Break Even: Coogan's Break Series, #5

By Hope Malone

She needs a lucky break if she's making ends meet. He's stuck running one of the family's smaller hotel casinos. Could pretending to be engaged be a gamble that pays off for both of them?

DONNA
Fleeing San Francisco for Coogan's Break was so much easier than dealing with things that went bump in the middle of the night. Usually Bryan—my ex—drunk and attempting to break in.

Three months later and I'm in a dead-end job for a guy who pays below minimum wage, and who thinks state taxes are optional. I'm also short on my latest rent payment.

Entering the casino at Maddigan's Resort and Spa, I'm hoping for a small payout. But could the gorgeous Liam Maddigan prove himself my ultimate jackpot?

LIAM
I know why I'm stuck in Coogan's Break. It's because dad wants me to abandon the playboy lifestyle and settle down. He might have mentioned grandchildren.

I've been here two months already, and it's killing me. The thought of spending the summer in small town California has me cursing his name until I spot her.

The way Donna Wilder has herself perched on that bar stool does it for me. Could it be life is about to get interesting AND I can keep the old man off my back?

If you're short on time but long for romance, you'll love this series of steamy, curvy girl, opposites attract romances. They can be read in any order you choose, there's a guaranteed HEA with no cheating, and no cliffhangers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bad Birds
• Release date: Aug 16, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223678908

Book preview

ONE

LIAM

After casting my eye around the security office at Maddigan's Resort and Spa, I have to shake my head. First, that I'm stuck here, and second, why that is?

When my father said it was time for me to give up the playboy lifestyle and settle down, I had thought little of it. He'd said it often enough in the past for me to ignore him.

Little did I know what he'd lined up this time around? While I had nothing against Madeline Olsen, I didn't want to marry her, either.

Add in my father's track record of picking wives after mom died, and it was bound to fail. Even the idea of her taking my name is idiotic.

I'd like to introduce Madeline Maddigan, my wife.

It was a nightmare of alliteration that would no doubt reflect on the marriage itself.

Heiress to the Olsen Empire, Madeline was a cold fish, more interested in turning a profit than a loving relationship.

Yep, my dad has me signed up for an arranged marriage of sorts. Anyone with half a brain can see it for what it is; a corporate merger that comes with grandchildren.

My refusal to bow to his wishes is why I'm stuck in Coogan's Break until I agree to his choice of daughter-in-law. A woman I find so unappealing, there'd be no chance of offspring.

I smile to myself. It's almost as if he's forgotten I'm as stubborn as he is.

My smile doesn't last long. Deep down, the thought of a loveless marriage and not having kids doesn't sit well with me.

Focused on my dad's plan and not the monitors, I almost miss a peach of a woman walking across the hotel foyer. Nope, walk is the wrong term. There is nothing pedestrian about the way this woman moves.

Carnal with a hint of amnesia, perhaps? Yep, that definitely fits, because if I was following her, I'd be lucky to remember my name.

I roll my chair to the side and stop in front of the next monitor. Thus, I follow her progress through the hotel.

Even though I'm mesmerized by her body, I don't miss her biting her bottom lip when she enters the casino. She's looked directly into the camera, and my soul, with my body reacting in accordance.

Was she nibbling her lip thanks to guilt or nerves? Neither is good when you're anywhere near a casino.

Wyatt? I turn to the guy sitting at the other end of the bank of monitors. Are you okay with monitoring things while I check something out on the floor?

Of course he says, Yeah, sure. I'm the manager and a Maddigan, born and bred.

Before walking out the door, I straighten my dark red tie and shrug into the jacket of my gray suit. My reasons for wanting to appear sharp aren't all down to fitting in with our upmarket guests.

Two flights of stairs later and I slip through a security door at the back of the casino. After a quick scan of the casino, I spot the woman. I then waste no time cashing in a twenty for coins, and making my way over to the slot machines.

I can't simply sit next to the woman and do nothing without it coming across as exceedingly weird. My plan goes out the window the moment I sit next to her. I thought she was gorgeous on the grainy security monitors.

Nothing could have prepared me for her impact on me when I'm this close. I'm still fumbling to get the first coin in the slot when she turns toward me. There's nothing I can do to stop myself from copying her action.

As I stare into her deep pansy eyes, the casino ceases to exist, and my breathing shallows. I'm in trouble, big trouble, and yet I couldn't be happier with a dirty smile to match.

As I watch her curl her fingers around the handle of the slot machine and pull slowly down, the joke is on me. She hasn't even touched me and yet I'm on my way to packing wood this suit was never designed for.

If I didn't know better, I'd think she'd handled my cock like that in the past, even though I've not met her before. Strange then, that there's a familiarity about her that baffles and excites.

Could it be what my mom always said is true?

DONNA

It's the first time I've been to Maddigan's since moving to Coogan's Break. The resort might have been in my price-range in my previous life, but that's no longer the case.

I'll bet I'm the only convenience store cashier here tonight. Thankfully, my last-minute decision to bring a nice dress and shoes when I escaped from San Francisco means no-one will have a clue.

As I wander through the hotel's reception area, I'm especially glad I'd opted to bring the dress I'm wearing. A dark purple, made-to-measure number that cost me a fortune. It may even fit me better now than when it was new.

Thanks to all those hours on my feet at work, I've lost a couple of pounds; although thankfully not the curves I love. While some girls long to be thin, I'm not one of them. I've tried that, and was miserable.

And why did I put myself through that? Because Bryan—my ex and the reason I left San Francisco—kept dropping hints I was putting on weight. I knew this wasn't the case, because I weighed myself every morning.

He'd kept saying I wasn't the girl who caught his eye until I gave in and started a diet. Along with losing weight, I'd lost my joy in life, my love of food, and my confidence.

Bryan had