A Hot Winter (New Adult Romance) (The Attraction Series Book 2) by C.J. Lake Page B

drop-cloth, Emma climbed back on her chair and picked up the pen she’d left on the table.  Despite the light snow falling, the sun shone brightly, almost blindingly today.  There was a peaceful feeling that settled over her on days like this, especially in her cozy kitchen.  Though she willed herself not to think about it, she really would miss this house.
    “So lay it on me,” Matt said.
    “All right.  The first one I don’t even understand, so you probably won’t either.”
    “Excuse me?”
    “Oh, no, I mean…”  Humbly, she laughed.  “I just meant it makes no sense.”
    “Let’s hear it.”
    “‘A pass route fake-out?’” she read, confused.
    “Buttonhook.”
    Her head snapped up.  “You’re kidding me.”  Though, her incredulity faded as she counted the spaces and realized that Matt’s answer fit.  “What in the world is that?” she said.
    “It’s a football play.”
    “Ohh…” she murmured, writing it in, “that explains why it sounded so utterly foreign and confusing.”
    “Not a football fan, huh?”
    “I mean, I can definitely sit through it,” she said, remembering spending endless Sundays and Monday nights watching football with Connor.  Well, they’d only seemed endless, of course.  Pushing the maudlin thought aside, she grinned at Matt as she told him, “You’re really good at these.  I think we’ve found a hidden talent.”
    “I have a few,” Matt said as his eyes locked with hers. 
    Emma’s breath caught and she tried not to feel a spark between them.  Even contemplating Matt’s innuendo was a bad idea.  Way too tempting.  And too torturous.  The thought of kissing him really turned her on.  Feeling his hands on her, his tongue…rolling around in bed with him…  Emma sucked in a breath as tingling heat spread down her body.     
    Suddenly the doorbell rang. 
    Thank God.  
    Their eye contact broke, as she murmured, “Who could that be?” and slid off her chair.  When she peeked out the side window, she saw only a large brown box leaning against the door.  It appeared to be nearly the same height as her, and when she opened the door and tried to lift it or even drag it, she gave up on self-reliance pretty quickly.  “Matt?” she called out.  “Will you help me?”
    ~
    “What is it?” Matt asked as he carried the box on his shoulder, and set it down in Emma’s office, as she requested.
    “A package from my dad in Switzerland,” she said, reading the packing label.  “Must be something for the boys for Christmas.”  Emma plopped down on the floor, sitting cross-legged as she tore at the box’s packing tape with a letter opener she grabbed from her desk.  As Matt turned to go, she stopped him.  “Want to see what it is?” 
    “Sure.”  He crouched down so he was no longer towering over her and helped her rip the box open at the seam.  What revealed itself was the most elaborate model train station he’d ever seen.  “Wow, this is awesome,” Matt said excitedly and started pulling pieces out of the box.  “Damn,” he remarked, as the pieces kept coming…and coming.  “Not exactly Fisher Price is it?”
    “My dad goes big,” Emma admitted.  “He’s really generous, especially when it comes to Jake and Ben.”
    “They’re gonna love it.”
    With a sigh, Emma smiled.  “Yeah,” she agreed.  Then she gazed at Matt.  Their faces were close, closer than they’d ever been.  Matt’s eyes dropped to Emma’s mouth.  And her eyes dropped to his.  There seemed to be an invisible pull between them, a force drawing them together.  God, he’d had enough.  He needed to kiss her, to take her mouth with his, to run his tongue on hers.  He didn’t know how much longer he could fight this attraction--or ignore the stirring in his cock now as she licked her lips and began to lean closer…
    Abruptly, then, the spell broke. 
    It was like something occurred to Emma that made her pull back. 
    “Well,” she said