Ben Carlson's life was already in the shitter, and that was before his sister's ex-boyfriend Conner Jaxon moved in next door. Home for the summer after dropping out of Seabreeze State, Ben is stuck doing dog sitting duty while his mom is touring Napa Valley with her latest beau of the month.

Conner is rehabbing the rundown cottage next to Ben's in order to flip it, but after a costly mishap with the water heater makes Connor question his technical skills, he hires a crew to do the work for him. The decision leaves Conner with plenty of time to pester poor Ben, who does his best to avoid the guy who broke his sister's heart. Or did he? When a runaway pooch sets the two on a rescue mission to find it, Ben learns Conner's not so bad after all.

But there's still the past to consider, long-buried feelings to confront, and when a secret confession leads to a smoldering kiss, the only thing that can stand in the way of a sizzling summer love story are a few simple rules. Rule Number One? There are no rules in love!



Alex Winters is the pseudonym of a busy restaurant manager whose curious young staff would love nothing more than to follow him around the dining room reading his steamiest, most romantic passages aloud! When not writing romantic holiday stories of various heat levels, he enjoys long walks with his wife, scary movies, and smooth jazz.