“You know, if you ever need a bathroom break or need anything to eat, you can text me and I’ll see what I can do to help. That’s my job as the boss this year, making sure everything is running okay for everyone, including our vendors.”
“You have experience in coffee making?”
Heat spread across his cheeks because his offer must have appeared ridiculous. “Do you have one of those pod coffee machines? I can work one of those.”
She laughed and the tension between them melted.
He decided to take a chance. “Hang out with me after work today. I have something to show you.”
“I bet you do,” she said before her own cheeks darkened. “I mean…what I meant to say…” She covered her face as though embarrassed, and he found it adorable.
He smiled, touching her arm. “Come on, Natalie.”
“All right. Fine,” she said, her face still covered but she slowly pulled her hands away. “I said, okay. You can put away the goofy grin and leave now.”
It was debatable on how goofy his grin actually was, but it wasn’t going anywhere. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
Her eyes bugged. “I’m not going to kiss you right now!”
He laughed. “No. My drink.”
Her fluster returned. “Ugh. Here. Leave me alone.” She pushed his finished drink across the counter to him.
Mason claimed it, drinking a healthy sip even though it was too hot. “Mmm. I think this might be your best one yet.” He started to move away but before he got too far, he turned, walking backwards. She was watching him. “I’m definitely going to kiss you later, Natalie Gonzalez-Torres. Just wanted to give you time to prepare yourself.”
She may have rolled her eyes at this but he didn’t care. He was no longer walking on hard compacted snow but rather crystalized water that sparkled like diamonds.
At the end of the day, he returned to her truck. She’d already locked up, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. “Have you brought me my waffle wrap?” she asked.
“Nope, sorry.”
Her face fell. “What? Really?” She stepped close, reaching into his jacket pockets as if he was holding out on her.
“Wow. You’re getting really comfortable getting into my clothes.”
She tilted her beautiful face to him. “Like you don’t love it.” She had him there. He dropped his head to brush a kiss over her lips, but she dodged him at the last moment. “Nope, sorry. You really don’t have any? I wish I would have known about this before I agreed to hang out with you.”
“Oh, so you’re only hanging out with me because of waffle wraps?”
“Uh, yeah. Some women want jewels. I want waffle wraps. I’d say you’re getting off fairly easy.”
“What if I have plans to offer you something better?”
“I’d say you’re lying because I don’t consider anything better than waffle wraps.”
“I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.”
“I’ll be disappointed if it’s not some kind of food. I’m so hungry, I want to start eating you. I’m going to start with your arm.”
“Okay, so you’re vicious when you’re hungry. Good to know.”
“I changed my mind. I’m going to start with eating your face because you’re talking too much and not feeding me.”
He laughed, putting his arm around her shoulders. “All right, come on. Food awaits you in a private dining room in the barn.” This must have been the way to her heart because she let him lead her without any further argument. She may have even leaned into him, or she’d gone weak from hunger and was using him for support. Mason preferred to believe the former.
He let go to pull the barn door open for her and swept a hand forward, allowing her to enter first. He kept his eyes on her as she stepped through the threshold and took in the full scene. It was the inside of a barn, but haystacks had been shifted in order to circle a table he’d set up in the middle. On the top of the haystacks were most of the surplus of potted poinsettias, giving the inside of the barn a burst of color in varying shades of red. Strings of large bare-bulbed lights, usually reserved for special events, were strung across the area.
Her reaction didn’t disappoint him. Her eyes grew large, her mouth dropping open with a small gasp. She jerked to a halt.
