Page 54 of Christmas Wishes

I thought for a moment. “It depends on the rest of your skincare routine, but a good rule of thumb is you should use these kinds of masks several times per week. Other kinds of masks should only be done weekly. Each mask has a different role, and some work better for dry skin and others for oily.”

He pressed the sheet mask back in place against his upper lip, but it was useless against his mustache. “What kind of skin do I have?”

“Combination, leaning dry. Do you moisturize?”

He copied my pose and leaned back on his hands. “Does sunscreen count?”

“Only if it’s a moisturizer with SPF, but the fact that you use sunscreen is so fucking hot.” I let out an X-rated moan.

Riggs laughed, which sounded funny since he couldn’t move his mouth much with the mask on. “Don’t make me laugh with this thing on. It feels weird.”

I knocked my shoulder against his. “My skin is oilier, so I have to be careful not to moisturize too much, or my skin will look like a Slip N Slide. You don’t have to worry as much about that. As a man in your, what, mid-thirties?”

“Late-thirties.”

I kept my voice innocent. “Proper sunscreen use will keep you looking younger at your advanced age—”

He reached under the blanket spread over our laps and tickled my side.

“What! You’re older than me. I’m only stating facts.”

“Now who’s the brat?” he grumbled, but I caught a good-humored twitch of his lips under the mask.

I grinned, then noticed Joule cautiously enter the living room. “Don’t make any sudden movements.”

“Is this mask making me hallucinate?” Riggs’s eyes darted toward her.

“She’s been coexisting with me in this room for a couple of days now. Joule is a great listener.” I made apst pst pstsound at her.

Riggs’s mouth fell open. “How?”

“With an endless supply of cat treats. Here.” I grabbed the treats bag I’d stashed in my beauty case and handed it to him. “Toss one over to her.”

Riggs did as I suggested, and the little shit looked at it, at Riggs, then gave him as wide a berth as possible as she moved to lay on my side of the room, opposite him. Still out of touching distance, but not as far as yesterday.

“My cat likes you more than me.”

I chose not to comment on him calling her his cat instead of Nico’s and instead soaked up his wry smile. “Duh. Who wouldn’t?”

“You’re not wrong.” His grin was so sexy. “So, what should I do to my face each day?”

I began talking about basic skincare options. “It’s easy to get overwhelmed, but even adding one or two things into the mix will be great for your skin.”

He cupped his large hand over my thigh. “You’re really good at that.”

My heart pounded at the sincerity in his eyes. I might not be able to see his entire face, but his eyes said everything. “At what?”

“Making the information less intimidating. You’re knowledgeable.”

“Thanks.” I stared at the fire and let the smile begging to run free take over my face.

“Could you help me pick out a couple of things?”

I purred. “That’s the sexiest question I’ve ever been asked. Abso-fucking-lutely.”

“Is that the kind of stuff—content—you plan on making? Teaching people how to use this?”

It was sweet that he asked. “Partly, yes. I enjoy helping make an overwhelming topic more accessible to people.” I was the go-to person for honest reviews of beauty products for most of my friends and acquaintances. Even at my last several jobs, coworkers I barely talked to would ask me about products and trends. It meant a lot that people trusted my take.

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