Page 4 of Mistletoed with the Mountain Man
It's also completely sterile.
"Okay, so I'm seeing garland along all the railings," I say, moving through the space as ideas spark to life. "A tree here by the windows, maybe another in the loft? Lights everywhere—warm white, not those blue ones that make everything look like a morgue. Stockings on the mantle, obviously."
I turn to find Kade watching me with an expression I can't quite read, between amusement and something else that makes my stomach flutter.
"What?" I ask.
"Nothing. I just..." He smiles again, really smiles, andwoah, baby. "You're already seeing it, aren't you? What itcouldbe?"
"That's kind of my thing," I admit. "Seeing the magic in things."
"Then I definitely hired the right person." He moves closer, and suddenly the large room feels much smaller. "I should warn you though—I'm particular about things. Detail-oriented. It's the job, but also just...how I am."
"Oh, so you’re anal," I say with a grin. How did I know that already?
He rolls his eyes. “Maybe a little.”
I laugh and try to ignore how close he's standing, how I can see a myriad of different colors in those mountain-pool eyes. "I should warnyouthat I’m not orderly whatsoever. And I’m always covered in glitter.”
"I noticed." His gaze drops briefly to my jeans, where I'm still covered in silver sparkles, before snapping back to my face. "I can handle the chaos. For a few days, at least."
"Then I guess we have a deal, Deputy Giles." I stick out my hand.
He takes it, his palm warm and firm against mine, and I swear I feel something hot spark between us.
"Kade," he says quietly. "Just Kade."
"Okay then, Just Kade." I pull my hand back before my insides go all wacky again. "Let's make some Christmas magic."
CHAPTER 2
KADE
I'm standing in the middle of three thousand square feet of empty cabin, wondering what the fuck I was thinking.
Actually, I know exactly what I was thinking: silky blonde hair catching the light through the shop window, soft curves in glitter-covered jeans, and a smile that made me forget how to form complete sentences.
I hired a walking temptation wrapped in Christmas sparkles to spend four days alone with me in a mountain cabin.
Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant work, Giles.
It sounds like the premise of one of Sadie’s romance novels I found in her room once.
I pace to the window, looking out at the darkening valley below. Nia left twenty minutes ago to "get organized" and buy supplies, her Jeep kicking up snow as she headed back down the mountain.
How does the cabin already feel too quiet without her wild energy?
That's a problem.
She mentioned graduating recently. Recently as in...this year? Last year?I do the quick math, and my stomach drops.
She's got to be twenty-two, maybe twenty-three at most.
I'mthirty-six.
Fourteen years. More than a decade of life experience, mistakes, lessons learned the hard way.
When she was learning to drive, I was already working patrol. When she was stressing over college applications, I was getting my first commendation.
