Ashlynn Connolly has been Ethan Kearney's best friend since they were twelve, despite the difference in their tax brackets. Though he played stupid pranks on her as a child, and left for a career in the Navy, Ash has always stood by him. But now Ethan has a deadline, and he's going to put their friendship to the test with a business proposition-a marriage proposal. If Ashlynn hadn't been flat-out broke, and about to ask for a loan from her best friend, she might have laughed at Ethan's proposal. But being laid off with a small child to care for alone changes one's perspective and the idea of being Ethan's wife is too much to turn down, and not just because of the money he offers. Getting married is the simplest solution to both their problems, or so it seems. But while the passion between them scorches the sheets, a shadow from Ash's past prepares to burn them more thoroughly than either ever expected.