Chasing Desire (Chasing Love 3)

She nodded. Small fricking world, and Autumn was caught staring down the one man she never thought she’d see again. The same man that made her feel all…weird.

“So you live here?” she asked.

“I live in Diamond.”

Shit! Huck picked up on whatever expression she wore and asked, “What has you looking spooked?”

“I’m going to be in Diamond housesitting for Colt and Jenna.”

Huck’s smile was sly and victorious. “I know. Our friends want me to be your chaperone. Show you around town.”

Now she remembered the comment he’d made earlier about their friends thinking she deserved all two weeks with him.

“I can find my own way around town, thanks,” she said.

“Oh, I know. And what you do with those two weeks is your business. But first, we need to finish what we started.”

“Uh-huh.” She rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help the small smile that tugged her lips. “Why don’t you tell me what your angle is?”

“Angle?” He looked her up and down in a way that made her body kick into overdrive. “I have lots of angles I’m thinking about. Staring with you bent over—”

“I mean your motivation,” she said, placing her fingers against his mouth to silence where his description was headed. He instantly pulled them between his teeth and delivered a little bite.

“I just want one night with you. Not an hour. Not two hours. The whole night.”

“Just one?”

He nodded.

“So you want a night, then you’d leave me alone for the time I’m in Diamond?”

When she spelled it out, he looked almost shocked, like no woman had caught on to this game of his before. “Well, yeah,” he said.

“Don’t look surprised, Huck. I’m not an idiot. I just want to be clear. One night is all you want, right?”

If expectations were upfront, she could steel herself against the rest. She wouldn’t dupe herself into thinking there was more when there clearly wasn’t. Huck wasn’t a more kind of guy, and she wasn’t the more kind of girl. Even when she wanted more, no one wanted it from her. But she couldn’t be let down if she knew what to expect.

That didn’t mean she was giving in to him…yet.

“Give me the one night I’m after, and then I’ll walk away,” he said.

“What about our friends? Don’t they want you to be my…what did you say? Chaperone?”

“You let me handle them.”

Truth was, she could use a good distraction from the reality of her situation. Whatever happened with him, it would still be temporary. And it would still be the blessed relief she craved.

Her body was a greedy bitch and begging for the feel of him, and getting lost in pleasure for an evening may not be so bad. Especially if it meant she could refocus on moving forward in her own life afterward. She needed a dose of control, and she could use him to get it.

Time to put the playboy in his place.

She swayed a little closer and buttoned one of the buttons on his shirt, then the last one. His body tensed, and he skimmed his nose over her forehead, as if liking the intimate moment. She braced herself. She wouldn’t get lost in him again. She was in charge, and it would stay that way.

After fastening the tie, she pressed her finger along his jaw and gently scraped it with her nail. He growled, and a dark heat lit his eyes.

“One night, Autumn,” he rasped, and it almost sounded like a plea.

She met his gaze and smiled. “I’ll think about it.” With that, she pulled away. “I need to finish fixing this.”