Page 53 of A Snowy Escape

His shaggy blondish-brown hair falls around his face, but it doesn’t detract from his killer jawline. While he’s not smiling at the moment, I know dimples appear faintly in his cheeks when he gets particularly pleased about something.

Dammit.

Santa Claus and the universe had better be listening.

I really only want one thing for Christmas this year…

Them.

* * *

The drive is surprisingly relaxing. It’s probably only ten or fifteen minutes outside of town, but it feels like an entirely different world. The houses we pass on the main road are set back with long driveways. They’re also what I would consider mini mansions. The farther from town we get, the more sporadic the homes become.

It’s only another minute before Luka says, “This is our driveway.”

“It’s very cozy,” I say, marveling at the trees on either side of the easement.

“It’s kind of a hike into town, but I can’t lie, the views make it worth it.” He grins, and my stomach flutters. “Okay, it makes it worth it ninety-five percent of the time. Very occasionally, I’d sell the whole damn thing for pizza delivery, but luckily, Law is above hanger. He would never let me.”

I laugh. “Being angry-hungry is a real thing. I turn into a monster when I go too long without eating.”

“Oh yeah, I bet you’re a real nightmare,” he says, his tone playful.

“I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.” I shrug. “You’ll shove a cookie at me and run.”

“Is that the trick to settling you down? Toss a treat and back away slowly with my palms raised?”

“It’s the safest option.”

He booms a laugh. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

My jaw falls, and I lean forward in my seat as the house comes into view. The driveway circles the huge detached garage and passes the porch that takes up most of the front of the house. If you followed it around, you’d loop back to head out to the road.

The front yard is lit up with floodlights and those small exterior lights that shine on the house to make it look fancy. If I ever knew the name for them, I forgot it.

The house is massive in a modern farmhouse design. It’s at least two stories, maybe three. It’s hard to tell with the small windows on the very top. Those might belong to a finished attic or something.

The exterior is white or a pale cream, and the accents are black or very dark gray. Even with the lights, it’s nearly impossible to tell. The porch boards and railing are that same dark color, and I absolutely love it.

“Holy shit,” I whisper as Echo jumps up onto the middle console from the back seat. She was well-behaved during the drive, but now that the vehicle has slowed down, she’s a mess. “Oh God, get your butt back there.” I give her chest a shove, which does nothing. I was so worried that her nails would ruin the leather seats, but punctures in the middle console would be even worse.

“She’s fine,” Luka says, hitting a button on the clicker on his visor. The garage door opens slowly, and he pulls inside and parks. “Ready to check out the house? I can come back for your stuff once you and Echo get settled.”

“I don’t want you to have to come back out in the cold. We can carry it in with us.”

“It does look like a completely detached garage, doesn’t it?” He points to the back-left corner. “That door leads to a hallway that connects to the laundry room. We added it when we added on the garage.”

Damn.

I guess I missed that.

“That sounds great. Thanks, Luka.”

* * *

The house is incredible, and I’m only a little overwhelmed at having Bryant and Lawson join Luka for the tour.

It’s always strange being in someone else’s space, but I’m also relieved not to be risking it at the apartment.