There wasn’t anything she could do to keep Hunter from taking her today, but she could determine the direction of the day. All business, no flirty fun like the morning shoot. She needed to work, not be distracted, and no matter how gorgeous he was or how he made her feel, she would shut down all awareness of him. He would be just another client.
She could do that, right?
Something was seriously up with Mal, but for some reason, she wasn’t talking about it, and it was beginning to drive Hunter crazy. They’d been driving around in a golf cart for almost two hours now, and all he’d managed to get out of her was business. Any attempt of his to tease or flirt resulted in a quick shift of topic and a drop in temperature.
At this point, it was practically thirty below.
She wasn’t rude, not by any stretch, but she was formal—professional, pleasant, and yet carefully distant. He didn’t enjoy it at all, and it was going to make what was coming up more awkward.
He wanted the Mal from this morning, the one that was comfortable and charming and made his heart skitter around like a pinball machine. This Mal made him nervous and doubtful, and he would have to admit, a little insecure. He had been making plans, for heaven’s sake, and all of them involved her. Right now, he wasn’t sure any of them were going to work out.
This tiny, moody photographer with snarky responses and warm smiles was taking over his life at a rather alarming rate. He was more than happy to let her do so, but he’d rather hoped the course of said life would run smoother with her at the helm. Daily convincing her of his sincerity and the value in trusting him was going to get very, very old.
He watched her as she snapped more pictures of their newest renovated house, unable to help smiling as she muttered things to herself. He caught a few more of her made-up swear words, as Dan had called them, and made a mental note to someday ask her about them. Assuming they were ever on friendly terms again, of course.
“All right,” Mal finally said, turning back to face him. “I think that’s enough here. What next?”
He carefully turned his smile into the polite, borderline insincere one he used on all his clients, most of his employees, and some of his associates and friends.
“There’s a classic, small cottage not too far from here,” he told her, gesturing for her to lead the way back to the cart. “Ralph thinks it might appeal to the clientele that have a more rustic taste.”
Mal made a face of consideration, then nodded. “Makes sense to me. Some people want a real getaway.” She situated herself in the seat and met his eyes squarely, just a hint of her smile in them.
It was the friendliest she’d been all afternoon, and he let himself warm up a little. “Exactly,” he said, taking his own seat. “Some people actually like ‘all this wood,’ and there are cabins we can photograph later for them.”
She smiled in earnest then, but it faded just as quickly, and with it, his hope for the day. “Whatever you need,” she murmured, tucking a strand of hair back into her bun. “Ralph said there was a lot on the resort I could use. It just depends on what you want from me and where you want it to go.”
Hunter sighed as he drove to the cottage. “I think it would be best for you to use your own judgment on the scenic stuff, Mal. I can give you an idea of houses and property, resort details and the like, but you’re the artist.”
She looked away from him, not that she had even been looking at him, and nodded. “Sounds good.”
He groaned inwardly. This was going to be a disaster, and it was supposed to be dramatic and maybe romantic. Maybe he would just forget the whole thing. She didn’t need to know, right?
His more rational side kicked him. Of course she needed to know, and he needed to do it. She would be impossible for the rest of the week if he didn’t. She would be happier this way, ultimately, even if it was presumptuous on his part.
And it was nothing but presumption on his part.
He was nosy, interfering, overbearing, and self-serving, no matter what good intentions started it all. But hopefully, that wouldn’t work against him here. After all, it’s not as if she knew where to find him if this all went south.
He glanced at her as they approached the house, and her demeanor changed. She lit up, and the first genuine smile of the afternoon appeared. He bit back a grin and let the elation of victory wash over him.
“This is perfect,” she breathed when they stopped, not moving from her seat. “This right here is exactly what I picture in a place like this.”
Hunter stared at it for a long moment. It really was one of his favorites on the resort, and not just because Mal liked it. Or because it made him think of her. Or because he could picture her here.
He’d liked it before today.
But he liked it more now.
“Do you want to go inside?” he asked softly, keeping his voice conversational.
She looked at him wide-eyed. “We can do that?”
He had to smile at that. “I’m the owner,” he reminded her, tilting his head. “I can get whatever keys I want. You can see inside any house you want.”
Her grin was wild and breathless as she nearly leaped from the cart, leaving him rather wild and breathless as well.
It didn’t take Mal long to take pictures of everything. The first floor was simply a large living room and spacious, rustic kitchen. Almost the entire back wall, however, had been turned into windows, and the view was truly spectacular. While not one of the more prominent views, it was sheltered in a beautiful section of trees near a stream, and glimpses of the lake could be caught through the woods if she looked closely enough.