Page 14 of Seeds of Christmas
The voice comes from behind me—warm, confident, with the kind of easy charm that probably works on most people.
I don’t turn around immediately. Instead, I carefully set the sample case in the truck bed, making sure it’s secure before I acknowledge him.
When I do turn, Carter Wolfe is standing there in a university hoodie and jeans, hair still wet like he just got out of the shower, grinning like this is a fun field trip instead of essential research that will determine whether he passes or fails. He’s wearing a scarf that should look dorky but instead makes him look like he’s about to star in a romantic comedy about a charming ski instructor who teaches an uptight city girl how to love again.
I am not the uptight city girl in this scenario.
I refuse to be the uptight city girl.
He’s taller than I remember. Or maybe I’ve just been very good at not looking directly at him for the past three months.
He and Bam exchange pleasantries and she goes to collect something while Carter saunters over to help me with the truck.
“You must be my partner for this expedition,” he says, extending a hand. “I’m Carter. Carter Wolfe.”
Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.
I paste on my most professional smile—the one I learned from watching my mother navigate faculty politics—and shake his hand. His grip is warm. Firm.
I let go quickly.
“Rhiannon Pierce.” I watch his face carefully for any flicker of recognition.
Nothing.
Of course not.
His eyes scan my body. I’m wearing skin tight thermals. I took off my jumper because it’s too warm here so my tight t-shirt shows off my considerable curves.
He swallows hard and flicks his eyes back to my face. I glare at him as my female hormones betray me and my heart beats faster.
“Hey, I’mnota city girl.” I blurt out.
“Alright then.” He squints at me.
I don’t know what else to do with myself so I nod.
“Great to meet you, Rhiannon.” He says my name like he’s testing it out. “I have to say, when Bam told me I’d be partnered with someone, I was expecting a senior or you know, a grad student, someone who actually knows what they’re doing.”
“That’s because I do know what I’m doing.” I turn back to the truck. “Unlike some people who’ve missed six weeks of lectures.”
There’s a beat of surprised silence.
“Ouch.” But he’s still smiling when I glance back. “Okay, so you’ve heard about me. That’s fair. But I promise I’m a changed man. Very committed to this project. Completely focused.”
“Mmm-hmm.” I start reorganizing the equipment in the truck bed. He’s put the spectrometer on its side. Of course, he has. “You loaded this wrong.”
“I loaded it exactly how Bam told me to load it.”
“You loaded it on its side. It’s a precision instrument.”
“It’s in a protective case.”
“That doesn’t mean you can just toss it in like a gym bag.” I’m already repositioning it, handling it with the care it deserves. “$15,000 piece of equipment. Maybe treat it like it matters?”
I feel him move closer—close enough that I can smell his soap. Something woodsy. It smells distinctly manly.
“You know the exact dollar amount of the spectrometer off the top of your head?”
