GIFT RARELY GIVEN

Christmas has never been this hot... or eventful.

Falling asleep on a bench in the marina's parking lot on Amelia Island was not in my plans for last night. Neither is being woken up by Alex Haddock, former QB for the Jacksonville Rhinos, and a grumpy media nightmare.

I don’t even know who he is. But one thing leads to another, and we end up in the back of his truck for a steamy night. It’s supposed to be just that one time, but now he's here asking me, Livie Sanz, curvy hot mess express and everyone's best friend, to be his fake girlfriend so the media thinks he's settling down.

I agree, because—bonus!—it also gets my mom off my back about dying alone.

We have twelve days before Christmas to prove to the world he's reformed, and to prove to my mom that I am capable of picking my own partner. Even if he looks like he could murder someone with his stare.

The problem is that what started as all fun and games quickly changes into blurred lines and what-ifs. And now, I'm left wondering if there's any way we can both let our guard down enough to admit there might be more here than our arrangement.