New York Times Bestselling Author

Chapter One


Ricardo “MacGyver” Douglas rolled over and glanced at the clock on the small table next to the bed. It was half past three in the morning, and he was wide awake. And the reason was sleeping next to him in his bed. Rolling his head the other way, he looked at his wife.

His wife.

That was still so weird to say. Well…to think. He’d been married to Addison Wentz for a month now, and he’d honestly been surprised when she’d said yes to his proposal. It wasn’t romantic. They weren’t in love. It was strictly a wedding of convenience for them both. He needed her to help him care for three children he’d rescued during a mission, and she needed him for the health insurance she could get from the Navy as his wife.

He hadn’t thought much about what would happen after he’d brought her and her twelve-year-old daughter to his home, but he should have. Things were pretty crowded in his small house. He bought it when he’d first moved to Riverton, California. It had three bedrooms, which seemed positively huge when it was just him. He’d had plenty of room for his hobby of tinkering with electronics and building things from random metal, plastic, and ceramic crap.

Now that there were five additional people living under his roof—four of them children—he’d had to clean up his house, put most of his stuff in the garage, and somehow make a comfortable home for the three orphans from Ukraine he hoped to adopt…as well as a wife and an almost-teenager.

Ellory, Addison’s daughter, was in one room with Yana, who’d recently turned five. The boys—eight-year-old Artem and seven-year-old Borysko—were sharing the other room. Most mornings, MacGyver found Yana in the queen-size bed in her brothers’ room, snuggled between them. It would take time for her to feel safe in her new environment, and the child psychologist the kids were seeing had told him to not make a big deal out of the sleeping arrangements.

But it was his own sleeping arrangements that had MacGyver waking up at the ass crack of dawn every morning. Rolling onto his side, he stared at the woman in his bed.

It was one thing to have a marriage of convenience…to marry Addison for practical purposes on both their parts. It was another to realize, too late, that he was head over heels for the woman.

He’d always wanted what his parents had. A loving relationship. His mom and dad openly adored each other. It often embarrassed MacGyver when he was a young kid. They were always holding hands and kissing. But before long, his dad became his role model. He went out of his way to make sure his wife was safe, happy, and protected. He stood up for her if a sales clerk was rude or if someone disrespected her. MacGyver had grown up with a desire to be just like him, which was part of the reason he’d joined the Navy. He wanted to protect those weaker than him. Protect his country. He hadn’t planned on being a SEAL, but here he was.

Blinking sleepily, MacGyver continued to study his wife. Addison Wentz—no…Douglas now—was beautiful. Tall, with curly auburn hair that never stayed confined in whatever barrette or scrunchie she tried to tie it back with. Her forest-green eyes were too serious most of the time. She carried a lot of worry and responsibility on her slender shoulders. From the first moment they met, MacGyver had wanted to take away some of the worry she seemed to be drowning under.

But underneath all the crippling responsibilities, Addison was a funny, caring, and beautiful woman. One MacGyver was drawn to. He loved that she was the same height as him. He hadn’t even realized he was attracted to tall women until Addison. He could look her in the eye without stretching his neck, she was the perfect height to wrap his arm around her waist comfortably, and when they’d hugged after being pronounced man and wife, he found out exactly how well their bodies lined up.

And lately, he couldn’t think of anything else.

Including now. Which meant his dick was hard…as it was every morning. At thirty-three, he’d thought his days of spontaneous morning wood were past him, but he’d been wrong. Sleeping next to Addison, smelling the lemon lotion she used every night before she came to bed, feeling the mattress move ever so slightly when she shifted positions…it all made MacGyver hyper-aware that the woman he wanted more than he was ready to admit out loud was just inches away.

But they had a deal. In exchange for access to healthcare for Ellory, she’d help him care for Artem, Borysko, and Yana…and help make him look like a better candidate for adoption. That was the extent of their marriage.

Addison had given him no reason to think she wanted anything from him other than what he’d already provided—protection and safety for her daughter.

MacGyver inhaled deeply, then slowly let out his breath. Even though his cock throbbed and it was physically painful, he did his best to ignore his body’s reaction to the woman in his bed. He’d never do anything to make her uncomfortable around him. Not purposely. For two full weeks, he’d actually slept on the floor in his own room, just because he could tell she was uneasy sharing the bed.

MacGyver felt ten feet tall when she’d finally decided it was silly for him to keep sleeping on the floor every night. He didn’t like that the change of heart was largely because she felt bad for being comfortable in bed, while he was on the hard floor. He’d slept in worst places, and had told her as much, but he had to admit he was happy to be back in his own bed.

But now he woke up every morning, dick as hard as his previous sleeping surface, about an hour before his alarm went off. Part of the reason he needed help was because his days as a Navy SEAL started early. Far too early for the three kids under his care. And getting up even earlier because of Addison? Exhausting.

However, that was his new normal.

Besides, being a father was even more exhausting…and MacGyver loved every second of it. Seeing Artem’s eyes widen when he tried Lucky Charms for the first time…Borysko’s enthusiasm when he came home from school excited about something new he’d learned…the relief and pride at seeing Yana gaining weight between her first doctor’s appointment, and the one she’d had the day before.

The kids were blossoming, and MacGyver knew it was partly because of Addison. She was wonderful with the kids…caring, patient, and compassionate.

She sighed in her sleep and rolled over onto her side, facing him.

MacGyver held his breath. Lord, this woman was so out of his league, it wasn’t funny. He was bossy, a loner, and a nerd from his head to his toes. He’d rather spend time alone in his garage, tinkering with his inventions, than be social…even with his SEAL teammates, who were as close to him as brothers.

Addison was a bright shining light, and he was…What was he?

MacGyver smiled. He was the power source behind her light. The nerd behind the scenes keeping her plugged in. Kind of like the guy in The Wizard of Oz. The one who ran around behind the curtain fiddling with this, messing with that. Keeping things going.

It was a silly thought, but one he rather enjoyed. MacGyver would gladly stay behind the scenes, supporting those he loved, letting them have the limelight.

“What time is it?”

Blinking, MacGyver realized that Addison had woken up…sort of. She sounded still half-asleep. A pang of tenderness hit him hard. “Too early to be up. Sleep, Addy.”

Her lips twitched into a slight smile. “I’ve never had a nickname before.”

“Do you mind? I started calling you that without even asking if it was all right. I can call you Addison,” MacGyver told her quietly.

But she shook her head. “I like it.”

“Okay.”

A beat of silence settled between them. Then she asked, “What’s on tap for you today?”

“Working out, as usual. Then I’ll come home and shower and help with breakfast. I can take Artem and Borysko to school if you can get Ellory and Yana.”

“Of course.”

“I should be home early. We have a few meetings, but Kevlar told us yesterday that we should be done by three.”

“Cool.”

“You? What do you have going on?”

“I have three cakes to make.”

“Three?” MacGyver asked incredulously.

“Yeah. I said yes to a last-minute cake because the woman was desperate.”

“You don’t need to say yes to everyone anymore,” he reminded her gently.

Addison’s green eyes were steady on his. MacGyver loved this. The intimate feeling of talking in the dim light of the early morning. When the kids were asleep and it was just them.

“I know. I mean, I forget sometimes that I don’t need to squirrel away every penny just in case. Have I thanked you today?”

MacGyver shook his head. “Don’t. You’ve thanked me more than enough. We’re moving on.”

“I just…what you’ve given Ellory and me…it’s…it’s more than you’ll ever know.”

MacGyver reached out and ran his hand over her head, smoothing her bedhead hair away from her face. He loved touching her, didn’t get the opportunity to do it enough. Her eyes closed as he caressed her. It was all MacGyver could do not to lean forward and kiss her. His desire for her was a physical ache. But he didn’t want to do anything that might scare her, or make her think he was going to take something she didn’t want to give freely.

“If you weren’t here, Artem, Borysko, and Yana would probably have to be sent back to that hellhole where I found them. So you’re giving me, them, more than you know as well.”

She smiled at him. A lazy, sleepy smile that MacGyver would give anything to be on the receiving end of every day for the rest of his life.

“What masterpieces will you be creating today?” he asked, changing the subject back to the cakes she’d spend the day baking.

“Elsa from Frozen, Jurassic Park, and a fiftieth anniversary cake.”

“You’ll take pictures?” MacGyver asked.

She chuckled. “You’ve already seen my Elsa cake.”

“Don’t care. I’m in awe of what you can do with flour, eggs, sugar, and frosting.”

Addison’s smile widened. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Are you kidding? You’re a true artist, Addy. What you do…it’s impressive as hell. Not only do you make cakes that should be featured in some decorating magazine—wait, is there such a thing?”

Addison giggled. “Probably.”

“Anyway, not only are you a freaking artist, you’re helping families make memories. And that’s something that’s more important than anything else.”

“Ricky,” she murmured.

A bolt of heat shot through his chest down to his cock, making that appendage throb all the more. He loved hearing his nickname on her lips. He’d been given the moniker MacGyver because of his ability to put together gadgets to assist him and his SEAL team when they needed it the most. But there was something so intimate about hearing Addy call him by his childhood nickname.

“I mean it,” he told her. “Growing up with four siblings meant we were always having birthday parties, and my mom went out of her way to make every one special, even with store-bought cookies and cakes. But you making the masterpieces that you do, which not only look amazing but taste good too? The memories for those kids and adults will stick with them forever.”

“Thanks,” she said softly. “Depending on how Ellory feels this weekend…do you think…would you mind…” Her voice trailed off.

“Of course I wouldn’t mind,” MacGyver said immediately.

“You don’t even know what I was going to say.”

“Doesn’t matter. If she wants to do something, I’ll make it happen.”

Addison stared at him for so long, MacGyver felt uneasy. He couldn’t read what was going on behind those green eyes of hers.

Finally, she continued, her words rushed and strung together as if she was afraid he’d say no. “She asked if I’d talk to you about showing her how to jump-start a car. And change a tire. And maybe show her something you’ve made while on a mission that helped save the day.”

Joy swamped MacGyver. “Of course I will. It’ll be my pleasure.” His mind raced with things he could show her that wouldn’t be too dangerous. “How’s she doing?”

Addison shrugged. “Okay for now. We’ll see how the new medicine she’s taking works out. We’ve tried so many combinations of things, and they all seem to work at first, then the inflammation comes back.”

Ellory had Crohn’s, a form of inflammatory bowel disease. It didn’t usually hit children, but she’d started having issues about four years ago. Her symptoms began with cramps, fevers, fatigue, and an extreme amount of weight loss, mostly because eating was so uncomfortable. She’d been in the hospital a lot, had a ton of tests, none of which were cheap, and was still dealing with the horrible symptoms to this day.

MacGyver had learned a lot about the awful disease, and he was relieved that she’d be able to get more care, now that she was covered under his health insurance. The fact that the girl wanted to spend time with him made him feel good. Really good. It was only a matter of time before her teenage years hit and she’d probably want nothing to do with her nerdy stepfather.

Addison yawned then and gave him a sheepish little smile.

MacGyver wanted to kick his own ass. Here he was, having a conversation they should’ve had later, over breakfast. She needed her sleep. Addison worked her ass off now that she had three more kids to look after. She worked all day, baking and decorating cakes, and he was being selfish by wanting to talk.

“Sleep, Addy. We can talk more at breakfast.”

“I like talking to you,” she said.

It was too dark to know for sure, but MacGyver could swear he saw her cheeks darken with a blush. “I like talking to you too. But it’s the middle of the night. You need your rest.”

“So do you.”

“Don’t you know? SEALs are immune to needing something so inane as sleep,” he joked.

She smiled…then did something that blew MacGyver’s mind. She reached out and put her hand over his on the mattress. Then she closed her eyes and sighed.

MacGyver didn’t move. Not one inch. The warmth from her hand seeped into his. It was kind of pathetic how excited he was over the small touch. But it was the first time since their wedding ceremony that she’d voluntarily touched him.

MacGyver wasn’t tired anymore. He watched Addison’s breaths deepen as she fell back asleep. He had no idea what the future held for them, but he had no illusions. There was no way Addison would stay married to him. Not long term. This was a mutually beneficial arrangement. Eventually, she’d find a man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. And while it would gut him, MacGyver would let her go. He wanted her to be happy more than he wanted to force her to stay with him.

But in the meantime, he’d be the best father he could be. The best husband. He’d make sure Addison wanted for nothing and was treated the same way his dad treated his mom. With Respect. Love.

MacGyver watched her sleep for as long as he could before turning and shutting off his alarm a few minutes before it was set to sound. The last thing he wanted to do was wake Addison again. He eased out of bed and went into the bathroom to change into his PT clothes. Then he went back into the bedroom, hesitating before walking out the door.

Taking a deep breath, he padded over to Addison’s side of the bed. She’d turned onto her back and was sleeping soundly. He pulled the blankets higher, making sure she was covered. Then he leaned down and kissed her forehead with a barely there caress.

MacGyver stared at her for a moment more before turning and striding to the door.

She never expected a marriage of convenience to give her everything she ever wanted…love, family, happiness. But a threat from her past could change everything.

When Addison Wentz agreed to a marriage of convenience, she thought it was a reasonable, rational decision. After all, her new husband was already a friend of sorts. He’s also kind, respectful—and a badass Navy SEAL with excellent health insurance, which she desperately needs for her 12-year-old daughter, Ellory. In exchange for coverage, she’ll help Ricky foster three small children from the Ukraine. But just a month into their arrangement, Addison also discovers that Ricky’s sweet, supportive, a wonderful father to all four kids…and the sexiest man she’s ever met. Suddenly, she’s in danger of doing the one thing not allowed in her situation: falling in love with her husband.

Ricardo “MacGyver” Douglas thought his fake marriage was a win-win. Addison got healthcare for her daughter, and he got a mother for the three children he hopes to adopt. Never in a million years did think he’d be lucky enough to choose the one woman who’s actually perfect for him in every way. Addison’s an amazing mother, a savvy businesswoman, a supportive Navy wife…and she turns him on with a single glance in his direction. The ink’s barely dry on their marriage license before there’s no longer anything “fake” about his feelings for his new wife. But how to convince her that he wants to change their arrangement into something very real?

Addy and MacGyver are barely beginning to explore what could be, when her past rears its ugly head, bringing a little more chaos into their lives…and attempting to break up their newfound family for good.

Protecting Addison

May 6, 2025