Frostbite

She bolts to her feet. “You can’t just say that.”

I follow her lead and stand. “Why not?”

“We barely know each other,” she points out with her hands on her hips. “We’re supposed to be working on a sculpture for my sister, not talking about sex.”

I drop my gaze to the front of her T-shirt and the outline of her hardened nipples beneath it. “Why can’t we do both?”

“We just can’t, Calder.”

I crack a smile. “That’s not a reason.”

She takes a deep breath. “It would complicate things.”

“What things?”

“Things,” she answers.

She crosses her arms over her chest.

I do the same. “Let me make this clear, Raelyn. I’m very attracted to you. If you ever find yourself attracted to me, I’m available. You say the word, and I’ll drop my clothes.”

With that, I turn and walk toward the sculpture we need to work on.

Before I’m a foot away, I hear her whisper, “What’s the word?”

I turn back around to find her taking another bite of pizza. She tosses me an innocent wave. “I’ll be right there to help.”

Fuck me. I want this woman. It seems as though this time, I’m the one having their patience tested.Chapter 14Raelyn“How did it go with Calder last night?” Dexie asks as soon as the door closes behind Rocco. Even though it’s Saturday, he’s off to a meeting.

“Fine,” I say, not wanting to delve into the details of that uncomfortable sex talk we had.

I only spent two hours at Calder’s studio last night.

The majority of that time, I was holding the end of a tape measure while Calder measured a piece of metal over and over again. He finally gave up, told me I could leave, and locked the doors to his studio behind me.

I was in bed by midnight and up at six to get started on my ornament orders.

“Fine?” she repeats back with a fair bit of attitude in her tone.

I laugh. “That’s what I said.”

Dexie crosses the kitchen to grab an apple from a fruit bowl. “Are you two hitting it off?”

I catch the apple when she tosses it to me. “We’re working on a project together. It’s not really about us hitting it off.”

“I’ll take that to mean you are.” She chooses another apple and takes a bite of it.

“Take it to mean we’re not,” I counter with a smile.

She studies me from across her kitchen. “It wouldn’t hurt to have a holiday fling.”

It might. I’ve never been the type to be devastated after a breakup, but I’ve never had a one-night stand or a sex-only agreement with a man. Calder Frost seems like a heartbreaker, and I like my heart just as it is – in one piece.

“I have work to do.” I slide off the stool. “I need to work on my ornament orders before I go to Calder’s studio later.”

“I’ll help.”

I glance at her. “You will?”

“It’s the least I can do.” She sighs. “You’re doing me the biggest favor in the world by helping Calder so he can get the sculpture done in time for Christmas. Tell me what you need, and I’ll do it.”

“I could use help with packing up the orders I’ve finished,” I say, stepping closer to my sister. “It’s easy. Package the ornament. Print a label. Apply it, and that’s it.”

Dexie moves to embrace me. “I can handle it. I’ll even take them down to the post office and mail them.”

I step back, resting my hands on her shoulders. “We’ll do that together. Maybe we can fit in a quick lunch on the way back.”

“Pizza?” She asks, her eyes lighting up. “I haven’t had pizza in forever. Have you?”

Last night while I was staring into Calder Frost’s eyes.

I keep that to myself. “Pizza it is.”***I arrive at Calder’s studio at precisely ten minutes before eight. This is one of the few times I wish I were prone to being late.

The reason is simple.

Calder is standing in the lobby with a woman in his arms.

Her hands are pressed against his chest as she looks up and into his eyes.

The moment feels too intimate for prying eyes, so I spin around and face the street.

As traffic passes, I yank my phone from my coat pocket and scroll through my unread emails. I click on one, but I have to read it twice before the words of gratitude from a customer who just received her ornament order sink in.

I try to read another message, but I can’t.

I don’t understand why annoying stabs of jealousy are piercing my heart.

I’m not sure I even like Calder Frost.

Why do I care if he’s just come from having sex in his studio with the brunette who is clinging to him? Maybe she’s an ex begging him to take her back? Or perhaps it’s the reverse, and he’s the one about to fall to his knees to plead with her to give him another chance.