Frostbite

He must work out, or maybe he’s so rock hard because of all the physical effort he has to put into creating his sculptures. Either way, I’m doing everything in my power not to gawk. Mitzi has much less self-control. She’s fanning her face with her hand.

“I’m very sorry about the coffee,” she says. “I didn’t mean to cause so much trouble.”

Something tells me she doesn’t regret it.

“I’m going upstairs to shower and change.” Calder glances at the pool of coffee by his feet. “You’ll find a mop and a bucket in the storage closest, Raelyn. Consider this your first task of the day.”

Maybe this is my karma for finding so much satisfaction in the fact that he had coffee spilled on him less than forty-eight hours after his coffee spilled all over me.

Mitzi turns to watch him leave. I do too, because Calder’s ass in a pair of faded jeans is a sight to behold.

“Are you working for Calder?” she questions when Calder disappears as he climbs a flight of stairs.

“Something like that.”

“You’re one of the luckiest ladies in Manhattan.”

I smile. “That’s up for debate.”

She lets out a chuckle. “If I were your age, I’d do everything in my power to keep that man shirtless as much as possible.”

I don’t respond because I have no idea if Calder can hear us. I’m assuming that somewhere beyond that staircase, he has a change of clothing and a shower. It has to be a bathroom, although I see one out of the corner of my eye next to what looks like a storage closet.

Just as I’m about to set off in that direction to retrieve the mop and bucket, Mitzi grabs hold of my forearm. “You did see what I did, right? His muscles are as dreamy as his eyes.”

“I need to get this cleaned up.” I reach for her hand to squeeze it. “It was good to see you again, Mrs. Hemley.”

“You too, Raelyn.” She reaches to grab her purse. “Tell Mr. Frost that I said goodbye.”

“I’ll be sure to do that.” I nod.

“I met my husband when we worked together.” Her eyes brighten. “Keep that in mind. You never know when love will find you.”

It sure as hell won’t find me here. Calder may be gorgeous, but beneath that beautiful exterior, a jerk is lurking, and I’d never fall for a guy like that.***More than forty-five minutes after I finished mopping the floor, Calder comes down the stairs.

He’s barefoot, wearing dark jeans and a navy blue T-shirt. It’s pulled taut across his chest, and if I hadn’t noticed his biceps and forearms before, I do now.

Being this good-looking and talented has to be a curse.

Maybe that’s why his attitude could use a makeover.

“You cleaned the floor,” he remarks as he nears me.

I don’t know why he has to announce it since he clearly ordered me to take care of it before he disappeared.

“I had a few calls to make after my shower.” He strolls around the table until he’s facing me. “Then I made an omelet and had a cup of coffee.”

Obviously, there is more at the top of the stairs than a bathroom.

“I live in a loft above the studio.”

I nod. I won’t tell him that’s my end goal. Eventually, ten or twenty years from now, I want to settle in Manhattan with a studio just like this and a loft with wood beams and a fireplace.

“That’s nice,” I manage to say. “What’s next on my to-do list?”

I might as well put on a happy face and accept that this is where I need to be until the sculpture my sister ordered is complete.

“Why don’t you take a seat on one of the stools?”

I glance at the two stools next to the table. I did take a seat on one while I scrolled through emails on my phone when he was showering and enjoying a home-cooked meal.

I settle on the stool closest to where I’m standing.

Calder leans forward, resting his forearms on the table. “I do my best work at night.”

I can’t tell if that’s a pick-up line or if he’s serious.

“That’s nice,” I say again.

“Nice?” His brows perk. “Is that your go-to line when you’re holding back what you really want to say?”

Um, yeah, Einstein.

I hold that gem in and smile. “I was commenting that it’s nice that you do your best work at night.”

He narrows his eyes. “Does it not make you wonder why I asked you to come and help me this morning?”

“No,” I lie. “My sister said you needed my help, so I came to help.”

Frustration tugs at his lips. He frowns. “I thought we could use this time to get to know each other better.”

This isn’t a date. I’m doing my sister a favor. “I think it’s best if we focus on the task at hand. Christmas will be here before we know it.”