To Win Her Love by Mackenzie Crowne

around his, the top of his head nearly blew off. Which, at least, offered him a plausible excuse for how she’d managed to dump him on his ass.
    The memory brought forth a grin.
    Considering her reaction to a bit of harmless flirting andthat kiss, she wasn’t the party girl he expected either. A woman comfortable with the idea of no-strings sex would’ve jumped at the sensual lures he tossed out. Gracie definitely hadn’t jumped, but she hadn’t been immune either. Sure, she’d attempted to disguise the feminine awareness in her stunning violet eyes with her surprising show of bravado, but the way her mouth came alive under his, and her charming blush when he suggested she join him in the gym, spoke volumes.
    Her mind might insist he comply with her no trespassing demands, but her body had other ideas. The blatant struggle between those conflicting desires stroked his ego as much as his libido.
    He shifted in his chair, dropping the front legs to the floor. God help him if she ever didvolunteer to join him in a workout session. The thought of the princess bending over him as he sprawled out on a workbench produced some hotly erotic images, and as he’d discovered over the last hour, working out with a hard-on was damn uncomfortable.
    Of course, if she had her way, he wouldn’t have the opportunity to turn any of those images into reality. That would be a damn shame, but probably for the best. The situation was complicated enough without adding sex to the mix. Then again, complications were the spice of life, and he’d never been able to resist taking on a challenge, especially when the challenge came with legs a mile long.
    Still, he couldn’t blame her for her reluctance. He might not consider her the enemy, but she didn’t feel the same. She saw his inclusion in Pete’s will a threat to her custody hopes. The honorable thing to do would be to put her fears to rest. To settle V’s ruffled feathers he’d agreed to go to the farm—temporarily. He’d be leaving as soon as his reputation was back in good standing. V’s hope he’d end up playing permanent Daddy to two orphaned girls wasn’t going to come to fruition. He’d do the big brother thing and make sure they were taken care of, but he had nothing more to offer them.
    Unless Gracie turned out to be some kind of crazy nut job psychopath, a possibility he couldn’t imagine since seeing her with the girls and Mary, he had no intention of fighting her for custody. She’d already won, but didn’t know it yet.
    As for doing the honorable thing and telling her, where would be the fun in that? He might not be spending the full three months at the farm, but he was still putting his life on hold. Why shouldn’t he take advantage of a built-in diversion? Besides, a woman as unpredictable and prickly as Gracie begged to have her life shaken up a bit.
    He ran his tongue over his teeth and contemplated a couple of particularly appealing diversions he’d like to share with the leggy princess. He owed her for her trickery in the foyer, and he was a “class A shaker,” if he did say so himself. Anticipation thrummed through his veins, and he marveled at the difference a single day made.
    He arrived at the farm last night royally pissed. At himself mostly. He’d made his mark on the field long ago, earning the respect he enjoyed from his peers, fans, and the press alike. If not for his temper, he never would’ve found himself in the position of having to accept Pete’s demands in order to repair his reputation. He could’ve dealt with his newly discovered sisters on his own terms.
    Discovering he’d be spending even one night in Pete Thompson’s old bedroom only made matters worse. He hadn’t slept a wink, but he’d never been the kind of man to make a commitment without giving the effort his all. He spent the night studying the situation from every angle and, somewhere around dawn, he’d come to a realization. Pete might have gotten his way, but he