“You know what you need?” I wrapped an arm around Matt. He put an arm around my shoulder, drawing me close to him as we walked up the terrace’s wide stone steps to the bank of glass French doors that led into the house.
“You need some hot chocolate.”
“I assure you I do not.”
“Yes.” I grabbed his arm, tugging him to the kitchen. “You can’t have a snow day without hot chocolate!”
“I don’t have any food here,” Matt said. “All the cupboards are empty.”
I set my bag on the counter then rummaged around and pulled out my emergency hot chocolate kits.
Matt picked up one of the mini Mason jars filled with hot chocolate powder, marshmallows, chocolate sprinkles, and a cinnamon stick for stirring.
“I really shouldn’t be shocked that you carry these around in your purse, and yet I am,” Matt said.
I found a lone pot in the pantry and filled it with the pot filler at the range. The gas stove clicked for a second before the flame caught. The empty kitchen seemed both too large and too small. Matt with his six-foot-four frame and broad shoulders filled the space. He was blatantly watching me, a hungry look in his eyes. I felt awkward and busied myself looking for mugs.
“So,” I chattered, “did you and the cheating, lying bitch never cook anything when you lived here?”
Matt barked out a laugh. “We never lived here. She hasn’t even set foot in this place.”
“Good,” I said, deciding that since I couldn’t find a mug, I was just going to pour the water into the Mason jars and let God take the wheel.
“It was supposed to be a surprise,” he said ruefully. The empty cupboard shut softly. I went over to him, and he wrapped me in a hug. I squeezed him.
“We were going to have a Christmas wedding, then I was going to bring her here to surprise her with our forever home. She always complained I wasn’t romantic enough,” he said, mouth turned down.
“She lost out,” I said sincerely, leaning back so I could look into his deep blue eyes. “You’re extremely romantic. I mean, you took in a poor girl’s homeless reindeer.” I made a funny face.
Matt smiled. He brought his hand up to cup my cheek.
My heart skipped. Was he going to kiss me?
Matt leaned in, our noses almost brushing.
This is probably a bad idea. Actually, no, this is definitely a bad idea. Your life is a shit show. You have a fat reindeer and a failing business. Where are you even going to hook up? You’d have to move into his condo. This will get very messy very quickly.
But his fingers tracing lightly over my face felt so perfect.
The lid on the pot rattled as the water boiled.
“Better get that,” I said in a rush. I unscrewed the lids from the two Mason jars and poured the boiling water over them. The jars’ contents instantly turned into sludge. I stirred it with the cinnamon stick.
Frowning, Matt picked up the card that had been tied with a ribbon onto the necks of the Mason jars.
“This said these each are supposed to hold four servings.” He looked at the hot chocolate that had the consistency of mud.
“Oops.”
See, Merrie, I scolded myself,this is why you can’t do anything as adulting as being in a relationship. You don’t have your shit together.
Matt scooped up the Mason jars and threw them into the trash can then settled his hands around my waist. My skin felt electrified where it touched his hard body.
“Merrie,” he said in that intoxicatingly deep voice, “come have a real drink with me.”
You can’t keep taking this man’s money!the rational me shrieked.
“Sorry,” I blurted out, “I can’t.”
