The Front Runner

When a small-town veterinarian desperately needs help saving a sick foal, she makes a deal with Stefan Dalca—the brooding, beautiful man everyone in town loves to hate—agreeing to three fake dates in exchange for his assistance. What starts as a straightforward transaction quickly becomes anything but simple as stolen glances turn into lingering touches and the walls around Stefan's guarded heart begin to crack. She's drawn to the mysterious man everyone warns her about, and as she discovers there's far more to him than his dark reputation suggests, the line between pretend and real blurs dangerously. But when his carefully hidden secrets come tumbling out, she realizes that playing with fire leaves scars—and she might be the one who gets burned.