Wrapped In Red: Mistletoe Mantra / White Hot Holiday

Her heart rate picked up in response. Easy does it. We’re here to work. Not flirt. For the rest of breakfast, she kept things on safer topics—catching up on some of the people she’d known, local gossip, her job and their favorite places to travel.

He relaxed her and made it easy to forget where she was, but a flash of red hair outside the window was all the reminder she needed. Amber. She was going somewhere in a hurry, and Nomi didn’t have time to sit here on a leisurely breakfast date. “I see my competition is already up and at ’em. Do you think we can head to Jilly’s now?”

He made a poor attempt at hiding his smile. “Sure, let me get the check.”

“Oh, I can’t let you do that. You’re doing me the favor, remember?”

“I insist. I’ll add it to your tab. Why don’t you get the car warmed up.”

While he flagged down the waitress, she headed out to start the car. She climbed into the passenger seat of the SUV and leaned over to stick the key in the ignition. Maybe if she’d been more alert, better mentally prepared, or hadn’t wasted part of the morning pretending she was on a bed-and-breakfast date, she would have noticed the woman coming out of the post office four doors down.

With her smooth chocolate skin and high cheekbones, she was the picture of Nomi in another twenty years. Nomi froze, not sure what to do. She hadn’t called her parents and hadn’t planned to. But still, she couldn’t ignore the twinge of pain in her heart at seeing her mother again.

Adrenaline spiking through her blood, Nomi knew she had to make a decision. If she didn’t move, then her mother would see her.

For several loud, pulsing heartbeats, she stayed like that, but then her brain kicked in. Just as her mother was about to look up from her bag, Nomi ducked. She’d call home. Just not right now. Later. Maybe tonight. Maybe tomorrow. Definitely before she left...maybe.

The driver’s door swung open and Linc laughed. “What are you doing?”

Sheepish, she sat up. “I, uh, thought I lost an earring.”

His brows rose. “Did you find it?”

“Yep.” She pointed at her ear. “Put it right back.” She could tell that he didn’t believe her, but she did not want to get into some long conversation about why she was hiding from her mother.

By the time they reached Jilly’s gallery, she felt more at ease. Linc’s sister had always been exuberant. It was no wonder she’d been a part of the pep squad at school. “Nomi! It’s so good to see you.” She bounded up to her and enveloped her into a warm hug.

Nomi squeezed back and let herself settle into the feeling of being home. She’d missed Jilly. Her bestie had been out to LA frequently to see her, or they’d met in places like New York, DC or San Francisco.

“Oh my God, Nomi, you have to tell me everything. Start talking. I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there yesterday, but Linc came to the rescue, right? He wasn’t late, was he?”

“No, Linc was perfect.” Damn, why did her voice sound so husky? She cleared her throat. “I didn’t recognize him at first.”

“He’s changed a lot, huh? Sometimes I can’t even believe it. You would think he’d have a girlfriend, but for some strange reason he doesn’t. If you ask me, he’s carrying a torch for someone.”

Linc’s brows rose, then he coughed. “Enough, Jilly.”

Nomi resisted the urge to shiver while she glanced between brother and sister, trying to figure out what the sudden note of tension was about. “Jilly, we have so much to catch up on.”

Her friend squeezed her hand. “We will find a way to make time before you go, okay? In the meantime, I know you didn’t come all this way for a snow fix. What do you need?”

“Even if it’s at midnight. We’ll figure it out. So, your gallery has showed some work of one of my favorite photographers.”

Jilly nodded, understanding. “Nolan Polk.”

“Is there anything you can tell me about him? What he looks like? Any places he might frequent? Even better, where he lives? It’s important I get a hold of him.”

Jilly bit her lip. “Have you tried his agent? She might know how to reach him best.”

Nomi rolled her shoulders. “Yes, repeatedly. I’ve tried everything. I keep getting the ‘Mr. Polk doesn’t take unsolicited requests’ message. I’m sort of desperate. We’re looking to put his photographs in our twentieth-anniversary issue featuring beauty around the world. I think some of the portraits he’s done around the world would be ideal.”

“Well, he is extremely talented. No doubt about that. But unfortunately, I can’t tell you much about him.”

There was something about the way Jilly slid her gaze away when she said that. “Look, I get it. You’re protecting your relationship with him. But anything you can tell me would be helpful. What does he like, where might I look next? I’m sort of running out of time.”

Jilly slid a glance toward her brother and sighed. “Okay, fine. First place you might look is Faith Woods. He used to do a lot of photos out in the woods. Rumor is he has a cabin there. Then tomorrow night, there’s an auction at the country club. Every year for the past three years, he’s donated a piece. I doubt he’ll be there, but it’s worth a shot.”

The country club? One of the last places she wanted to go. But if it meant a chance at Nolan Polk, then she’d better pull out her little black dress. But first, she and Linc were going to the woods.

Chapter 6 (#ulink_3d9745c1-84f7-54f6-a2e4-6f0df8778f91)

This was insane and Linc knew it. But, as he was quickly learning, there was no deterring Nomi from something she wanted to do. She was too damn stubborn.

“You know, you didn’t have to drive me.”

He slid her a glance. “Yes, I did.” It was the only way to keep her out of trouble. “The roads are a mess out here from the last snow, and you don’t actually have a car, so what were you going to do, walk?”

“If it meant getting here ahead of Amber, then yes.”

“What is the competition thing with that girl anyway?”

Nomi sighed and wiped away the fog on the passenger side window. “She’s hated me since I started at Sassy.”

He would never understand the dynamics between women. “Girl jealousy bullshit?”

She shrugged. “Something like that. I know I can come off a little strong, but she hated me on sight.”

“You? Come on strong?” he teased. That earned him a shove in the shoulder.

“I know I’m driven and that puts people off.”

“I dunno. I think it’s sexy. You know what you want and nothing stands in your way.” It also scared the shit out of him, because if anyone could find Nolan Polk, it was her. Hell, they were here, at his cabin.

So stupid. He couldn’t risk her knowing who he was just yet. His contract with Melanie was up in a little over a week. He had that long to determine if Nomi could be trusted. If she hung around that long.

He couldn’t wait to live his life again without Melanie clouding every decision he made. That was if he even felt like picking up a camera. It had been months. Though, sitting here with Nomi, with the sunlight streaking in, highlighting the reddish tones in some of her braids, he itched to capture it.

Her laugh was low and throaty. “You would be the only man on the face of the earth that finds my relentlessness sexy. Sometimes I feel like I repel guys. It’s okay, though. I’m about to be the youngest senior editor in the history of the magazine if I can pull this off.”

His gut clenched. The way she said it—as if it was the thing that would make her whole life—a part of him wanted to give it to her. “I think you’re wrong, but it’s a moot point. Anyway, we’re here.”

She sighed. “It’s kind of peaceful.”

“Don’t tell me the city slicker girl is missing her small hometown.”

“Don’t get it twisted, I love the city. The hustle and bustle. Los Angeles has a way different energy than Virginia does. But I do like my quiet moments. It must be easy to be creative out here with all the solitude. Nothing to do but listen to your imagination.”

It was peaceful. That was why he liked it. He could get away from the noise and just be himself. Granted, he hadn’t been here in a while. No need.