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and a woman like Grace shouldn’t have to settle for anything.
    “Elizabeth’s such a sweetie,” Lucy said brightly. “It sucks what happened to her, but it was so nice of her to fly down here to help. You sure you have no interest in getting back together?”
    Max and Grace still stared at one another, and Grace didn’t flinch at Lucy’s question. Playing the game right along with her, he said, “You know me, Lucy. Why settle for one woman when there are so many who need what I can give them?”
    Grace stiffened. Good, he thought. Why should he be the only one feeling uncomfortable here? She obviously needed to be shaken out of her comfort zone— hard .
    “Now what?” Melina asked, her voice strained, indicating she felt the tension zipping between Max and Grace.
    Rhys rubbed her back. “Max will keep up his presence in the press. Maybe make a few more public appearances with Elizabeth. Once we sign the new lease, we’ll have the time we need to get the show back on its feet.”
    Even though it made perfect sense, Max wanted to snap at his brother that he wasn’t a damn performing monkey.
    But that’s exactly what he was. What he’d always been.
    It was what Grace thought of him, too. Just like every woman out there, with perhaps the exception of Melina. Max was all flash and no substance.
    But he was smart enough to know what Grace needed. And honest enough to know he needed it, too.
    So she didn’t see him in baby daddy terms. Big deal.
    She needed to come. He needed to be the man that gave that to her. He also needed to stop her from making a colossal mistake by trying to have a baby before she was really ready for one. After all, she was Melina’s best friend. Melina was family, and he didn’t want her expending precious energy worrying about what trouble Grace was getting into.
    Grace had made it clear when she was talking to Lucy and Melina that she wasn’t looking for any kind of long-term romantic relationship. If that was really the case, Rhys and Melina wouldn’t have to know about their arrangement. Even if they found out, there would be no reason to think Max was hurting their friend. That eliminated the possibility that sleeping with Grace would somehow come between Max and his family.
    Resolved, he gave his brother a fist bump.
    “Elizabeth is filming this week, but we’re supposed to touch base when she returns. Until then, I’ll hit the clubs like normal. Make sure I’m seen and keep the buzz we’ve started going. I’ll start right after tonight’s show. Speaking of which, I’ve gotta head out. I’ll catch you all later.” He hesitated a moment, then turned to Melina’s friends. “See you next time you’re in town.”
    Lucy waved.
    “Bye now,” Grace said before quickly shifting her attention to Melina, looking like she’d already put him out of her mind.
    Of course, he had no intention of letting that happen. She didn’t know it yet, but she wasn’t flying back to California anytime soon.
    Not until he gave her the orgasm of a lifetime and convinced her that having a baby with a stranger wasn’t good planning on her part, but a cop out.
     

CHAPTER THREE
     
    Max’s Magic Rule #4:
    If all else fails, distract the audience with sex.
     
    “Max heard,” Lucy said after Max left and Rhys excused himself to work in his office.
    Grace was feeling a little weak at the knees. Had he heard their conversation? He’d hinted as much. But how much had he actually heard? The baby-making part, the I-was-on-the-hunt-for-an-orgasm part, or both?
    “Maybe he didn’t,” Melina said.
    Lucy pinned Melina with an incredulous stare and she winced.
    “Okay, you’re right,” Melina said. “I left the baby monitor on in the kitchen. He heard everything.”
    “Yah think? He practically stripped her naked and climbed her with all of us watching, then bragged he was good at giving a woman what she needs . Clearly, Grace, he’s into you. I’ve always suspected as much