Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 96312 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 482(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96312 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 482(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
A sliver of bare skin caught my attention above the waistband of his jeans and below the T-shirt that had ridden up his back. Muscles moved under his skin, drawing my eyes until I felt the sudden shift from domesticity to something altogether different.
“You can let go now,” he said, looking up. A pine needle was caught in his stubble, right at the corner of his mouth.
Our eyes met, and for a heartbeat, I was back in the snow, feeling the weight of his body against mine. I released the tree abruptly, taking a step back.
“Perfect,” I said, wincing at my breathless tone. “Thanks. I’m, ah, embarrassed to admit you may have been right. The tree is enormous. The cabin isn’t quite as big as I thought.”
Without thinking, I reached out and plucked the pine needle from his face. His breath caught, and I pulled my hand back like I’d been shocked.
Maddox stood, brushing more pine needles from his jeans. “I usually am, and you’re not the first guy to think something was bigger than it is.” He shot me a wink.
I gave a shocked bark of laughter. “I promise some things are as big as I claim.”
He rolled his eyes and pointed to a box on the floor. “I found some stuff lying around our back room. You can use whatever you want for lights and decorations.”
Inside the box were five small boxes of new string lights, two boxes of silver and gold ball ornaments in various sizes, and three giant rolls of various wire-edged ribbon. Everything was clearly new, not something that had simply been “lying around.”
I glanced up at him in surprise. “Are you serious?”
He shrugged and glanced toward the window, where snow had begun to fall more heavily. “I should head back before this gets worse.”
As if in direct challenge to his words, our phones both blared with an emergency warning. I pulled out my phone to read the details.
Winter storm warning in effect. Expect blizzard conditions, high winds, and dangerous travel. Shelter in place and monitor local updates.
I grinned at him and bounced my eyebrows. “Mother Nature says you should stay and help me wrangle the lights on this bad boy.”
“Mother Nature can’t fucking make up her mind. It’s the storm that cried wolf.”
We moved to the window together. Outside, what had been gentle snowfall just minutes ago had intensified dramatically. I could no longer make out the driveway past Maddox’s truck as snow whipped across the landscape.
“Shit,” Maddox muttered. His shoulder brushed mine, and neither of us moved away this time.
Suddenly, I worried he’d ignore the conditions and the warning in an effort to leave.
“Please stay,” I urged, no longer joking. “Even if you know what you’re doing out there, other people might not.”
He sighed and pulled out his phone. “I need to check in with Maya, make sure she stays put.”
While he texted his sister, I refreshed the weather app, watching the storm’s progress with a mixture of concern and—if I was being completely honest with myself—a flutter of something like excitement or nerves.
Being snowed in with Maddox Sullivan hadn’t been on my Christmas list, but I couldn’t pretend I was disappointed.
“She’s at Rosie’s,” he reported, pocketing his phone. “Bonnie closed the store about twenty minutes ago after Rosie picked Maya up to take her to the ranch. They’re taking the weather alert seriously, and everyone’s canceling plans.”
“Speaking of cancellations,” I said, remembering the text I’d gotten right before he’d arrived. “My third date canceled this morning. That’s three for three. At this point, I’ve decided your sister’s paying people to back out.”
He rubbed his face with his hands. “Wouldn’t put it past her, but I’m surprised about Reid. He loves ice fishing, and I think he wanted to make his ex jealous by being seen with you.” He shrugged. “Did he say why?”
I shook my head. “Just that something had come up.”
I looked around at the beautiful tree, the snow coming down heavily outside, and the stack of firewood ready to light in the fireplace. The cabin felt cozy, intimate—like a scene from one of those holiday movies I pretended not to love.
“You know,” I said carefully, “we could film this. The tree decorating. We could light the fire, put license-approved holiday music on the Bluetooth speakers, and record it as the third date.”
“With me as your date?” Maddox shot me a familiar look, one that smacked of annoyance and disapproval. “People are already getting the wrong idea.”
He looked at me like he worried I was “people.”
“You’re right. Never mind,” I said easily, pretending his reminder didn’t sting.
I walked over to the bedroom and rifled through one of my bags to find my tripod.
When I returned to the living room, Maddox glared at me. “I said no.”
“I heard you. Make yourself comfortable, but stay out of my fucking frame.”