Chapter One
Bells over the door chimed as Gage stepped past the threshold of Chase’s Bed and Breakfast. Ahhh… The house was much cooler than his ’71 Camaro. Why hadn’t he flown here instead of driving a classic car with no air conditioner in August? Because he was too damned impetuous for his own good.
As he waited for the elusive Summer, Gage recalled his aunt’s tale of the young widow. Summer Chase had opened a bed and breakfast after her husband died in a car accident. She’d needed the money. He felt sorry for her. It must have been tough to open her home to outsiders.
He heard shuffling and looked up. A woman stood in the doorway, clad in a turquoise one-piece bathing suit and matching sarong cover-up. He let his gaze travel the length of her. Luscious. Possibly the sexiest woman he’d ever seen. Hills and valleys in all the right places. The longest brown hair. He itched to tangle his fingers in it. Gage imagined her walking to him, naked, hair drifting around her bountiful body.
“Hello, can I help you?”
Ah, a lovely voice for a lovely woman. “Summer Chase?”
“Yes, and you are?”
Christ. He hadn’t expected her to look so damn edible.
He stood and held out his hand. “Gage Knight. My Aunt Bev is a friend of yours.”
She took his hand, and her eyes widened as she caught his words. “Little Gage?”
That damned nickname! His aunt would kill his personal life yet. “Please, just Gage.”
She laughed. “Of course, sorry about that. I’ve just heard so much about you. Heck, I feel like I know you.”
He liked her warm and inviting laugh. “All good things, I hope.”
She winked at him. “Mostly.”
“Well, don’t listen to the bad things. My aunt just likes to talk.”
“She’s a very dear lady.”
“About that. Did she happen to call and tell you I was coming?”
“Yep, she called.”
He smiled. “I was hoping you might be able to put me up for the week.”
“Did your Aunt Bev tell you I could keep you for the entire week?”
Heat filled his cheeks. “Not exactly. Until I got here, I wasn’t sure how long I’d be staying.”
Driving straight through from Ohio, stopping only for gas and bathroom breaks, had his muscles aching. Only a solid eight hours of sleep would help him feel alive again. Thirty-two years old, and he was feeling it.
“Gage, you’re in luck. A couple had to cancel at the last minute, so I do have a room ready, and it’s available to you for the entire week as well.”
“Thank you! You’re a goddess.”
She laughed. “Follow me. You look like you could use a cold drink.”
She started out of the room, and Gage jumped at her offer. “I’d be forever grateful. The last leg of the trip was hot as blazes.”
She stopped and turned. “Your car doesn’t have air conditioning?”
“I drive a 1971 Camaro. The only air is from the open windows.”
She whistled and kept walking. “Wow. All the way from Ohio?”
“Unfortunately.”
When she entered the kitchen and headed for a cupboard, Gage leaned against the doorframe and scanned his surroundings. The kitchen was spacious and well lit by the many windows. He could see a deck out back. Since the house backed up to the beach, he wondered if she’d been sunning herself when he’d arrived.
Crossing his arms over his chest, Gage watched her precise movements. He could stare at the sway of her hips for hours and not get bored.
“Was the trip a last minute decision?” Summer asked as she reached into a cabinet to grab a couple of glasses.
“Yeah. I’m sort of burned out from work. I needed the R and R.”
“What do you do for a living?”
“Aunt Bev didn’t tell you?”
“If she did, I don’t remember.” She placed the glasses on the counter before grabbing a pitcher from the refrigerator. “Iced tea okay?”