He was the only man who ever made her come close to feeling giddy. He had a pull on her emotions, and she needed to get them under control real quick. Because she did want him—as long as it was on her terms. Question was: how would she get it?
Normally she might have grabbed him and shown him how she really felt, but Easton Ambrose, the resident search and rescue EMT, had come with him. East was built like Gage, tall, strong, and good-looking. But East was the local town charmer with a playboy reputation.
Chloe knew a wingman when she saw one. Gage had come here to seduce her into romance. Well, fair was fair. If he wanted to play, she’d beat him at his own game.
“You should know by now I’m not shy about much.” Chloe handed menus to both men. “Hungry?”
“Yes,” Gage replied quickly. There was so much emotion in his voice. His words felt like his tongue against her skin. “I’m starving.”
“Uh…me too…but I’m going to go with a burger.” East leaned back in his seat like he was waiting to see the show. “And I’ll also take a cupcake,” he said to Natalie. When he reached for it, Natalie slapped his hand.
“Back off, Easton, this is a work of art. Not to be pawed on.”
He rolled his eyes. “Seriously, Nat?”
She looked over her cupcake, smiling and turning it to admire its perfection. “Yep.”
It was no secret Natalie and Easton kind of irritated each other. Had since they were all young.
East groaned. “Why the hell do you frost them out here then if they’re not for eating?”
“To drive you nuts.” She smiled.
“Tempting a man with something he wants but can’t have isn’t very nice, you know?”
Though East might be talking about a cupcake, Chloe knew the feeling. She glanced at Gage in all his super hotness and wanted to strangle him for sitting in front of her. With all this talk about cupcakes, she wanted to steal Natalie’s frosting bag and decorate her favorite dessert. Then she’d lick it off and—
She huffed out a breath and glared at the opposite wall. No point in fantasizing about what she couldn’t have.
“Well, I’m off to get this in the case with the rest of them,” Natalie said. “You want a cupcake, Easton? You’ll have to come to my shop and buy one like everyone else.” Then she pranced off with her miniature edible artwork.
“That woman needs to lighten up,” East grumbled.
Now it was Chloe’s turn to roll her eyes. Even though they went way back, there was no way her sweet but strictly organized rule-following BFF would lighten up anytime soon.
“Well, if you’re done whining…” Chloe glanced at Gage. “You going to order something?”
“I’d like to order you to go to dinner with me,” Gage said.
She straightened her shoulders and placed her hands on her hips. Former sergeant Gage McGraw issuing an order kicked her pulse up a notch. His dominance made her want to salute and say, “Yes sir.”
No! She needed to stay strong until she got what she wanted—Gage without the commitment.
“No dinner. But how about a nightcap?” she countered.
“I’m going to go put different music on the jukebox,” East said. “Purely to get away from this conversation.” He got up and walked across the bar to the machine.
Which gave Chloe and Gage a moment alone, and the stare down was on. Not that she cared if East heard. She wasn’t ashamed of what she wanted with Gage.
Gage leaned in and put his arms on the counter. “I want a date, Chloe. Romance. And you’re going to give it to me.”
“Romance?” She almost dry heaved around the word. “Why is this so important to you?”
He stilled for a moment. “Because I want your time. And I’m a romantic guy.”
She looked over him. He was a lot of things, mostly hard muscle and sex on a stick. But romantic? If he was serious, she was in trouble, because there wasn’t a romantic bone in her body.
“Why are you fighting this?” he asked.
“Because I want your body.” It was the first honest thing she could blurt out.
He raised a brow and sat back with a hint of a smile. “So you’re using me for all this?” He gestured over his impressive chest encased in a black T-shirt and…oh God…camo pants. She had a thing for his tactile gear. Just the sight of him donning his big boots, butch watch, and macho swagger was enough to make her wet.
“Don’t think too long, sweetheart. Would hate for the drool on the side of your mouth to get any worse.”
Her face flushed. “Shut up.”
“Now, I’m going to try to not take too much offence about your unwillingness to go out with me. I’ll chalk it up to you being difficult.”
“Well aren’t you sweet,” she said sarcastically.