Page 57 of The Mating Game
“Oh my God, so hehasseen you naked!”
“It was an accident,” I argue.
What happened next, not so much.
“I’m imagining sweaty, tangled limbs.”
“Please don’t imagine that,” I groan.
“I can’t help it,” she huffs. “Apparently, you’re trapped in some sort of Hallmark-level winter wonderland with a hunky lumberjack, and you’re not even taking advantage of it.”
“It was more of a straddling situation, honestly. And he’s technically my boss, Ada.”
“You werestraddlinghim? Comeon. Stuff like ethics doesn’t exist in the mountains.”
“I’m not sure that’s true.”
“Girl,” she presses. “If anyone needs a hot sexcapade in the snowy mountains they can look back on fondly, it’s you.”
“Hey,” I protest. “Speak for yourself.”
“Bleh. The men in Newport are all either gym bros or entirely too into crypto.”
“You just like to find something wrong with all of them.”
“Shut up. This isn’t about me. Explain to me why you can’t let the hunky lumberjack split you like a log?”
I pull the phone away for a second to grimace at it as if Ada can actually see before bringing it back to my ear. “Well, that’s beautiful imagery and not horrifying at all.”
“Seriously. You can’t give me a hot story like that and then tell me in the same breath you’ve been hiding in your room all day.”
“I’m nothiding,” I protest feebly. “I’ve been busy.”
“Busy hiding,” Ada accuses.
“I had some reading to catch up on.”
“How is the world of Harlequin romance, anyway? Is it a laird this time? Or maybe…a lumberjack?”
“You’re a menace,” I groan.
“I love you too,” Ada laughs.
“Talk to me about something else.”
“I’d really rather talk about the possibility of you being able to feel the innkeeper’s d—”
“Nope. Nope. Nope.”
“But you were straddling him! Surely you must have felt som—”
“Somethingelse,” I urge, feeling heat creeping up my neck. I cannot let my brain even go where she wants it to. I won’t get any sleep for the rest of the trip. “Tell me how my favorite pseudo nephew is doing.”
“He’s at home with Mom today,” she tells me. “Probably goading her into buying him more Lego.”
“Is he still into that?”
“Unfortunately,” she huffs. “Do you know how expensive those damn sets are?”
