I’m a full-time single dad to three daughters and CFO at Cloverleigh Farms. I don’t have time to fall in love—I’m too busy trying to run a business, keep the red socks out of the white laundry, and get the damn pillowcases on without owing a dollar to the swear jar.

Sure, Frannie Sawyer is beautiful and sweet, but she’s twenty-seven, the boss’s daughter, and my new part-time nanny—which means she’s completely off-limits. It’s bad enough I can’t stop fantasizing about her, what kind of jerk would I be if I acted on the impulse to kiss her?

(Exactly the kind of jerk you’re thinking.)

Actually, I’m worse than that—because I didn’t stop with a kiss, and now I can’t stay away. She makes me feel like myself again. She reminds me what it’s like to want something just for me. She’s everything I ever needed, but nothing I ever imagined.

I’m a former Marine. I should have had the strength to resist her from the start.

But I didn’t. And now I have to choose between the life I want and the life she deserves.

Even if it means giving her up.

Excerpt: Irresistible

He was coming up to my apartment! He’d never done that before! Setting my phone aside, I hurried into the kitchen, ladled some soup into a plastic container, and stuck it in the microwave. Then I ran into the bathroom and looked in the mirror over the sink. I was still wearing my work clothes, a dark green Cloverleigh collared shirt and black pants. Nothing I could do about that now, but I fussed with my hair and put on another coat of mascara. At the last second, I gave one wrist a spritz of perfume and rubbed it against the other.

You are tempting me …

If only! God, what I wouldn’t give to be the kind of woman who could really tempt him.

The microwave beeped and I went back to the kitchen, took the soup out, stirred it up, then pressed the lid into place. In a second little container, I placed some crackers and a couple macarons, then tucked everything into a brown paper bag with a spoon and a couple napkins.

A minute later, there were three soft knocks at my door, echoed by three hard ones in my chest. Inhaling and exhaling slowly, I put my hand on the knob and pulled.

“Hi,” he said quietly, a sheepish half-grin on his face. “I heard you’re feeding the hungry today.”

I smiled, positive he could hear my heart thwacking against my ribs. “Come on in.”

He entered my suite and glanced around, sticking his hands in his pockets. “This is nice.”

“Thanks. It’s small, but it suits me. Winnie’s on the couch if you want to peek at her.” I nodded over my shoulder.

“Okay.” While he wandered toward the couch, I took the brown bag with his lunch in it off the kitchen counter. After a quick look at her, he turned around smiling. “If only they were always so sweet, right?”

“Your girls are pretty sweet all the time.” I handed him the bag, one hand on the bottom, one holding the handles. “Here you go. Careful.”

“Thanks.” He took it from me, and both our hands touched. “I appreciate this.”

“No problem. If you like it, I can give you the recipe. It’s easy.”

He shook his head. “You don’t know who you’re talking to. Ask my kids what a terrible cook I am.”

I couldn’t hide a smile. “They’ve already volunteered that info.”

“Did they?” He chuckled. “Little shits.”

“Don’t feel bad. If I were as busy as you, I probably wouldn’t know how to cook either.”

“I keep thinking I’ll learn, but I suppose I should actually make an effort at it,” he said with a sigh. “Thanks again for everything. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I mean that.”

“No problem.” I followed him to the door. I felt like skipping. “I’ll head over to your house when she wakes up.”

“Perfect. God, this smells good.” He sniffed the bag. “You better be careful not to spoil me, or I’ll be hanging around your door like a stray dog all the time.”

I laughed. “I wouldn’t mind.”

He gave me a rueful, boyish grin that made my insides melt and disappeared down the hall.

Twenty minutes later, my heart was still pounding.