A Hot Winter (New Adult Romance) (The Attraction Series Book 2) by C.J. Lake Read Free Book Online

now?”
    “No!” Emma called back and Matt grinned.  “I’m really a nice person, I swear,” she added glibly.  Suddenly the phone rang.  As Emma walked toward the phone on the wall, Matt reached for his tablet to record the measurements he’d taken.  And the blonde one, Jake, strolled into the kitchen despite Emma’s warning tone of voice. 
    As soon as Emma saw him, she stopped and put her hand on her hip.  Keeping her voice calm but displeased, she said, “Jake, what did I say?  Living room.  Now.”
    Despite the mini-rebellion of entering in the first place, Jake accepted what she said; without protesting, he turned to go.  Emma almost got to the phone before the machine picked up and the caller’s message played loudly: “Hi, Emma, it’s Stacy Creston.  I wanted to check in!” 
    “Oh, it’s just as well,” Emma muttered, turning away from the phone.  “It’s my realtor.  I don’t feel like talking to her at the moment.”  She walked to the coffee maker as Stacy’s voice continued to fill the room.
    “I hope your upgrades are coming along and listen, there’s something else I forgot to mention.  Are you ready?  Tuscan Pizza Oven ,” she said, emphasizing each word like it was sacred.  When Matt looked at Emma, he saw her making a skeptical face toward the answering machine, and he had to chuckle.  Stacy Creston continued: “It’s a very popular upgrade.  Buyers love it!  Now if you’re interested, I know someone who can do the work.  His name’s Tony and he worked on my summer house last year.  He’s great--and on the plus side, he’s also a total hottie who works with his shirt off!”
    While Stacy trilled a laugh into the machine, Emma cringed with embarrassment. 
    She braved a glance at Matt and found him focused on his tablet--but she could’ve sworn there was a vague smirk on his face.  She supposed it was too much to hope that he’d been so “in the zone” with floor measurements he’d somehow missed Stacy’s animated message.
    “Anyway, if you’re interested, I’ll make the call or give you Tony’s number.  Take care!” Stacy chirped before disconnecting.
    “Um…” Emma began, looking at Matt again.  “Just ignore that.”  It was silly, but Emma somehow felt the need to distance herself from her realtor’s agenda.  To establish that she didn’t share all of Stacy’s sensibilities, not just about pizza ovens but also the desire to ogle shirtless workmen.
    Seeming amused, Matt remarked, “You know, I always wondered what women said about us when we weren’t around.” 
    By “us” did he mean workmen--or hotties? 
    With a short laugh, Emma said, “Forget everything you just heard.  My realtor has, uh, big dreams for this place.  Actually, I’m discovering that real estate is more about smoke and mirrors than houses.”
    “Still…” Matt said, closing his tablet and stepping toward her.  “I wouldn’t want you to miss out on Tony.”  With a teasing glance, he added, “If that’s what you’re into.”
    Her heart sped up a little as Matt neared.  It was purely instinctual.  Acting casual, Emma simply smirked at him and replied, “That’s okay. I’m good.  Really, I don’t need a shirtless guy parading around my house.”
    “Message received,” Matt said.  “I’ll keep my clothes on.”
    “Thank you.  So will I,” she said without thinking.  Then realized the subject of her, Matt, and nakedness was not a good one to engage in, even jokingly.  Briskly, she shifted gears.  “No issues with the faucets?”
    “No, but let me show you exactly how they work.  They’re newer models so they run on rechargeable batteries.  Here, I’ll show you what you need to know.”
    Emma followed Matt out of the kitchen, tossed cracker packs to her sons, who were waiting on the couch, and continued to the half-bath behind the stairs.
    As Matt stood by the tiny sink and talked about battery packs, Emma didn’t want to be