.

"What you need is maybe one of those little, old grandmas with saggy tits so you-"

"Max." I slammed my fist down on the table. "Enough with the tits. Focus, damn it."

"Lighten up." He reached over the table and slugged my shoulder. "I'm just as worried as you are. But the difference between us is I know we'll find someone."

I wished to hell I could think positively like he did, but with the way things were going, I wasn't gonna hold my breath.

Right when we finished dinner, a knock sounded at the door. "You expecting someone?" Max wiped a napkin over his mouth and stood, already heading to answer it.

"Nah. Unless it's Lia coming by for leftovers."

Deciding to be useful, I grabbed the dinner plates, headed into the kitchen, and shoved them into the dishwasher. Then I ran some sink water to wash Chloe's bottles.

Some days it was hard to believe my life had come to this-all Martha Stewart, Brady Bunch. From the dirty deserts of the Middle East to dirty dishes in Carinthia, Illinois. Nothing I'd ever done could've prepared me for any of these things. Even when shit looked bad though, I knew I had it better than a lot of my brothers-in-arms. PTSD, lost limbs, some not even making it home...

Damn straight I was lucky. All three of us were.

"Collinator!" Lia danced into the room, smelling like the coffee shop she worked at.

I spun around, still pissed at her for quitting on me, not to mention that irritating-as-fuck nickname she used, but I loved her enough to accept a side hug.

"What're you doing here?" I dried my hands on a towel.

She leaned back against the refrigerator. "Nothin'."

"Liar." I propped myself against the counter, folded my arms, and waited.

"Okay, fine. I was hungry. Knew it was enchilada night, all right? Sue me." She tugged on my arm and yanked me out of the kitchen. Girl couldn't sit still. "Now, come on. There's someone I want you to meet."

"Ah, hell. You bring a douchey guy over again?" Last time she'd done that, Max didn't let up on the sex jokes for days-or the whiskey. I frowned, thinking about the connection.

"Nope." She skipped her way down the hall, her orange stockings like flashlights lighting the way. "Brought a girl this time."

"Oh yeah?" I laughed, not surprised. My sister had a love-the-one-she's-with policy-male or female, didn't matter.

"Not like that." She rolled her eyes at me when we entered the living room, then shoved her hand toward the couch. "I want you to meet my new friend." She bounced in place as I took in the back of some chick with a black ponytail. Before my sister could explain, the girl turned around to face us, her dark-brown eyes wide. My mouth dropped open, and my gut went rock hard. Holy shit. It was Bar Girl, here in my house.

"What the...?"

"Number Six?" She jumped up, stumbling around the coffee table.

Speechless, I could only stare as she righted herself and moved to stand in front of me. She tucked a piece of dark hair behind her ear and then brushed both hands down the front of her outfit. Nervous, it seemed.

"You're the one who lives here? You're Lia's older brother?" she asked.

I narrowed my eyes. "Sorry to destroy your serial killer fantasies."

She cringed, then opened her mouth, only to be cut off by Lia.

"Wait...you two know each other?"

"Yeah, we know each other." I shrugged one shoulder, trying to play it off as nothing when it was anything but.

For the past two nights, ever since her taillights flashed in that parking lot, this woman had been the star of my dreams. Dark eyes, dark hair, pink lips always pressed to mine... She was just as stunning as I remembered. I hated that she affected me so much when no woman had for a long, long time.

"Well, this is great then." Lia tucked her arm through the girl's, her excited voice damn near squeaking.

Ignoring my sister's chatter, I glanced down at Bar Girl's dress, struggling to keep from busting up laughing as I blurted out, "What're you wearing, a muumuu?" All flowery, big print with pockets along her waist. The girl was practically swimming in the thing.

Her dark eyes flared with anger, meeting mine. "It's called a sundress, thank you very much."

I grinned, already loving her sass-and hating myself for it.

"Collin." Lia smacked me across the back. "Quit being an ass."

Not bothering to apologize, I studied every inch of Bar Girl I could take in, going deaf to the conversation around me as Lia talked about my daughter. This woman was a piece of art, all curves and lines, and everything my body suddenly craved. Yeah, I didn't have the time or energy to be with a woman, but this one was like water after an eighteen-month drought, food at the point of starvation, and everything dangerous I'd sworn to stay away from.

My gaze darted to her neck, my favorite part of a woman's body. I couldn't help myself as I took in the length, the texture, the color... It was long and smooth and exposed, tantalizing, even. I licked my lips, knowing it was messed up that I could easily imagine running my nose up and down the base of her neck while I fucked her slowly, steadily... All. Night. Long.

But then my sister spouted three words that changed it all.

"She's my replacement, Collin."

My smile fell.

"No way... This is getting good." Max laughed from the couch, but shock kept me from yelling at him.

"Replacement." The word played over and over in my head, as well as on my tongue, yet nothing was clicking. Replacement, replacement, replacement.

Until it just did.

"Yes, you big idiot. Why else would she be here?" Lia shoved me once, but I didn't move.

The first woman in years to make my body sing was also the only prospect I had for Chloe's new nanny? Fate was one big motherfucker.

"No way." The words were out before I could stop them. I couldn't have this woman in my house, under my roof, every day, knowing I couldn't have her like my body craved. How the hell could I trust myself with her? Chloe might get attached, and then one day-when her daddy messed it up by not being able to keep his hands to himself-Bar Girl would be gone, leaving Chloe worse off than she was now. Not that she was bad off. "I'm not hiring anyone," I finally said.

Bar Girl stared down at her shoes and I followed her gaze, my eyes popping at the view. What the heck? Rain boots? I shook my head, wanting to laugh again. Wanting to rip the whole outfit off her at the same time to see what she hid beneath. But most of all, wanting to bash my head into the wall for even thinking thoughts I was in no position to think. This girl was a distraction I did not need, plain and simple.

"I didn't know. I'm sorry." She pressed her hand to Lia's shoulder. "Thank you for the opportunity, but this isn't something I-"

"Oh no." My sister glared at me, then at Max, then at the girl. "You are not even thinking of backing out of this, Addison."

Addison... Sweet, sexy, sassy Addison. My Bar Girl. The name fit her to a T-every clean-cut, straitlaced, muumuu-covered mysterious inch of her.

Not mine, never mine. I jerked my head once, pushing that thought into my thick, stupid skull.

"Thank you for thinking of me, but I'm going to go now."

"She's perfect, Collin." Lia tugged at my arm as Bar Girl headed toward the door. Because I was a masochistic ass, I said nothing and watched her go, getting my fill while I could.

"She's an ex-preschool teacher with a four-year degree in kid stuff. Don't let her go."

"No." One word. That should've been enough.

"Dumbass." Max snorted and went back to watching TV.

I glared at the side of his head.

"Well...if you don't hire her, I will." Lia hissed and stomped her combat boot on the floor.