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CHAPTER ONE

My nahtly tilted historic house that sits on a hill overlooking Marblehead Harbor in Massachusetts I inherited the house froht, and I’er-striped shorthaired cat When he was rescued fro said Cat 7143, and it’s stuck as his name Cat has one eye, half a tail, and I’m pretty sure he was a ninja in a past life I’raduate, and when I’ asked to save the world I work as a pastry chef at Dazzle’s Bakery in Salem

It was ten o’clock at night, Cat and I atching television in bed, and a big, scruffy, incredibly hot guy walked into my bedroom

“What the heck?” I asked “Where did you come from?”

“Originally? Switzerland, but I was mostly raised in Southern California”

“That’s not what Iin my bedroom?”

He kicked his shoes off “I’ to bed”

“No! Not allowed”

“Extenuating circu off his shirt “I’m between places of residence”

“I don’t care if you’re between a rock and a hard spot You can’t stay here”

His jeans hit the floor “Of course I can We’re partners”

“We’re not that kind of partners We work together We’re not supposed to be…you know”

“Don’t get your panties in a bunch I have total self-control”

I leaned forward for a closer look “Are those parrots on your boxers?”

“I got theht?”

Okay, I have to aduy’s name is Diesel That’s it Only one name And the naht train He’s over six feet of hard-muscled male perfection His dark blond hair is thick and sun-streaked and perpetually mussed His eyes are brown and unreadable His s His attitude is deceptive—casual on the outside but intense on the inside His moral code is all his own

“All right You win,” I said, knowing there was no way I could physically remove him “You can sleep on the couch”

He stuck his thumb into the waistband on his boxers “I don’t fit on the couch”

“Hey,” I said “Wait a minute!”