I tilted my head back to find Gray leaning over me, looking down at my notebook. He was upside down to me but I could still see his eyes scanning the paper. I clamped a hand over it. “Nothing.”

Gray rounded the couch. He was dressed in dark jeans, winter boots, a navy knit sweater with a roll neck, and a winter jacket. His face was flushed from the cold and he vibrated with an air of masculine energy that created a shot of tingles between my legs. He smiled at me before leaning down to brush his lips against my cheek. My eyes fluttered closed at the sensation, which was why it was so easy for him to slide the bit of paper out from under my hand.

“Hey!” I cried belatedly, throwing my legs off the couch to stand up and reach for it.

But I was in socks and now significantly shorter than I had been the night before so he held the list high above him and out of reach.

“Give me,” I huffed, jumping for it.

Gray laughed and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me against him so suddenly that I was immediately distracted by the feel of his hard chest beneath my hands.

He looked down into my face and his arm tightened around me. “You feel good here, angel.”

I frowned because I felt amazing against him but he still had my bit of paper. “Give me my notes.”

Instead he kissed me. Properly. Tongue and all. It was such a deep, luscious, hungry kiss, I curled my fingers into his sweater just to hold on. I swear my legs were trembling when he finally let me up for air. Gray released me with another soft caress of his lips and then snuggled me into his side as he brought the paper down to his eye level.

He was already reading it before I fully recovered from his kiss.

“Okay,” he said after a few seconds perusal. “Our plans for today just changed.”

“Our plans? What were our plans?”

“Honestly?”

I nodded, lost in his gaze.

He grinned, seemingly totally aware of how much he affected me. “Me fighting hard not to drag you to the nearest bedroom like a caveman.”

I gave a huff of laughter. “I’m sure.”

“But now I need to put those thoughts on hold.” He squeezed me again. “I think I’ve got a way to test your options.” He waved the bit of paper in the air. “Five birds, one stone. If you’re up for doing that while you’re here? Say you got the opportunity to cater, organize an event, style someone, and redecorate a room this week? See which one you enjoyed or succeeded at most?”

Bemused, I nodded. “I would do it. I don’t know how I can possibly do it here though.”

“Boots and jacket on. I’ll show you.”

As soon as I did as asked, Gray took over pulling my hat down over my hair as I tugged on gloves. He pressed a sweet kiss to the tip of my nose before he let me go. “Come on.” He slid his arm along my shoulder and pulled me into his side, so I put my arm around his waist to make it easier for us as we walked. It was amazing how natural it felt to be in his arms as he led us across the car park toward the building that housed the holiday apartments.

As we approached the outer staircase of the building I remembered Gray said he was staying in one of the condos. “I thought you said you weren’t going to drag me to the nearest bed?”

He chuckled. “I’m not.”

“Oh.” It came out sounding way more disappointed than I meant it to and Gray threw his head back in deep, rumbling, attractive laughter. I found myself staring at him as he did so, loving that I made him laugh like that.

“Soon,” he promised. “But today I want you to meet someone. Someones actually. Molly and Susan Olsen. They’re here on a girl trip. They lost Molly’s younger brother to cancer nine months ago and reading between the lines, things have been hard with Susan’s husband ever since. He’s not here with them. Susan decided to bring Molly here for her thirteenth birthday because Molly has always wanted to learn to ski and they don’t live far from Cunningham Falls. I gave them both lessons a couple of days ago and then again this morning and Molly was going on and on about missing out on a birthday party.”

We trudged upstairs to the first floor. “That’s so sad about her brother.”

“Yeah, it is, angel.” Gray led me to a door near the very end of the walkway. “But I’m hoping we can make at least today a little better for them.”

Behind the door I could hear the murmur of conversation and when Gray knocked on it, it flew open almost immediately.

“Gray, did we forget something?” an attractive blonde with light green eyes asked. She was dressed in snow trousers but wearing only a T-shirt.

“Gray!” A cute miniature version of the woman pushed into her mother’s side. She was still dressed in a pink snowsuit. “You’re back.” Her eyes drifted to me and I saw them widen with curiosity.

“Susan, Molly, I want you to meet my woman, Autumn. Autumn, this is Susan and Molly.”

I smiled and shook their hands, reeling from having just been referred to as Gray’s “woman.” It was so macho mountain man and the feminist in me should have been affronted. The possessive, hungry woman in me, however, won out and wanted to enforce this claim by getting extremely naked with him.

“I know Molly said she was sad not to get a birthday party so I brought Autumn to help out.” He nudged me forward and stood behind me, his hands resting on my shoulders. “You have in Autumn, Wonder Woman. She can cook, bake, event organize, interior design slash decorate and is literally a stylist to the stars—she styled Skylar Finch.”