Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 96312 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 482(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96312 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 482(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
“Those were adequate trees,” he corrected, stepping carefully through the snow in his designer boots. “I’ll know the perfect one when I see it.”
I finished setting up the tripod, my breath forming clouds in the increasingly frigid air. Adrian wandered a few yards away, examining pines with the critical eye of a diamond appraiser. Even from behind, his silhouette against the snowy backdrop was striking—the tailored coat emphasizing his broad shoulders tapering to a narrow waist, blond hair catching the weak streaks of sun in a way that warmed the scene.
I caught myself staring and quickly looked away. This was exactly the problem with our so-called “chemistry” that everyone in town was gossiping about. Adrian Hayes was objectively attractive, and I’d have to be dead not to notice. But noticing and acting were different things. And I had no intention of becoming another chapter in the Adrian Hayes Travelogue of Temporary Flings.
“Maddox!” His excited voice broke through my thoughts. “This is it. This is the one!”
I turned to see him standing beside an enormous blue spruce, at least eight feet tall and nearly as wide. It was, I had to admit, a spectacular specimen—full and symmetrical, with the perfect conical shape of a Christmas tree straight out of a storybook.
“Of course you’d pick the biggest tree in the lot,” I called back, unable to keep the amusement from my voice. “Compensating for something, Hayes? Your poor little budgie, perhaps?”
His delighted grin only widened. “Trying to represent my enormous Christmas spirit,” he replied, spreading his arms as if to embrace the massive tree. “What do you think? Is she a beauty or what?”
I approached, taking a few quick snapshots before assessing the tree with a critical eye. “It’s too big for your rental cabin,” I pointed out practically. “The ceilings are only eight feet. You’d have to cut the top off.”
“How dare you suggest mutilation,” he gasped, placing a protective hand on the tree’s branches. “We’ll make it work. Every perfect tree deserves the perfect home.”
“And who’s going to drag this monster back to the truck? It weighs at least a hundred pounds.”
Adrian raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that what I have you for, mountain man? To do all the manly lifting while I stand here and look pretty?”
“You’re hilarious,” I said, even though I was already moving my tripod closer. The tree was a showstopper, and the footage would look amazing. “Just remember this conversation when you’re covered in sap and pine needles.”
“I’ll consider it a rustic spa treatment,” he quipped, brushing snow off a branch. “Pine-scented exfoliation. Very on-brand for Nordique. It’ll be all the rage once I mention it. You’ll see.”
I couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped me. For all his polished exterior, Adrian’s humor had a way of catching me off guard—little glimpses of a real person beneath the influencer facade.
As I set up the camera angle, I watched him circle the tree, genuine excitement lighting up his face. There was something almost childlike in his enthusiasm that made it difficult to maintain my irritation. Maybe that was the real danger of Adrian Hayes—not just the perfect face or the sharp wit, but those flashes of authenticity that made me wonder which version was the real him.
“Alright, Hayes,” I said, adjusting the focus. “You found your perfect tree. Now comes the fun part.”
He turned to me with a brilliant smile. “Posing majestically beside it?”
“Cutting it down.” I reached for the axe I’d brought, holding it up with a challenging grin. “Unless you’d prefer to use your credit card?”
His expression faltered slightly, eyes widening as he stared at the axe in my hand. “I, uh… hadn’t exactly planned that part out.”
“You mean you’ve never cut down a Christmas tree before?” I asked in mock surprise, already knowing the answer.
Adrian’s perfect confidence slipped just a fraction. “Not personally, no.”
“Well then,” I said, unable to suppress a slightly wicked smile as I held out the axe. “You’re about to have another authentic Legacy Christmas experience, influencer boy.”
The mixture of alarm and determination that crossed his face was almost worth the entire frigid trek through the woods. Almost.
Adrian stared at the axe in my hand like I was offering him a live snake. “That’s… very rustic. Possibly too rustic.”
“That’s the whole point of this shoot, isn’t it?” I challenged. “Real alpine experiences in rugged but luxurious couture?”
He squared his shoulders, the momentary uncertainty quickly covered up with a cocky facade. “Of course. This won’t be the first time I’ve tackled a new challenge for my followers. It also won’t be the first time I’ve put myself in harm’s way to impress a date.”
I blinked at him. “Impress me?”
He tilted his head at my camera. “Not you specifically.”
Of course. The fake date. The project concept. Not me. Him. Us.
“Right,” I said quickly, clearing my throat and fiddling with my camera settings. “The more cringe you make it, the more video shares you’ll get, so feel free to be your full awkward self. Hell, if you accidentally injure yourself with the blade, it would probably get shared even more.”