“But I’m not about to let this slip. Because I think you kind of like me.” He tossed her a wink, and damn him, she did kind of like him. That wasn’t a secret—between the hours of sex in the past, they’d lain in bed and talked and laughed. But those were brief moments in the bedroom, and they only lasted a weekend. She could play it cool for a few hours, but a few weeks was different. All the baggage, emotions, and stuff she didn’t like to think about had more time to fester and come out.
Deep down, she knew what she was capable of. She could get sucked in to all this…intimacy crap. And she didn’t want to even toe the line with a guy like Gage. She’d get caught up in his smile, his body, and she’d end up wanting him in a way she couldn’t. A way she shouldn’t.
Nope. No way she’d ever show that side of herself to anyone. The only time she gave up her prized indifference was when Gage took it in the bedroom, because he knew exactly what she needed. He tapped into every desire and fantasy she had. She could be bound, at his mercy, completely taken over and totally powerful all at the same time.
She wanted—no—needed him to take over her body. Except he was holding his seduction hostage.
“I’m free tonight,” she said. “My place. Eleven?”
He raised a brow. “Why Chloe, are you asking me over for a booty call?”
“Yes, sir, I am.”
“Romantic dinner first. Seven o’ clock.”
She inhaled deeply. This was going to be more difficult than she thought. “Sorry, no dating. And definitely no romance.”
He shrugged. “Then no sex.”
“What?” she snapped, louder than she meant. Chloe cringed as people glanced in their direction. She leaned forward, lowering her voice. “You can’t be serious.”
“I’m completely serious, sweetheart. You give me what I want, and I’ll give you what you want.”
She gritted her teeth. “That’s blackmail.”
“It’s only blackmail if you really need something and I’m withholding it for my own gain… So yeah, I guess you’re right.” He smiled. “It is blackmail.”
He was being cute now because he knew how badly she needed his body. It’d been four months, and last night’s welcome back had only awakened her need. And now he was right in front of her—her own personal gourmet cupcake—teasing her with terms she wouldn’t fulfill.
Cheat at his rules or make your own…
She eyed him and raised her chin. “You wanna play, city boy? Looks like we’ll see who will outlast whom.” She ran her eyes over his impressive body—he was looking her up and down right back. “Seems I’m not the only one with a drooling problem.”
His eyes darted to hers. Finally, she had some kind of upper hand. Yes, he wanted romance, but he also wanted her. And she knew enough of his ticks to tempt the roughened man into seeing things her way.
She leaned over the bar, her cleavage all but spilling out over the top of her tank—Gage’s gaze dropped right where she wanted it—and she grinned.
“Like it or not, we both know last night wasn’t enough,” she said. “You want more, like I do. You want to blackmail me? Fine. But don’t think I won’t retaliate.”
He leaned in until his mouth was hovering over hers. “I expect nothing less.”
That stubborn, sexy woman was driving him insane. It was only his third day back in town, and he was already busting at the seams of both his patience and his damn pants.
“Here is an example of stomped-on underbrush,” Gage said to the team of search and rescue volunteers. East—his closest friend, besides Chloe—was at his side, helping him educate the new volunteers for basic training. The fun stuff would come later in the week, when they’d take the main team to the next level of Sartec training. He had to get his shit together quick or he wouldn’t be able to do his job.
Yesterday at the bar, Chloe had made it clear she was going to fight him on this romance idea. She knew what she was doing to him, and part of him liked the challenge. He wanted to know her more, and not just because she was different, sassy, and equipped with enough attitude to whip him so hard he could taste it. But when the rope had loosened and his grip had slipped—when he’d started falling—he’d thought of her.
Her eyes. Her face. How she looked so damn beautiful in the early morning light before sunrise. He’d spent hours watching shadows play over her face as she slept, and he always hated watching the clock count down to the end of their amazing weekends.
Did she miss him? Were the few details they knew about each other enough for her? It wasn’t enough for him—not even close. He wanted more of her, in every way—and he wanted her to know him back. Because she was the closest thing to an honest-to-God connection he had.
He needed to know if a relationship was even possible. Sure, it’d be long distance, but he’d come back here whenever he could if he had Chloe to come home to.
He didn’t want to think about what he’d do if this gambit failed. When it came to an S&R, he was prepared for the worst. When it came to being rejected by the one woman he’d ever wanted? He didn’t know what he’d do. Fortunately, he had a group of trainees to take his mind off Chloe.