“You’re going to cover the first quadrant,” Gage said. “I’ve got the second. Boys should find the checkpoint in a few hours.”

Going into bear country on a ten-mile hike of unforgiving terrain was exactly what he needed. At least he hoped it’d be enough to take his mind off Chloe.

East smiled. “Still thinking about her, huh?”

Shit, was he that transparent?

“Just getting ready.” He gave the zipper on his pack a final tug.

“Uh-huh. So you’re still not getting any.”

Technically he was getting plenty. He just wasn’t getting what he wanted. Which was worse, because it left him wanting a hell of a lot more. Christ, he could still taste her. Feel her smooth skin and the hint of peaches as he ate the most perfect fruit slices he’d ever had.

“You’re her friend. Why is she so damn stubborn?”

East shrugged. “She doesn’t do commitment.”

“I gathered,” Gage grumbled. “But it’s not like I’m asking for a ton of time. Just more than a weekend.”

And if that worked, maybe more. But he couldn’t present the idea of a long-distance relationship to Chloe when she gagged over the notion of a single date. But if she’d go on one date, they’d know how well they worked together in and out of the bedroom.

So fine. He’d wear her down and give her a bit of sex in exchange for romance.

“Anything longer than a weekend could be considered a lot of time to her,” East said. “Besides, what’s your end game here?”

“To get to know Chloe better.”

“Yeah, but you’re leaving as soon as the next mission calls.”

“I always leave.” Gage hesitated. “But I could come back more often. Stay for a bit longer when I do. Circumstances depending.”

East raised an eyebrow. “Yeah? What kind of circumstances?”

“Chloe.”

“Oh, I thought you were going to say you could work here. Like maybe training full-time. We could use a head of S&R for emergency services in North Carolina. You could be stationed here in Beaufort.”

Gage almost laughed. East had never been the subtle type, but he ought to know better than to try to tempt Gage with something he’d never wanted in the first place.

“No thanks.” He didn’t stay anywhere too long—it was in his DNA to be in the field. Physically doing something, helping. As soon as the next mission came, he’d be long gone. What kind of man would he be if he only took missions locally? What if someone needed him four states away? He’d never be able to sleep at night if someone died after he hadn’t gone there himself.

“I’m here until the next mission,” he said. “Don’t get any ideas.”

“Well then why are you trying to date Chloe if you’re always going to leave?”

“People make things work. A lot of couples work around jobs that keep them busy in other states. Just think about military families when someone’s deployed.”

The difference was he could come back to Beaufort—and Chloe—on his down time. He’d have someone to come home to. If she’d ever go for it.

“But none of this really matters right now,” Gage went on. “She can’t seem to stay around me for longer than a couple of hours, so—”

“So you figured you’d use your layover to test it out,” East finished. “And convince her of your grand plan while you’re at it. Tactical approach.”

Why was he saying that like it was a bad thing? It was smart—and yes, tactical. So what?

“Either way, more time equals more commitment,” East finally said. “Staying or going, it all comes back to you asking for something neither of you ever thought was an option. Hell, something neither of you wanted to be an option.”

Until he’d almost dropped off the side of a cliff. “People change.”

“Yeah. You happen to tell her what inspired you to change?”

Gage crossed his arms. “She won’t even go on a date with me. You want me to tell her she was my last thought when I was about to die?”

“Sincerity wouldn’t be the worst idea.”

Gage looked away. Maybe he’d tell her his secret one day, but now? He wasn’t an idiot. He couldn’t open up to her like that.

Better to focus on what they were good at and build from there. They already did the coming and going thing so well. Taking their relationship to the next level wouldn’t be so bad, would it?

A date with her would be the start of something real. Because no matter how many places he’d traveled, Chloe felt the most welcoming. The warmest. The most like home.

East raised his eyebrows. “So basically, you want some kind of commitment.”

Yes! A commitment was exactly what he wanted—but Gage shrugged. “I’m open to it.”

“Ah, but guess who hates commitment?” East teased.

And they were back to square one.

East’s phone pinged with a text message, but he didn’t answer it. Instead, his friend looked him dead in the eye. “Trying to convince a woman who hates commitment to wait around for you isn’t going to go over well. But hey, I’m not a romantic like you.”

Gage shook his head. His plan was solid, he just had to stick to it. Staying in one place too long made him restless. He was meant to move, to search and seek out, which was why he was so good at his job. But he wanted to come back to Chloe. That counted for something, didn’t it?

“Chloe knows I move around a lot,” he said. “She’ll be fine if I’m upfront about what she’s getting into.”

“So let me get this straight.” East scratched the side of his jaw. “You can commit to a woman but not a place, and she can commit to a place but not a man?”

Gage’s eyes shot wide. If that wasn’t the fucking shit of it. Beaufort was Chloe’s hometown. The few times they’d talked in the past, she’d mentioned her mother had lived here…and died here. That one thing alone gave Chloe a connection to this place Gage had never experienced.

For this to work, he’d have to convince Chloe to give him a more committed long-distance relationship. If she was okay with him coming and going, surely, in time, he could convince her to take their relationship to the next level. Right?

Mission accepted.

“I still think this could work,” Gage said, liking this renewed vigor for convincing Chloe to date him. “It’s a matter of showing up and proving the benefits.”

Either way, it was a win-win. No matter how he spun it, it all boiled down to getting to know her wants and needs better. He just wanted to know when he came back from each mission, she’d be there ready to welcome him home—and not as a booty call. He wanted to be near her. Have a connection. Someone to have dinner with and wake up to every morning.

East chuckled. “The benefits to a committed-sporadic-long-distance relationship. But in the meantime, you’re going to continue your recon mission on Chloe whether or not she’s willing to give you a commitment.” He punched Gage’s arm. “Good luck.”

Gage’s eyes widened. Christ, when East said it like that, it sounded terrible. All he was trying to do was gather information and get the best outcome possible. “It’s not like that…”

East adjusted his pack on his shoulder. “You know there’s another way to go about this.”

Gage lifted a brow in question.

“You could be the one to adjust. Take a training job—which you’re good at—and stay. Prove to Chloe you want her whether you’re hanging out here or not.”

Gage frowned. “Are you seriously back to that already?”

“Judging by your grumpy face, I’m assuming you’ll think about it,” East said lightheartedly. “But in the meantime, use what you have to your advantage.”

“What do you mean?”

East shrugged. “You want to know Chloe more? Then use what you already know. Get her to break by playing on her weaknesses. It’s no secret she has a thing for guys in camo.”

Camo? Come to think of it, she did give him extra-long glances whenever he was donning his gear…

“Are you saying I should parade myself in front of her like a damn pageant queen?”