Tell Me You Need Me

by Joya Ryan

  “We messed around,” Chloe said. “But no main course.”

  “Ah, rough.”

  Tell me about it.

  That ache to feel Gage’s skin against hers—to lock her legs around him as he buried himself inside her over and over—was becoming overwhelming. She was getting cranky waiting for him to give up on the romance thing and give in to the lust that’d gotten them this far.

  “I mean, the other stuff is good and last night was great.” Her face warmed—one recollection of his tongue and feeling him deep in her throat was all it took to get her worked up. “I just want sex. Is that so wrong?”

  “You’re preaching to the caterer,” Natalie said.

  Chloe raised a brow. “Really?”

  “What? It’s so hard to believe I want a fun sweaty night of…of…” She frowned at the ground, searching for the word.

  “Passion?” Chloe offered.

  Natalie snapped her finger, her big eyes wide. “Yes! Passion.”

  Oh boy. Maybe Chloe should stop bitching, because the one thing she had with Gage was passion. So much it freaked her out.

  “He wants romance. A date.” Chloe shuddered.

  “But until he gets his romance, he’s not putting out?”

  “Yep.” Chloe sighed. After last night, it was clear Gage would only give her as much as she gave him. The longer she was hell bent against romance, the longer she’d go without sex. Unless there was a way to break him.

  “Well, while you’re busy not having sex, I’m going to my shop to not have sex either. Wanna do girls night later this week and we can drown our celibate sorrows in some Rocky Road while watching a Nick Sparks movie?”

  “Sounds like a date,” Chloe said, which was the most hypocritical thing she could have said. There she stood, not having sex with a man she wanted to have sex with while the smell of burned food and irritation crept in around her.

  She was not caving. Not developing feelings. Not giving in.

  Nope…she was perfectly fine.

  The pan hissed at her as if sensing her mood. So she scowled back and crossed her arms.

  “Perfectly fine.”

  Gage zipped his pack and glanced out the window of his temporary office—a rustic cabin in the forestry department. The team was waiting on him so they could continue their training. But all he could think about was the other night with Chloe.

  She was going to send him to his grave with a permanent hard-on and enough cold showers under his belt to start a drought in North Carolina. She was smart and sexy, and out of all the women he’d met, she was the only one who challenged him on a level that made him stand up and take notice.

  He knew what she was doing. She was stringing him along, hoping he’d give up and give in. Little did she know that the more they played this game, the more determined he was to win.

  A little distance from her, however, had given him enough space to think. After all…what in the world would he do if she ever gave him what he wanted? He wanted to try the romance thing with her for at least a night to get an idea of what it’d be like.

  And if she did agree to something where they expected more than hot sex whenever he happened to come through town? Then he just hoped she’d agree that a long-distance relationship was best. He couldn’t give up the independence that let him rescue anyone wherever duty called him. He had to be able to go wherever someone needed him.

  The glimpse he’d gotten into her mind all the times he’d been here before left him wanting more. He wasn’t a fan of the no-sex thing, but one meal, one date to look at her and see her in a new way wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe then they’d both know if this was worth pursuing.

  Yet she pushed back at every attempt he made.

  She had said sweet things to him, though. Score one point for him.

  The woman was irritating at worst and sexy as hell at best. And that was just scratching the surface. There was a lot more to Chloe Franklin. And that was what Gage was trying to get to.

  He knew her mom had died a couple of years ago, and he knew that they’d been very close.

  He replayed the first few times he’d been with Chloe. She’d clung to him, and there’d been a sadness in her. He’d felt it in her every touch, in every plea she gave him to be touched back. He’d only found out later that her mom had died so soon before Chloe had hooked up with him, and it had been then that he realized why she’d been so hungry to lose herself in his arms. Why she’d consumed him and begged to be consumed in return.

  He’d tried asking her about it the next time he came into town, but she’d shut him up with a kiss on his mouth and a hand on his cock.

  So he had come up with unique ways to get her to open up without her knowing. Asking basic, simple questions that gave insight to her deeper feelings. Like how she loved chocolate but only ate it when she was stressed or sad. She’d eaten a lot of chocolate after her mother had died. But still, she’d never opened up to him about it. Or about her life.

  He’d had women open up to him from day one in a ploy to pin him down, but it was the one who wouldn’t let him in who’d hooked him from moment one.

  And he was sure now that she liked him. And damn it, he liked her—she was perfect for him. Well. Almost. He had to break past her aversion to romance first.

  But…what if he couldn’t?

  He shook his head. No, he still had time. He could wear her down and show her having a relationship built around more than sex wasn’t so bad.

  “You about ready?” East walked in, fully geared up, just like Gage was. Camo, painted face, pack strapped to his back, tools and weapons at the ready.

  Enough about romance—Gage was looking forward to today. He’d rather be out in the field, but while waiting for the next mission, he’d busy himself taking a new Search & Rescue team through difficult drills. Come hell or high water, they’d be ready. And if they weren’t? He’d be there with them to pick up the slack.

  First order of business: take the recruits through a mock rescue. The guys would go out, follow the clues East and Gage had set up, then finally find the mock victim. Gage and East were in camo in order to stay hidden while following and watching the team’s performance. The team in training was in bright orange so they’d be easy to spot while they completed the mock rescue.

  “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?”

  “Depends on how badly you want her.”

  Gage shook his head. East did have a point: Chloe was no stranger to adjusting the rules of this game to benefit her. Why shouldn’t he do the same? He’d use what he had to his advantage.

  “Why are you helping me out?” Gage asked.

  “Because,” East said, “I think you and Chloe are great and terrible for each other. If your plan works, great. If not, you’re going to be knocked on your ass, and I’m not going to miss an opportunity to say I told you so when she hands you your nuts.”

  “Noted,” Gage grumbled. But this was the best plan he had at the moment.

  “By the way,” East said, finally checking his text message. “Our mock victim canceled. He has the flu.”

  Shit. Gage checked his watch. He had one hour to get into position before the men showed up to start their mission. Where was he going to find a new mock victim on such short—

  This was either the best or worst idea he’d had yet.

  “I’ll take care of the victim,” he said. “But we have to get going.”

  And he was now going to be staying in his camo for longer than he’d thought.

  Chloe sighed and walked around the entrance to the state park where Gage had texted her to meet him. All he’d said was: This is not a dinner date. Wear jeans, tennis shoes, and long sleeves.

  She had half a mind to tell him to take his “non-date” into the mountains and make sure it was never found, but then again, she needed a day off from the stress of preparing the restaurant. What better way to spend it than jean clad and tem
pting the S&R expert who’d been featured in her fantasies last night?

  Hopefully he was finally starting to see reason. The other night, he’d left her wanting more of him. She might have been naked on a table, but he’d cleaned up nicely with his button-up shirt and clean-shaven face. He was hot, and he’d come over ready to take her out. Part of her felt slightly guilty at her deception, but that dwindled when she remembered how well he’d eaten her…dessert.

  “Gage?” she called out. The trees to her left rustled, and she spun. Something emerged from the thick canopy of shadows, and she stepped back and gasped.

  Gage was in camo pants and a tight green T-shirt, and his face had war paint streaked across it. A massive knife was strapped to his thigh. Complete with a butch black watch and backpack, he looked like GI Joe come to life.

  Yes, please.

  She liked the way he cleaned up, but honestly, she loved the dirty, dangerous side of him even more. He was all man, muscle, and…

  He pulled a small daisy from behind his back and handed it to her with a wink.

  Romantic.

  Only Gage could pull off the romantic version of Rambo.

  She stood frozen. Maybe she should’ve gotten herself lost in the woods ages ago. Hell, if this guy came to her rescue, she’d play the part of the damsel in distress all day long.

  “You look like you’re in shock there, sweetheart.” He tucked the daisy behind her ear. His fingers lingered a moment by her face, and she leaned into his touch. “I’m equipped to handle people in shock, you know?”

  She struggled to stop staring and pause the naughty fantasies involving Gage and his camo. She’d be damned if she fell for whatever he was up to.

  “I ah…” She blinked a few times, finally breaking her staring competition with his impressive pecs. “Just admiring the scenery.”

  “Uh-huh.” He flexed his abs enough to call her bullshit. He knew exactly what scenery she was admiring.

  “What’s going on?” she asked, trying to keep her voice normal. But he stepped closer, and those fantasies started to take over again. He looked rough, tough, and a little dirty, but he smelled like pine and spice, and she’d bet her salary he tasted like sweet cinnamon.