Page 41 of Sleigh Bells and Snowstorms
“You know I can see you.” He leaned down and scooped up another handful of snow.
She laughed again.
“All right. You asked for it.” He threw the snowball at her sled.
With another shriek, she let it drop and grabbed snow in both hands. Jensen pretended to be stuck to the ground as if his feet had frozen in place, while she made a snowball.
“Oh no!” he said, half laughing. “She’s going to get me.”
When Annabel tossed the snowball at him, he twisted so it tagged him on the shoulder. Grabbing his arm, he cried out as if in pain and toppled to the ground.
“I wouldn’t have pegged him as a kid person,” Nina said. “But he’s been really sweet to her.”
I gazed at him as Annabel ran over to see if he was okay. He tossed a little bit of snow in the air. It wasn’t enough to hit her, just made her laugh.
That smile of his was so… genuine. It wasn’t the cocky smirk or self-assured grin I’d seen before. It was just a smile—a man having fun with a little kid. It was strangely wholesome.
And unbelievably sexy.
Blinking away my daze, I realized I hadn’t replied to Nina. “Yeah, he’s full of surprises.”
“You should have gone out with him.”
I stepped away from the window. “Still no.”
“Okay,” she said, her tone skeptical.
I turned and went to the kitchen, hoping that would end the conversation.
Yes, Jensen Lakes was handsome beyond reason. And seeing him be sweet with Annabel did terrible things to my ovaries. But I couldn’t start indulging in feelings for a man I’d just met—a man who was never going to stay.
I couldn’t take that risk.
CHAPTER 10
Natalie
Abuzz of anticipation made my stomach tingle and my heart race. Jensen had actually scored tickets to the Snowflake Ball, which meant we were on.
Fortunately, I’d been able to dig a black cocktail dress out of the depths of my closet. Even more fortunately, it still fit.
I paused in front of the mirror in my bathroom. Was that me? I hardly recognized the woman in the reflection. No dark circles, nice makeup, red lipstick. The sleeveless sheath dress hugged my curves, and my hair was up in a simple but pretty style that left my neck and shoulders bare.
That woman looked nothing like the sleep-deprived hot mess in scrubs with a bedraggled ponytail I was used to seeing.
Jensen Lakes was certainly an interesting side story in the usual monotony of my life.
Annabel had dance that afternoon, saving me the need to explain my outfit or sneak out of the house without being seen. I might have to sneak in when I got home, but I’d cross that bridge when it came.
There was a knock on the door, so I grabbed the little clutch I couldn’t remember ever using and went downstairs to answer it.
I’d seen Jensen morph from sophisticated in a suit to charming in a flannel and jeans. But nothing could have prepared me for Jensen Lakes in a tux.
It fit him perfectly, the sleek lines hinting at the toned body underneath. But it wasn’t the tux, it was the way he wore it—comfortable and confident, as if he could network with the rich and powerful before blowing up a building and making a daring escape by helicopter, all without getting his tux dirty.
Looking at him made me wonder if he had ever blown up a building. Or made a daring escape by helicopter. It wouldn’t have surprised me.
His eyes swept up and down, and the corner of his mouth lifted. “Darling, you look absolutely gorgeous.”
