For one breathless moment, their eyes met, and there was a world of possibility between them. She resisted an insane urge to stroke her fingers along his skin, forcing herself to let go.

“It’s an offer I can’t refuse,” she admitted, needing this chance he’d given her not only to pay her rent, but to end the hardscrabble months she’d struggled through ever since her divorce. “If you’re willing to take me to Tahoe with you, I’d be grateful for the introduction to Chiara.”

She hadn’t realized until that moment how tense he’d been, but now she could see the lines of his shoulders relax as he nodded.

“Good.” He checked his watch, his forearm flexing under the charcoal-colored leather strap. “You’ll have time to pack in the morning. I hope to leave by noon tomorrow.”

“I’ll be ready,” she assured him, relaxing a fraction now that they were in agreement about something. “How long will we be in Tahoe?”

“Three days should be sufficient for me.” He was close now, near enough for her to catch the scent of his aftershave. “Will that give you enough time?”

She breathed deeply, letting the hint of cedarwood tantalize her senses. She wanted to tell herself that she felt drawn to him only because they’d shared a sensual connection and a romantic history, but she knew there was more at work between them than that. It didn’t help that she’d been feeling vulnerable tonight, and Gage had appeared at her door with a chance for her to reclaim some financial independence.

The gift may have been dropped into her lap in an effort to distract her from pursuing the mystery of Alonzo Salazar, but it was still a gift. And she was grateful.

“Three days is fine,” she answered, suspecting the hardest part about the trip would be avoiding the draw of the man beside her.

“Excellent.” He gave a clipped nod. “I’ll let the pilot know there will be two of us for the flight. We’ll head over to the airstrip at noon.”

“Thank you.” She hugged her arms around herself, mostly to ensure she didn’t do something unwise like reach out and touch him again. The memory of his skin under her fingertips burned in her brain. “I appreciate the invitation, Gage.”

His name sounded intimate on her lips. Maybe because it was late, and they were alone. Maybe because a bed waited in the next room.

His attention dipped to her lips for an instant and her mouth went dry. It seemed like forever since they’d kissed, and yet she remembered with perfect clarity how he’d savored her lips with infinite tenderness. Devoured her with all the hunger and urgency of taut, fiery need.

But before the moment could spin out of control, he took a step back.