“Considering how you’re checking me out, I thought this would make all your Christmas fantasies come true.”
I pulled on the tendril of hair that the wind had plastered to my mouth.
“You’re so not my type. I like wholesome small-town guys, not slick Manhattan billionaires.”
“Like Brody?” He scowled.
“Brody is hot,” I said primly.
“And I’m not?” His eyes were a dark, deep cobalt.
“You’re ice cold.”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “Brody doesn’t even have a real job.”
“Yes, he does.”
“Selling specialty firewood is not a real job.”
“Brody knows how to cook,” I countered. “He has a cabin.”
“I have a whole estate, a condo, and a penthouse in Manhattan.”
“Well, aren’t you just a showoff?”
Matt flexed his muscles.
I couldn’t help but stare. He caught me gawking and grinned lazily.
“You can’t tell me I’m not your best prospect for tonight.”
It was starting to sleet. The cold icy shards slid down the back of my collar.
“Fine,” I said, letting him take my arm again. “But only because a lumberjack with a cabin hasn’t offered.”
Matt scoffed. “I’m sure his cabin is full of firewood and bugs.”
“Bugs?” I was horrified. “You think? Surely he has a separate woodshed, right? Right?”
Matt’s condowas way better than any log cabin.
No, it’s not, I tried to argue with myself.There’s no way a condo building is better than a log cabin in the woods.
But Matt’s condo wasn’t a soulless glass building like the ones in Manhattan. Instead, it was located in a converted brick warehouse from the late eighteen hundreds. With heavy wood beams, floor-to-ceiling steel windows, high ceilings, and rich wood floors, the condo was straight off a Pinterest inspiration board.
Matt studied my expression as I took in his home. The large kitchen with high-end appliances and a long reclaimed wood island looked out over the open living and dining area, which was framed by the huge windows offering a view out over the small town of Harrogate. You could watch the trains come and go and even see down to the city hall building.
Matt toweled off Kringle, and the dog chuffed as Matt rubbed him down.
“Shower is down the hall in the guest bedroom,” Matt said as Kringle grabbed the towel and started a game of tug of war.
A shower!
I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when I opened the door, but a bathroom that would put a high-end hotel to shame was not it. I took in the free-standing tub, the exposed brick walls, and the large slabs of mirrored marble in the shower. This was a bathroom full of Instagram moments.
“No way are you getting something like this in a log cabin in the middle of nowhere,” Matt said, appearing behind me.
“Honestly I’m not picky. I’m just happy to finally bathe!”
