I was supposed to be working with him, but I liked him. I wanted to get to know him better. And when he kissed my cheek, it sent tingles through my body. Was it just physical chemistry, or was it something more?
I should have stayed away. I shouldn't have given into the temptation of his invitation. But I was already pulling into his driveway.
I hadn't come over for dinner. Sofia was asleep. The party was over. There wasn't a buffer tonight.
Before I could knock on the door, it swung open, and he pulled me inside. He wore a soft-looking T-shirt with black sweats and bare feet. There was something about seeing him like this, comfortable and in his element, that had my heart tripping over itself.
He grinned at me with a mischievous look in his eyes. "We have to be quiet. Sofia's asleep."
I grinned back. "I figured."
We stood in the doorway together for a few seconds, and I felt like a giddy teenager sneaking over to see her boyfriend with his parents asleep in their room.
He threw a thumb over his shoulder. "We can sit in the sunroom."
He grabbed mugs from the kitchen, and I opened the slider to the room he indicated, the one where Sofia's art was displayed. The roof was vaulted, giving it a roomy feel, and there was a fire crackling in the stone fireplace. "This is really nice."
He handed me the mug before sitting next to me. "I had this added on so that we'd have another room to relax in."
"I imagine you have a good view during the day."
"We're surrounded by trees."
I sipped the hot chocolate.
He'd swirled whipped cream over the top, and it was decadent.
"I can't believe you're here."
"My cottage was quiet and empty, and I'm usually amped up after hosting a party." The kiss on my cheek had my mind reeling. Even if it was for show, it felt real.
"You live in town?"
I assumed he meant Telluride, not Christmas Town. "My cottage is located on our property. Natasha took the innkeeper's suite in the hotel, so I got the owner's cottage. It's small but perfect for me."
"You said it was empty."
"After being at a party all night, the silence was deafening." I wasn't going to tell him that I longed for more than the single life. I hadn't even come to terms with that myself, much less was I ready to share it with someone else.
"Your ears are still ringing?" Maddox asked, his tone amused.
"Pretty much." They weren't, but I wasn't going to tell him the truth. That when he asked me to come over, my heart leaped at the chance to see him, not to discuss our situation.
He set his mug aside. "We should talk about our new arrangement."
I raised a brow, my nerves kicking up. Would he suspect that I was attracted to him? "Me pretending to be your girlfriend?"
"You and Frank want me to be Santa."
I hadn't realized Frank mentioned it to him too. "You should just give in then."
"I can't fight you, can I? I'm never going to win," he said wryly.
"I do tend to get what I want." And right now, I wanted him, which was against all reason.
He shook his head. "I never stood a chance."
We were discussing two different things. I couldn't resist him, and he was talking about giving into my requests. I didn't feel great about the miscommunication, but I wasn't going to admit to wanting him.
