His hand covered her mouth as she screamed with her release. Her eyes widened—if his firm palm hadn’t stifled her cries, she would have brought the roof down.

She panted and moaned against his hand, squeezing her eyes shut as her orgasm went on and on. Snapping her skin like angry, lusty fingers. Sharp, and loud, and heady. Gage was right there, ready to come with her.

He hardened another degree inside her, and the sensation kicked her already unrelenting passion into overdrive. She pressed her mouth further against his palm, trying to contain her yell. Gage bit down on the curve of her shoulder to mask his own shout. Pride soared through her as he hummed against her skin from his own powerful release.

He breathed hard against her and finally eased his grip, rolling to his side and wrapping his arms around her.

“Chloe, you tempt me like no other.”

“Just a friendly welcome back,” she said, out of breath as he eased his hand away.

He chuckled low in her ear. “And what a welcome it is.”

She only had a few hours of Gage time over the weekend, and she’d already spent the first hour doing what they did best. Between both of their jobs, these stolen hours were all they had—which was good—but she took advantage while she could. The heat of his body would keep her satisfied for the dry spell to follow.

“I want more,” she said. The chance to see his amazing naked body. To kiss and feel him more. All of it. She only had the weekend, and she had a big checklist to get through that involved his body and all the ways she wanted to be wrapped around it.

“Me too.” He nipped her earlobe. “Especially since we have a few weeks to see where this goes.”

Her eyes snapped open. “What?”

He leaned back, eyebrows raised—her reaction evidently not what he’d expected. But she couldn’t help it. She rose to her feet and adjusted her clothes. Gage stood as well and buckled his belt.

“Did you say a few weeks? You’re staying for that long?”

He frowned. “Yeah. I was thinking I could take you out for once and—”

“Take me out?” His words were like a bucket of ice water to the face. “Like on a date?”

He stepped so close she couldn’t mistake the heat between them and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I want to be with you, Chloe. Now I have time to get to know you more than one weekend at a time.”

Oh God…

Her body hummed with so much need and confusion she thought she’d topple over. But she had to be honest. “Gage, I want you. You know I want you…”

He smiled and pressed against her further.

“But I don’t want to date you,” she finished.

When he stepped back, the look on his face made her chest tighten and her heart race.

The strong search and rescue badass of a man did not look happy.

Chapter Two

“I’m not dating him.” Chloe tied a short apron around her waist and walked around the bar to get ready for the lunch rush. Living upstairs was a big plus for Chloe’s nonexistent commute to work. She ran the restaurant and bar, trying to keep her mother’s life’s work a lucrative success. Her best friend, Natalie, had a small room for her cupcake shop off to the left-hand side of the house.

“You guys have sex every time he comes into town?” Natalie slowly applied frosting to one of her locally famous cupcakes. There was flour dusted on her apron and sweater set. She shoved her thick glasses up her nose, spreading buttercream on her face, then went back to her task.

“Well, yeah.”

“Call it what you want.” Natalie licked a dab of frosting off one of her fingers. “Whatever it is, it sounds like the perfect arrangement to me.”

Chloe glanced at the balcony above where she’d been with Gage the night before. A tremble from the memory crept up her back. She shook it off. The upstairs was being remodeled in time for the twentieth anniversary of the restaurant, an event Chloe hoped would kick-start a busier year.

She should be focused on the remodel and anniversary. Instead, she’d spent all night wrapped in thoughts about Gage and what he wanted from her.

Natalie eyed her. “I hear he’s sticking around for a while this time.”

Chloe groaned—how was she going to last with him staying in town for longer than a weekend? “Depends on how unlucky I am.”

Natalie shook her head. “Why do you look like that’s bad news?” She placed a few chocolate shavings on the cupcake. “I can think of worse things than having him hang around.”

“I can’t be with him more than a night or two,” Chloe mumbled. “I like our arrangement. But he wants to…take me out. You know.” She glanced around, like she was worried someone would overhear them. “On a date.”

Natalie slapped the piping bag down on the counter. “That dick! What man would have the nerve to ask a beautiful woman out on a date?”

Chloe sighed. Okay, so Natalie was giving her shit, and yeah, Chloe probably sounded crazy. But this was bad. “You know I don’t do commitment, Nat.”

She raised a brow. “You’re committed to this place. Committed to the town and your mama’s memory. I’d say you do it fine.”

“I mean commitment with a man. I just…don’t.” The thought alone gave her hives, and even though Gage was banging in the sack—literally—three weeks was treading into dangerous waters. Because she didn’t need to like him beyond their arrangement. Didn’t need him, period.

At least, she didn’t want to need him. She was already sold on his brand of passion. No reason to complicate things more with feelings, long term, or dating.

“Besides, you said it, I’m committed to Beaufort. Gage comes and goes. Even if I wanted more, which I don’t”—unless it involved him naked—“he’s not the guy.”

In fact, he was the exact wrong guy. She’d seen what getting hung up waiting for her dad had done to her mother.

Working at the restaurant, honoring her mother’s business and dream, those were what she took seriously. The restaurant was her home. Her career. Her life. But it had taken a dip a few years ago when her mother had gotten cancer. The famous menu she’d handcrafted had been condensed to the things Chloe knew she could provide at the same high quality, but it wasn’t enough. Without her mother’s passion and charm, business was slipping.

Chloe’s mission was to turn Honey’s around and bring back the staple foods her mother had been famous for. She wasn’t going anywhere, and she also wasn’t signing up for three weeks of blurred lines with Gage. She wouldn’t run the risk of developing expectations when attraction was more than enough with him.

Natalie put a flour-caked hand on Chloe’s shoulder. “I feel for you. And I understand. Doesn’t mean I agree with your decision to stay away from the hottie. Did you see his butt?”

Chloe laughed. Yeah, she’d seen it. Gage McGraw was as fine and strong as they came.

“There’s too much going on to even think about more than sex.”

Natalie raised an eyebrow. “Too much going on?”

Chloe nodded. “The twentieth anniversary for the restaurant is in a couple of weeks, and I’m still adjusting to running this place.”

Even though her mother had passed two years ago, Chloe still struggled to take over everything left to her. Her life was full and busy—and she was failing. She’d never be Mary “Honey” Franklin. Her mother had been strong, kind and good at everything she tried. So sweet that everyone called her “Honey.” Which was how the restaurant got its name.

Natalie leaned in. “If you know what you want, and you’re set, then stick with it. Sometimes you have to cheat at his rules or play by your own.”

That got Chloe’s attention real quick. It made sense. She wanted Gage; Gage wanted her. Should be simple. But he was throwing this “get to know you” bit into the mix. If she wanted him, she’d have to play dirty and be prepared to run after him before he caught her and tied her to a table for dinner talk.