Under the Mistletoe. Katherine Garbera
secluded alpine cabin, stopped to admire the gently falling snow and then chucked her cell phone out the front door.
“Hey!”
She glanced up just in time to see a man batting away her cell phone before it fell to the ground. She’d almost hit him in the face.
And what a face. A strong, square jaw with just the right hint of stubble, firm masculine lips curled in a sort of sneer, and bright, Chris Pine–blue eyes. He wore a heavy shearling jacket and a pair of faded blue jeans that clung to his thick, muscular thighs. His boots were covered in snow, and as she let her gaze travel back up his body, she forgot why she’d been so fuming mad just a second earlier.
“Sorry. I’m so sorry! I just couldn’t take my phone one more second.” She knew that sounded totally lame, but it was the only thing she could think of other than: Yowza! Hot guy alert!
He chuckled. The sound was deep and rich and echoed in the silent snow-covered land around them. It was cold, and the air seeped through the fabric of her chic lounge sweater, but she wasn’t tempted at all to go back inside.
Full disclosure? This guy was the perfect distraction. He held a leather suitcase in one hand and a brochure from the Lodge in the other, so she assumed he had to be a guest. She glanced at his left hand to see if he was single, but he wore leather gloves. Plus some married men didn’t wear their rings all the time. “I’ve been tempted to ditch my phone more than once,” he said with a smile. “What seems to be the problem?”
“Problem?”
“I’m assuming part of the technology isn’t working,” he said.
He sounded logical and normal. All the things she just didn’t feel right now. And he was cute. Really, really cute. So if she played her cards right, perhaps she’d be able to salvage this and flirt with him. She wanted to. Needed to reclaim a part of herself she’d lost when she’d learned the horrible truth from Butch. No denying it.
“Um...it wasn’t picking up the Wi-Fi,” Penny stammered, making up the very first thing that came to mind.
He bent over to pick up her phone. Seeing him holding her pink, jewel-studded case in his manly hands made her feel funny. But when he glanced over at her with those piercing blue eyes of his again, she still couldn’t help but stare back. This time she noticed he had sun lines around his face. He spent a good deal of time outdoors, she figured.
“Mind if I give it a try?” he asked.
“Sure,” she said. He was a really good-looking man with his thick brown hair styled to one side so just a swoop of it fell over his forehead. No way could his hair be as soft as it looked, but she wanted to touch it and find out.
He glanced at her screen and then back at her.
“It seems to be working. You’ve got a text from... JerkButtFace. Apparently, he’s desperate to explain.”
She groaned. When he said it, the name sounded...well, still funny to her.
Of course, even though Butch was married and his wife was pregnant with their child—something he’d failed to mention when they first met or at any point during their six months together—he still expected her to be his girlfriend. Something that she definitely didn’t want to hear him try to justify again.
And he’d still managed to wriggle his way between Penny and the first attractive man she’d met in months. Ugh.
“I know. He’s like a broken record.”
“I take it you’ve heard enough?” the man asked wryly.
“You’ve got that right. But watch out, I seem to be a moron magnet,” she said, moving out of her doorway to approach the man. Her UGG boots protected her against the snowy path as she did so.
He smiled at her and shook his head as he handed her phone to her. She put it in the pocket of her long lounge sweater.
“Will Spalding,” he said, holding out his hand.
“Penelope Devlin.” She took his hand to shake it. She worked in the business world and probably shook hands at least three times a day with potential clients, so she was used to weak ones and even clammy ones.
But his hand was smooth and dry as he enfolded her fingers in his, and the grip was firm, but sort of gentle, too. He looked to be in his early thirties, close to her own age. She stared at their joined hands for a moment as a tingle spread up her arm. She pulled hers back and then looked up at him again.
“You are a very interesting woman,” he murmured.
She was not sure how to take that. “Not really. I get very boring once you get to know me.”
“I highly doubt that,” he said. Her phone beeped from her pocket and he raised one eyebrow.
“I’m sorry I almost hit you with the phone. I was aiming for the snowbank.”
“Why don’t you just put it on silent mode?” he asked.
“That would have been logical, but I’m afraid I was pushed beyond that,” she admitted, hoping he didn’t think she was crazy, but already suspecting that her first impression hadn’t gone very well. “I know it’s a sickness, really, but I’m waiting for an important work call.”
She’d applied for another job with a big, high-end New York retail chain. And they were making the decision this week on who would get the position of senior event planner. If she got the job, she’d be in charge of the company’s parties for the various fashion weeks around the world.
“See, to me...that part is logical. I can’t ever really detach from work, either,” he said, giving her a half grin that made him even sexier. “That makes you even more intriguing...”
“And mysterious? I’ve always wanted to be mysterious,” she declared.
She liked the image he had of her. She could be that woman. Right now, she could be any woman she wanted to be. She was free of everything. A man who’d been way too secretive, a job that had been demanding and had that awful perk of working for Butch...
But that was behind her now. Will thought she was intriguing instead of old reliable Penny. That would be very exciting and different.
She’d be able to enjoy her holiday the way she’d planned. She thought of the framed print that she’d propped up in the kitchenette of her cabin.
No Regrets. Just Good Times, Love, Peace and Lots of Chocolate.
Will Spalding seemed the perfect man for that if he was single and interested, and she acknowledged there was a 50/50 chance he wasn’t even single. Well, he looked interested. God, what if he was another loser? Granted, a very sexy-looking one, but still...
He didn’t look like a loser, though. Not with that firm square jaw and serious expression on his face. He looked like someone who lived life on his own terms.
“I’ll leave you to the snowbank. I look forward to seeing you again,” he said.
He continued walking down the path and all she could do was watch him go. He had a seriously nice ass.
She didn’t realize she was staring until he turned to the cabin next to hers and then put his key in the lock and looked back at her. She shook her head and waved and then dashed back into her own cabin.
He was cute and she felt incredibly attracted to him, and for thirty seconds she just stood there letting all those feelings wash over her. She even felt a bit like her old self again.
Wild. Free. And ready for adventure.
* * *
WILL HAD BEEN on his own since he was fourteen. He didn’t say that to gain sympathy, as he was a trust-fund baby used to having whatever he wanted—as long as it was something that could be purchased. And for the better part of the year being alone suited him just fine.
But