“That’s because you are needed,” Kayla said drily. “Without you, Élise would be slitting her throat with one of her own kitchen knives.”
“She’s giving me a sauté lesson later.”
“Good luck with that.” But she was pleased to see Elizabeth looking so happy and pleased that she’d played a part in that.
Left alone, Kayla stripped off the clothes she’d worn for skating, took a hot shower and washed her hair.
She stepped onto the towel, her mind on work, and almost jumped out of her skin as something licked her toes.
Maple wagged her tail and Kayla pressed her hand to her chest and waited for her heart to slow down.
“You frightened the life out of me. I’d forgotten you like to do that.” She picked the puppy up and carried her through to the bedroom. “Good job you weren’t here last night because you are far too young to witness what went on in this room.”
With Maple watching, she pulled on a pair of jeans and a chunky cream sweater and left her hair to dry naturally.
Walking through to the living room, she spread out all her notes while the puppy settled down on the rug.
She worked harder than she’d worked in her life. Every account was important to her, but this was the first time an account had mattered to her on a personal level and she was determined to do all she could to get results.
She lost track of the time and nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Maple bark and looked up to see Jackson standing there.
“You scared me.”
“Yeah, we need to work on that. You’re far too jumpy for your own good.” He reached down and tugged her to her feet. “I love your hair like that.”
“Messy?”
“That’s not the word I’d use. You look relaxed. Less uptight. I like it. When did you last eat?”
“Er—breakfast?” She ran her fingers through her hair, self-conscious. “You cooked it. It was cold.”
“You’ve been working all this time?”
“I didn’t realize it was so late. I’ve been finishing up this proposal, making a few calls—” She was excited enough to want to sha
re the details, but decided it would be better to talk to them all at the same time. “When do you want me to present to your family?”
“You’re prepared to do that again after what happened last time?”
“Of course. This is a family business.”
“How about Christmas Eve? Élise is cooking.” He picked up Maple, and Kayla followed him to the door, work forgotten.
“Where are we going?”
“My place. I’m cooking you dinner.”
She ran her palms over her jeans and glanced toward the bedroom. “I should change—”
“Don’t. I like you like that. I think I might prefer chilled, sexy Kayla to corporate Kayla.” He pulled her toward him and delivered a lingering kiss to her mouth. “You look exactly the way you looked when you woke up this morning.”
* * *
IT WAS THE first time she’d been to his home. It had the same soaring ceilings and large windows as the cabins. The same charm. The same incredible view of the lake. “I love it.”
“This barn was built in 1902 to house a couple of hundred cattle.” He dug his thumbs in his pockets. “My brothers and I played here as kids. Used to hide up in the hayloft.”
“It was your idea to convert it?”