As I crested the hill, the golden lights from Van’s home shone through the darkness, reminding me of a Thomas Kinkade painting. As the large structure came into view, a sense of peace settled over me combined with hopeful anticipation for what this reprieve from my real world would entail. The feelings were foreign, and I welcomed the thrill of the unexpected coursing through my circulation.

Red sin.

With my life’s road map torn to shreds and left wadded in a trash can—especially after the encounter with Skylar—Van was an adventure upon which I was excited to embark.

Even though Van had proposed marriage, I wasn’t certain that either of us wanted to go that far. I wasn’t looking for forever. I’d had that promised to me and that promise meant nothing. What I sought from Van was the way I felt when I was with him. I was already addicted to the adrenaline rush, giddiness, and fluttering heart that came with each encounter.

As I pulled the car onto the large driveway, the front door opened. Van was no longer in his custom suit from earlier but wearing clothes such as he’d worn the first time I met him. There was nothing about him that made me think of him as old.

Putting the car in park, I subconsciously scanned from his dark hair down his wide shoulders and trim waist. The flannel shirt he wore over the thermal twisted my core in a way that brought warmth to my cheeks. I wouldn’t need more clothes if Van had an ample supply of flannel shirts he’d be willing to share.

Then again, I’d agreed to the employee and employer titles. I didn’t suppose that included borrowing my employer’s shirts to wear as a nightgown.

His smile radiated warmth through the cool air as he came down the steps and opened my car door. “You returned.”

His green gaze was upon me, drinking me in and sending detonations to my nerve endings. With only his stare, he was doing things to me that I never knew were possible. Offering me his hand, I willingly placed my palm in his and stepped from the car. “Did you think I wouldn’t return?”

Our touch lingered, sending warmth through my body despite the way our breath came out in vapor clouds in the coldness.

Van looked down at our hands and back to me. “Let me help you with your things and then we can pull your car into the garage. The weather forecast has more snow and plummeting temperatures coming overnight.”

“Can they plummet more?” I asked, lifting my face to the falling snow, allowing the large flakes to land on my cheeks and eyelashes. The scene was so peaceful that I turned to Van. “I don’t mind the snow or cold as long as I’m not stranded on the side of the road.”