Chapter 12
#JEALOUSYONICE
MADDOX
“If you don’t stop pacing, you’re going to wear a trench in my barn floor,” Nate Lewis called out, amusement clear in his voice. “The horses are getting nervous.”
I stopped mid-stride, shoving my hands into my pockets and trying to appear casual. “Sorry. Just, uh, planning camera placement around your ranch.”
“Right,” Nate drawled, the smirk on his face making it clear he didn’t believe me for a second. “Nothing to do with that public kiss, then?”
My stomach clenched. Of course he’d seen the video.
The entire town—possibly the entire internet—had seen the moment Adrian and I had kissed beneath the mistletoe last night at the holiday market.
Maya had been particularly unbearable this morning, shoving her phone in my face to show me comment after comment about “relationship goals” and “Mistletoe Maddrian Magic.”
The whole town watching us like some damn Hallmark movie made my skin crawl. Not because I was ashamed of Adrian, but because I wasn’t. Because standing there under the mistletoe felt more right than anything had in years, and… I had no clue how to handle it.
“What were we supposed to do?” I muttered, the lie bitter on my tongue. “It’s a Legacy tradition. Wrong place, wrong time.”
Nate raised a skeptical eyebrow as he adjusted the harness on his massive Clydesdale. “Seemed like the right place, right time to me.”
I didn’t answer, just watched his steady, calloused hands as he worked.
Nate was tall, broad-shouldered, and muscular beneath his flannel shirt and worn jeans. He had the kind of rugged good looks that came from working outdoors, and he was talented in bed, too. We’d hooked up a few times over the years when pickings around town were slim and the winters too long.
Nate wasn’t the relationship type, so I had no real fear he and Adrian would hit it off in a true love kind of way, but I knew from personal experience there was a high chance they might hit it off in a quick fuck, body-fluid-exchange kind of way.
And the thought of Nate’s hands on Adrian made me wonder idly where the fuck I could get my hands on an industrial-sized bottle of antacids.
“Anyway,” I continued, clearing my throat. “Thanks for agreeing to this. The sleigh ride will make for good footage, and so far, everyone else we’ve tried to enlist in the project has bailed.”
“Happy to help,” Nate replied, patting the horse’s flank. “The guy’s hot as fuck. Besides, Ladybug here loves showing off for cameras. Don’t you, girl?” The massive horse nickered in response, nudging Nate’s shoulder affectionately.
The sound of tires on gravel announced Adrian’s arrival. I steeled myself, taking a deep breath as I stepped toward the barn door, but no matter how many times I saw him, the first glimpse always hit me like a sucker punch.
He emerged from his rental car looking like he’d stepped out of a luxury winter catalog—which, technically, he had.
The Nordique charcoal wool peacoat fit his shoulders perfectly, and beneath it, he wore a forest green sweater that made his eyes look impossibly blue.
A cream cashmere scarf was artfully arranged around his neck, and his cheeks were pink from the cold.
He’d styled his hair differently today—a little messier, a little more touchable. I wondered if he was trying to look more “authentic” for the rural setting or if he’d simply woken up late.
Maya had dropped me off earlier and taken my truck, which meant I’d be riding back with Adrian. I needed to get this ridiculous lust reaction under control before the two of us were alone on the long drive back to town.
“Morning,” Adrian called, his breath visible in the crisp air.
“Sorry I’m late. Got lost twice trying to find this place.
” His gaze moved past me to Nate, and something flashed in his eyes before his professional smile clicked into place.
“You must be Nate. Thanks for doing this. Everyone’s said great things about you. ”
Nate stepped forward, extending a hand. “Nate Lewis. Sleigh ride expert and, apparently, video date for hire.” He shook Adrian’s hand, holding it perhaps a second longer than necessary. “Been following your recent posts. Pretty impressive stuff.”
Adrian’s camera smile warmed and morphed into his genuine one. “Thanks. Maddox deserves the credit. He’s definitely leveled up my content.”
Nate’s eyes flicked between us, a knowing expression on his face. “Yeah, I can see that. Chemistry like yours doesn’t come along too often. And Maddox is no slouch in the kissing department, is he?”
Adrian’s eyes widened, and he shot me a questioning look I didn’t totally understand.
He couldn’t be surprised Nate knew about our mistletoe kiss since the whole world had seen it by now. So was he surprised Nate and I had hooked up? Was he as irrationally pissed off at the idea as I’d been, imagining him with Nate?
I shouldn’t have been so excited about this possibility.
I quickly looked away and cleared my throat. “We should get started. Daylight’s best right now, and the forecast mentioned a chance of snow again later.”
“Sure thing,” Nate agreed easily. “Let me introduce you to the girls, Adrian.” He led us toward where two magnificent Clydesdales stood waiting, already harnessed to a beautifully restored wooden sleigh. “This is Ladybug and June.”
“They’re gorgeous,” Adrian said, approaching slowly with his hand extended. I could tell he was trying his best to be polite, but it was taking an effort. Was he scared of horses? If so, why hadn’t he said something?
Nate nodded approvingly at his caution. “They’re gentle giants, but it’s always smart to respect their space. Here, like this—” He demonstrated the proper way to approach, and Adrian followed his lead, soon stroking Ladybug’s nose while the horse leaned into his touch.
“She likes you.” Nate’s expression warmed as he watched Adrian interact with his “girl.”
“Beginner’s luck,” Adrian replied with a smile that seemed forced. “I didn’t grow up around animals, but I’ve always been intrigued by horses.”
“You’ve got a natural touch,” Nate approved, adjusting June’s harness. “Most city folks are either too hesitant or too grabby. You’ve got the balance just right.”
Something twisted in my gut as I watched them chat, Nate offering interesting facts while Adrian began to relax and ask genuinely curious questions.
They looked good together—both attractive men with easy charm and natural confidence.
The sleigh ride date we’d planned suddenly seemed too romantic, too intimate for comfort.
And I realized I should have been filming all this friendly getting-to-know-you… but I couldn’t force myself to turn the camera on.
Would the internet be calling for #TeamNatrian tomorrow? Would Nate be “filling in” for Adrian’s next canceled date? Would the Legacy matchmakers turn their attention on someone else?
That would be a good thing, of course. Exactly what I’d wanted from the start. So why did my hands suddenly feel like lead weights?
“The sleigh is beautiful,” Adrian commented, running his hand over the polished wood. “Is there a story behind it?”
“My grandfather built it,” Nate explained with obvious pride. “I restored it myself a few years back. Each winter, we offer rides through the countryside. Best way to see Legacy in the snow.”
“Well, I’m excited to give it a try,” Adrian said. He shot me a quick glance like he’d forgotten I was there. “Maddox, you ready? Got the camera?”
“Yeah,” I said gruffly, focusing on adjusting settings that didn’t need adjusting. “Good to go whenever you two are.”
“Perfect.” Nate climbed up to take his position and held out a hand to Adrian. “Hop on up. There’s fur blankets under the seat if you get cold.”
I watched as Adrian settled beside Nate, something unexpected tightening my chest. They made an attractive pair framed against the winter landscape—Adrian with his model-perfect features and Nate with his rugged good looks.
“Coming, Sullivan?” Nate called, a knowing twinkle in his eye. “Or you planning to run alongside with that camera?”
“Give me a minute for a few establishing shots,” I muttered before reluctantly climbing up to join them.
The sleigh was spacious enough for three, but I still found myself pressed against Adrian’s side, his thigh warm against mine despite the layers between us.
The memory of that warmth—of his body against mine as we cut down a tree, of his skin under my hands while the storm raged outside, of his lips beneath the mistletoe last night—flashed through my mind with uncomfortable clarity.
I wondered if Adrian knew just how much the kiss last night had affected me. I’d almost lost my damned mind, dragged him into my arms, and indulged in something that would have humiliated me in front of the entire town—hell, the entire world—when he walked away.
Adrian Hayes was a threat to my equilibrium, my reputation… my fucking heart.
“All set?” Nate asked, gathering the reins.
“Yep,” Adrian replied, pulling out his phone to capture a quick behind-the-scenes clip for his Instagram story.
“Yeah,” I echoed grimly, hanging on to my self-control by the thinnest thread.
Nate clicked his tongue, and the horses moved forward, the sleigh gliding smoothly across the snow. The jingling of bells filled the air as we left the barn behind and headed toward the woodland trail, the winter landscape stretching out around us like a dream.
“Everyone always asks about the bells,” Nate commented as we picked up speed. “They weren’t originally for decoration. They served a practical purpose, warning other sleighs of your approach around blind corners.”
“Really?” Adrian leaned forward, genuinely interested. “I never knew that.”
“Lots of holiday traditions have practical origins,” Nate continued. “Even mistletoe—” He shot me a wink. “Did you know it was considered a symbol of peace? Enemies would meet beneath it to declare a truce.”