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“It’s incredible. I never realised it could look like this. Never pictured it.” The man gazed at his newly staged home in awe, oblivious to the snow that pirouetted and twirled beyond his windows. He saw only the visible evidence of his success. “I almost want to hold on to it myself. Great job. The place is going to sell for top dollar. Your company said you were the best and you are. And I’m not easy to please.”

No kidding.

Izzy kept a polite smile pinned to her face. The man had complained, demanded and changed his mind a thousand times over the past few weeks. She’d been ready to dig a hole and bury him somewhere on the fifty-two acres of land that surrounded his property. But it had also been a challenge, and she loved a challenge. Exceeding expectations gave her a buzz.

“I’m pleased you’re pleased.”

And she was relieved the job was finally done, not least because the weather was worsening by the second.

Behind her client, a wall of glass should have offered breath-taking views across the Green Mountain Range and the National Forest, but all that was visible was swirling snow. It was like standing in a snow globe after someone had shaken it hard.

Everyone with any sense had already headed home to snuggle safely in the warm. At this rate, Izzy was going to be the last person on the roads.

She eyed the snow uneasily. She was a confident driver, but she was also a sensible person, and she knew that driving in this wasn’t sensible.

They’d been predicting this storm for days, which was why Izzy had tried to persuade the client to postpone the final staging of his property until the New Year, but he’d refused to budge. Like so many wealthy people, he wanted what he wanted, and he wanted it right now. And her company wanted to retain him as a client, which was why her boss had also dismissed her suggestion that they postpone until after the holidays.

It’s just a little snow and wind, Izzy. You’ll be fine.

So here she was, three days before Christmas, in a glass-fronted mansion that would have comfortably housed an entire basketball team and all their supporters, with a man who had more money than he knew what to do with and the storm of the century bearing down on them.

Maybe he could use some of his wealth to pay for her funeral, she thought, because at this rate she was going to need one.

On the positive side, if she was buried in a snowdrift then at least she would be spared the misery of spending Christmas alone in the soulless studio apartment she was renting.

Most of her belongings were still in boxes in the middle of the floor. Since picking up the keys, she’d been too busy to even hang a painting on the wall; not that she was going to admit that to anyone. It was ironic that she staged houses for a living and yet her own apartment had all the charm of the inside of a filing cabinet.

Still, she’d rather be alone in her bare, depressing apartment than here with him. There was something about him that made her uneasy. Yes, he was rich and would probably be considered handsome by some, but he was also a little creepy. Whichever room she was in, he was there, too. He kept looking at her, and every time she started to gather her things together, he engaged her in conversation.

Relieved that she wasn’t alone with him, she glanced across the room to where her colleague Jason was carefully packing up his camera and the rest of the equipment. He wasn’t technically her colleague because he was freelance, but they’d worked together on the last eight assignments and so she thought of him that way. And freelance or not, she was pleased he was here. He had a quiet confidence that allowed him to deal easily with the most demanding clients, a skill that was particularly useful on projects like the one they were finishing off today. In addition, his photos showed an artistic brilliance that had undoubtedly contributed to the fact that all the properties he photographed sold for more than their original valuation, and she was hoping that would be the case here.

He’s expensive, but he’s good, her boss had said, and her friend Chloe had muttered that she was sure he was worth every cent and that maybe he was on the wrong end of the camera.

It was true that Jason didn’t seem to own a single item of clothing that wasn’t fatally flattering, but that wasn’t why Izzy liked him. She liked the way he stayed calm when everyone around him was panicking, and she liked the way he paid attention. This shoot was another example of that. Whichever room Izzy had been in, Jason had been there, too, and now she wondered if that had been intentional on his part—whether he’d also noticed the almost oppressive presence of their demanding client and Izzy’s increasing discomfort.

He glanced in her direction and gave a quick nod to indicate he was ready.

The client stepped closer. “How about a Christmas drink to celebrate?”

“Thanks, but it’s late and I really should get on the road.” This time Izzy was firm. Yes, he was an important client, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t have boundaries. She’d done the work. As far as she was concerned, that was the end of it.

Unfortunately, he didn’t seem to feel the same way.

“One little drink isn’t going to hurt.”

Jason slung one bag onto his shoulder. “Weather’s closing in and we have to stop at the office on the way back.” His tone was easy and friendly as he picked up the remaining bags in one hand. “I need to sort through these images and pick the best.”

“You go ahead.” The client gestured to the door. “Izzy will follow.”

Jason didn’t budge. “We came together. She’s with me.”

If only.

Izzy felt a momentary swoop of her stomach and then pulled herself together, horrified by the direction of her own thoughts. No way. She couldn’t think of anyone more wrong for her than Jason.

And anyway, he wasn’t being romantic or protective. She’s with me was a statement of fact, that was all. They’d driven up from Boston in the same car the afternoon before and spent the night in a quaint local inn so that they could arrive at the client’s house first thing this morning. They’d used his car because it was bigger, and Izzy had filled it with numerous boxes so that she could make last-minute touches to the house before Jason took the photographs.

And thank goodness they had come together, Izzy thought. It gave her the excuse she needed to get out of here.