“I’d love to help.” She looked between Chase and Jeremy. “Just tell me what you need me to do and I’ll do it.”

Jeremy dragged her off almost before the words were out of her mouth. But not before she caught Chase’s smile.

And the fact that whatever disappointment had been there was now erased…desire and appreciation taking its place without even missing a beat.

* * *

The day flew by. Chase didn’t really need much direction with the clothes and Chloe knew he was only asking her opinions to make her feel involved. At first she was reluctant to say much. She didn’t want to screw up his photo shoot, after all. But, just as it had been the day before, it was hard not to get swept up in the magic of it all. They were creating beautiful fairy tales out in the vines and without thinking, she began to cinch in the waists on dresses and sew up hems. Not only that, but when she actually disagreed with the way the accessories he’d put together were clashing, she was amazed to realize that her choices were better.

And through it all, even though they were surrounded by the crew, attraction pulsed between them.

A part of her—the biggest part—wanted to run again. But with every hour that she spent working with Chase and his crew, she realized she simply couldn’t leave them in the lurch. Plus, in those moments when she forgot to worry, she realized she was enjoying herself. A great deal.

At the end of the night, Amanda said, “We heard there’s an awesome Mexican restaurant downtown.”

Chase raised an eyebrow. “No margaritas.”

Chloe could guess how he was with his sisters. Loving. Protective. But not overwhelming them with rules and regulations.

He was obviously a great brother. He’d make a great father.

The thought stopped her in her tracks but she didn’t have time to dissect it because Jeremy was asking, “Should we save you guys seats?”

Chloe felt Chase’s eyes on her, knew he wanted her to make the decision to either go with the group and hide out in the crowd like a coward…or face him alone. Planting a smile on her face that she was sure no one bought, she said, “I think I’m going to hang here again tonight.”

“Have a good time. I’m sure Kalen doesn’t want to work any harder than she already is on makeup, so get some sleep tonight, ladies.”

“I’d like to go check on Alice.”

Chase nodded. “Me, too.”

The silence between them was fraught with all the things Chloe knew couldn’t remain unsaid for too much longer. They drove over to the hotel where the crew was staying. Feeling terrible that they’d obviously woken Alice up from much needed sleep—she looked horribly pale and weak—they didn’t stay long.

Chase waited until they’d pulled up in front of the guest house before turning to her. “We need to talk.”

“I know.”

“You were going to leave.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes,” she admitted softly, “I was.”

“Why?”

She shook her head, hating how difficult it was to be honest. But knowing she had to be. “I obviously can’t control myself around you.”

Chase’s mouth moved up into one of those beautiful smiles of his. “I’m glad.”

She shook her head. “It isn’t a good thing.”

“Why not? Why do you need to control yourself around me?”

She opened her mouth to tell him all the reasons why, but suddenly, all she could remember was how good it felt when he was kissing her, how good his hands felt as they moved across her skin.

Everything had been good.

“I—” She stopped, tried to straighten out her head before continuing. “We—”

Darn it, instead of her thoughts straightening out, they were spinning off in a crazy direction.

A really crazy direction.

She was changing a lot of things in her life, right? She was going to stop running. She wasn’t going to back down from a threat anymore. And she was going to stand up and take what she wanted when she wanted it.

Lord, did she ever want Chase.

She couldn’t be thinking this, knew better than to even go there, but—

“Oh, hell,” she muttered. Chase lifted an eyebrow at her soft curse and she made herself face him squarely. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this.” She swallowed, grasped her hands in front of her in a nervous gesture she couldn’t contain. “I honestly don’t even know how to say it.”

“You sure know how to keep a guy on the edge,” he said in a slightly husky tone.

Chloe took a deep breath and forced herself to just spit it out. “Maybe we should just have a fling.”

“A fling?”

She could feel a flush moving across her skin. “Sure. Like you said, why not?” Beyond nervous, she started babbling. “Last night was really great and you’re right, I was a little drunk, and I probably would have woken up in the morning and felt weird about it all. But I’m not drunk now.”

“No,” he said, his intense eyes never leaving hers once, “you’re not.”

“I’ve decided I’m going to stay to help. For the rest of the shoot. I’m not going to pack my bag up again and come find you to say goodbye. No matter what happens, you can count on me.”

Oh God, this was awkward. Why wasn’t he just grabbing her and taking what she was trying so pathetically to offer?

“You and I obviously have something between us. We’re both consenting adults. It just seems to make sense while I’m here and you’re here that we could maybe just, well, enjoy that.”

“Are you saying you want to have sex with me?”

Oh God. She’d almost climaxed from the husky sound of his voice...and what he’d said.

“Yes.” The word came out shaky with need. “A lot.”

His mouth quirked up at the two words she’d stolen from his breakfast note.

She could feel, could see, how much he wanted her. And yet he wasn’t pulling her into his arms, wasn’t just taking her right there between the rows of vines under the rising moon.

“Of all the things I thought you were going to say to me today, Chloe, this wasn’t on the list.”

Seriously? She’d just killed herself laying it all out on the line and he was going to be honorable again, wasn’t he?

No, no, no!

“Kiss me again.”

“I promised myself I wouldn’t take anything from you that you didn’t want to give.”