Take the Bait by Pippa Brook

He’s used to getting what he wants.
He’s not used to wanting forever.

Chrissy came to Lake Mercury for a quiet summer of figuring out her life. She did not come here to get beaten in a kayak race by the cockiest man on the lake.
Ace has always been the golden boy of Mercury Ridge — charming, competitive, and impossible to ignore. When a mystery woman matches him stroke for stroke before sunrise, he’s not just intrigued. He’s obsessed.

An impromptu race at dawn leads to joining the same relay team. The relay team leads to late nights under string lights. And somewhere between stolen fries and stolen kisses, a summer fling starts to feel like forever.

But Chrissy stopped believing in forever a long time ago. And Ace has never wanted it — until now.
Take the Bait is part of the Lake Mercury Lovers series:
Small town. Hot summer. Zero chance of staying single.
Welcome to Mercury Ridge, where the lake is busy, the nights are hotter, and Thursday pizza at Mercury Slice is practically a requirement.

Ace. Joel. Liam. Trent. Forrest.
Five best friends who’ve spent their whole lives here—fishing, working, and minding their own business.
Until this summer.

Because one by one, the right women walk into town… and suddenly, “just one season” turns into something a whole lot harder to walk away from.
Between kayak races, fishing competitions, movie nights on the water, and fireworks that light up more than the sky, Mercury Ridge has a way of bringing people together—and not letting them go.

Five fast, steamy romances. One tight-knit town. And a summer no one’s forgetting.

Each book in the Lake Mercury Lovers series is a short, steamy, low-angst instalove romance featuring a protective hero, a swoony happily ever after, and no cheating or cliffhangers.