She really hoped it was the latter. She grew up with a surly, short-tempered father, and she wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Especially the little girl who’d be getting these Fancy Nancy books.
Without asking first, Ruby selected a wide cream ribbon to go with the eggplant paper instead of the gold she would have normally used. The cream seemed less Christmassy. After tyingthe ribbon in a simple bow (she elected not to add any sprigs of greenery), she moved on to wrapping the child’s gift with the rose gold paper.
“I meant it, I’ll pay for the wrapping service,” he said. “How much is it for the two gifts?” He took out his wallet, and Ruby was surprised to see that it was a quality leather piece. She’d expected a canvas wallet. With Velcro. And also, there was something odd about the way this lumberjack spoke. He was dressed very stereotypical blue-collar Canadian, but he had a slight upper-class cadence, if there was such a thing in Canada. He was probably a generational wealth guy slumming in his denim. Hipster.
Ruby shook her head as she tied the same cream ribbon around the rose gold gift. “No, I insist. It’s the least I can do after you were so kind to help me with my tree.” She added a little pink teddy bear charm to the center of the bow.
“Thank you,” he said. He was still frowning.
“Of course.”
“You’re…” He hesitated. “Different here. You’re much more polite, and not rambling,”
Ruby had to strain not to laugh at that. She flashed her most charming sales associate smile. “I’m at work.” She narrowed her eyes. “But… you prefer me like this, don’t you?” she asked, letting a little hint of flirtation into her voice.
And the expression on his face was the best one yet. Surprised and a little embarrassed. The grump was actually blushing. Interesting. He was flattered by Ruby’s flirting. This guy was, maybe, a tiny bitintoher.
Ruby decided she wanted to prolong this interaction. Sheslid his two gifts across the counter to him. “Would you like me to show you around the store? We have some lovely gift options for any occasion.” She met the man’s eyes. Even considered batting her lashes a bit. Yeah, this guy’s aesthetic wasn’t her usual type at all, but did that matter? She was leaving the country in six weeks. And as grumpy as this lumberjack could be, he was clearly strong. Built. This could be a fun way to end her days in Canada.
He looked at her with those intense dark eyes before nodding slightly, a tiny smile reaching his eyes. “Okay. Show me your store, Ruby.”
The sound of her name on his lips did all sorts of things to her. “Of course,” she said, “follow me.”
She started at the back of the store. Reid’s Holiday didn’t carry a lot of clothes, since the focus was on gift giving, but they did have a small lingerie and sleepwear section since pajamas, robes, and sexy underwear were popular gifts. The mystery man didn’t say much as Ruby pointed out the silk pajamas and stockings. When she showed him a cashmere robe, he reached out to run his fingers lightly over the soft pink fabric. His hands were sexy. Soft-looking, which was surprising, considering he worked in construction.
“It feels decadent, doesn’t it,” Ruby said, letting her own fingers graze the luxurious knit. She’d love to own one of these robes, but she needed to save money for her move. “Anyone would appreciate this robe as a gift. I love fine fabrics against my skin.” She resisted the urge to saybareskin, but she hoped that’s what he was imagining.
He turned to her, his gaze sweeping from her red patentboots to her cream wide-legged trousers and, finally, her fitted red satin wrap blouse, and Ruby was sure she saw some appreciation in his eyes. His hand was still on the robe’s sleeve. “It’s quality cashmere,” he said.
Ruby smiled. The man knew luxury. He liked sensual things. He wasn’t nearly as grumpy as she thought, just quiet and thoughtful with a tiny case of resting grump face.
“We also have a selection of fine fragrances,” she said, guiding him toward the fragrance and skin care counter.
“Oh!” the man said, surprised, “the new Le Labo men’s. I didn’t think it was out yet.”
Ruby beamed. Le Labo was a newer fragrance house. And this new scent totally matched this man’s rugged, manly vibe. “Are you a fragrance enthusiast?”
His brows knit together. “I wouldn’t call myself an enthusiast. I do like cologne, though.”
Still smiling, Ruby went behind the counter and took out the tester bottle of the newest Le Labo release. “I would say liking fine fragrances makes you an enthusiast. This one issensuous. Let’s see how it reacts with your body chemistry.”
He extended his arm so his wrist peeked out from under his heavy shirt and jacket. And it was a beautiful wrist. His skin was such a warm brown, and so, so smooth. She gave him a small secret smile before spritzing the fragrance on his wrist. When she looked at his face again, he also had a small smile on his lips, mirroring hers.
Their eyes were locked for several seconds while Ruby mentally cheered for herself. She knew this subtle dance well. She and this man were on the same wavelength, each anticipatingthe other’s actions perfectly. She wasn’t being any more friendly or flirtatious than she was with any customer, but she had no doubt that the grump would be asking for her phone number before leaving Reid’s Holiday today. And despite her misgivings about his temperament the day they met, or about starting a fling right now, Ruby fully intended to give it to him. Chemistry like this shouldn’t be wasted.
“There. Let’s give it a few moments to let it settle,” she said. “This fragrance changes quite a bit as it interacts with your individual skin. In the meantime, can I show you some skin care sets? We have gift sets for both men and women.” The man had some of the nicest skin Ruby had ever seen—maybe he was a skin care enthusiast, too.
But the man’s smile instantly left his face. “No, thank you,” he said curtly.
“Come now, this set is quite popular.” Ruby held up a men’s moisturizer, toner, and night cream set. “I guaranteeyouwill love it. This formula was developed by a well-known designer—”
At that, the man’s Grinchiest Grump in the Winter Market expression returned, guffawing at Ruby’s suggestion that he would love it. Loudly.
Ruby raised a brow. “Not a fan of luxury skin care?”
“Luxury.You mean overpriced, right? I guarantee the cost of that packaging is more than the cost of the ingredients in that formula.” The flirtation was gone from his face.
Ruby’s eyes widened. What happened to them being on the same wavelength? “I assure you, only the best quality ingredients are used—”
