“It’s so beautiful here,” she said wistfully.

“Even when it’s freezing?”

“Even then.”

He put his arm around her shoulders as they walked to the door, escorted by Will’s excited yellow Labs, Trevor and Tanner. “So yes to a brief visit?”

“Brief but not rude.”

Dropping his hand from her shoulder, he gave her ass a squeeze that let her know exactly what was on his mind. “I can work with that.”

Even though the air around them was frigid, heat zinged through her bloodstream at the thought of more time alone with him later.

Grayson walked right into his cousin’s home, where everyone turned to greet them.

Emma felt like the proverbial moose in the headlights with all eyes on her and Grayson.

Cameron and Lucy came over to hug her.

“There you are!” Cam said. “I wondered if you’d gotten the message to come over.”

Emma gave Grayson a grateful smile when he helped her out of her coat. “Molly told us.”

“Where ya been all day?” Lucy asked, glancing from her to him and then back to her again.

“Grayson took us for a sleigh ride, and we hung out with Lucas for a while. Then we had pizza at Kingdom Pizza and went back to the Abbotts’. They offered to keep Simone if I wanted to go out, and here I am. That’s my whole day accounted for.”

“Sounds like fun.”

“It was.”

Lucy gave her a measuring look, letting her know there was much more she wanted to say, but she’d never do that in front of a crowd. “Come get a drink.”

Emma followed Lucy and Cameron to the kitchen, suspecting she was in for a grilling about Grayson and what would happen next for them. If only she had the answer to that question.

Grayson wanted to take her by the hand and get the hell out of there. He wanted to go to his new apartment and lose himself in her for hours until the time came when he had to let her go—for now, anyway. Tomorrow was going to suck, but tonight… Tonight he would be able to hold her and kiss her and make love to her.

“What’s up with you?” his cousin Wade asked.

“Nothing. Why?”

“You’re tense.”

“Am I?”

“Uh-huh. Something tells me it has everything to do with a gorgeous blonde who’s going back to her real life tomorrow. Am I warm?”

“You’re warm,” he said with a sigh.

“She’s really nice, and her daughter is a cutie.”

“I agree.”

“What’re you going to do about her?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“Might be time to make a plan, unless you want her to get away.”