Title: An Ex Affair

Series: Wolfe Brothers

Author: Marika Ray

Genre: Small Town Romance

Tropes: Divorced Couple; Second Chance; Firefighter Hero; Celebrity Heroine; Forced Proximity; Returning Home

Release Date: January 9, 2025

Cover Design: Jennifer Olson

Photographer: Lindee Robinson Photography

Cover Models: Destiny & Andrew

The last person I expected to run into when I moved back home was my ex-wife, Tully Cassio—my high school sweetheart, the love of my life, the woman I hated as much as I still loved. She dumped me nineteen years ago and moved to Hollywood, quickly becoming a star and leaving our marriage in the dust.

My dad’s last wish included me moving back home and joining the local fire department. I agreed, mostly to be there to take care of Mom. But apparently, I’m not the only one back in Blueball, and now I’m somehow working with Tully on the fundraiser needed to keep the fire station open and me in a job.

On the one hand, seeing her again is everything I’ve ever wanted. On the other hand, I’ve harbored a lot of anger toward her over the years. After all, she damaged my pride and took my heart with her when she left town. She’s still a gorgeous spitfire, however, and doesn’t take my snarky comments lying down. Which means our fights start with a tiny spark of leftover attraction and billow into an inferno of feelings and frustration and…well…other F-words.

Instead of dumping water on this situation, we let it burn. In secret. Except nothing in a small town stays a secret for long. Soon everyone knows that the crush I’ve had on this woman since freshman year of high school hasn’t gone away just because she handed me divorce papers. Now my pride’s on the line again…along with my heart.

Because this town has always been too small for Tully, and her agent just called with the offer of a lifetime.

It had been nineteen long years since I’d been back in my hometown, but the firefighters were just as gorgeous as I remembered. Danny held up his phone. “Can I get a selfie? My wife will freak out when I tell her I met you.”

I grinned, used to this reaction after a hit show on network television for over ten years. I turned and cozied up next to Danny. He held the phone out and snapped a few pictures. Frank stepped up to crowd me in from the other side, a firefighter sandwich of muscly proportions. He swept my hair from my shoulder and let his fingers trace against my neck. I snapped my head in his direction. I wasn’t liking the twinkle in his eyes. I wasn’t here for that, no matter how pretty the man was.

“How about we give you a tour? You can slide down our pole.” He waggled his eyebrows while Danny stepped away to send the selfie to his wife.

A door at the back of the fire station slammed against the wall, grabbing everyone’s attention at once. Colson, my ex-husband, once love of my life, stood there framed in the doorway, hands clenched into fists at his side, hair tousled like he just ran his fingers through it. A mustache covered his beautiful lips, but did nothing to hide the enraged scowl.

He opened his mouth and an animalistic growl snapped across the space. “Step away from my wife, assholes.”

 

Marika Ray is a USA Today bestselling author of steamy and sweet RomComs, spending her time behind a computer crafting stories, walking any beach she can find, and making healthy food for her kids and husband whether they like it or not. Prior to writing novels, Marika held various jobs in the finance industry, with private start-up companies, and then in health & fitness. Cats may have nine lives, but Marika believes everyone should have nine careers to keep things spicy. All her books come with a money-back guarantee that you’ll smile at least once with every book.

More information can be found at www.marikaray.com

HOSTED BY: