Mistletoe Not Required

by A. D. Justice

“It is now.”

  With a smile in place, I turn my attention to her date. “Are you trying to steal my girl from me, Scott?”

  Scott laughs, revealing his two front teeth are missing. Another snagglepuss to add to our collection. His eyes light up with his smile, as does his face. “She’s one of my teachers!”

  “Hey, you’re the one who took her to lunch.”

  “She’s having lunch with the whole table. This is our school lunchroom.” His eyes shine brightly with mischief.

  “That’s a likely story, Scott. I’ll have to keep an eye on you. I can already tell.” My smile shows him I’m teasing, but he already knows that.

  “It’s time for recess, so I gotta go now. But after recess, you have to leave because Miss Mallory promised to make me some popcorn before we watch a movie together. Just me and her.”

  With that, Scott jumps up from his seat, dumps his tray, and dashes outside with the rest of his class.

  “You just ran off my date, Hunter.”

  “That’s just not possible, Snagglepuss. I’m still here, and I’ll always be here, just for you.”

  “Congratulations, Mallory. I’m so proud of you. You’re officially a teacher now. This has been the longest six months of my life. Can we pack everything you own into my truck and move you back to Cringle Cove now?”

  I’ve made more out-of-state visits over the past few months than in my entire life. But every trip has been more than worth it. Every moment with her has been better than the last. The whole time she stayed away from home, I knew I missed her—my broken heart was evidence of that. But exactly how much didn’t strike me until we started spending every spare moment together—whether that was on the phone or in person.

  I tried to fill the gaping hole in my life with work and money for so long. Now I know without a shadow of a doubt, only one quirky, funny, wonderful woman could possibly make me feel wealthy. The one standing in front of me, looking at me like she’s completely head over heels in love with me.

  She laughs as she wraps her arms around my neck. “Hunter, don’t act like you haven’t already loaded all my stuff into the moving truck and sent them on their way. I know you better than that.”

  “Fine, you caught me. I’m just trying to be efficient.”

  “Or, you went ahead and did it because I told you to make sure the movers were reserved over a month ago.”

  “Semantics. Same difference.”

  “Whatever you have to tell yourself to make you think you’re in charge. We both know the truth, though.”

  “Babe, you can be in charge any time, all the time, or none of the time. Whatever you want. I only have one hard-and-fast rule that you cannot break under any circumstance.”

  “Oh yeah? What’s that?”

  “That warning label you gave me applies to us both. ‘Mistletoe not required’ is now our shared motto.”

  We seal that deal with a handshake. And by handshake, I mean a long, deep kiss that’s completely inappropriate for public displays of affection. But she’ll have to get used to that, because we’re spending an entire lifetime together, and there will be many more kisses without mistletoe, exactly like this one.

  THE CRINGLE COVE CHRISTMAS CHRONICLES

  Read more about Cringle Cove in these stand-alone books:

  Unexpected Gift by H.J. Bellus

  What the Elf? by Kate Benson

  Christmas on the Rocks by Michelle Dare

  Wrapped in Love by Kristen Luciani

  Winter Games by Victoria Renteria

  Books By A.D. Justice

  Steele Security Series

  Wicked Games (Book 1)

  Wicked Ties (Book 2)

  Wicked Nights (Book 3)

  Wicked Intentions (Book 4)

  Wicked Shadows (Book 5)

  * * *

  The Crazy Series

  Crazy Maybe (Book 1)

  Crazy Baby (Book 2)

  Crazy Love (FREE Short Story)

  * * *

  Dominic Powers Series

  Her Dom (Book 1)

  Her Dom’s Lesson (Book 2)

  * * *

  The Vault

  Warning, Part One

  Warning, Part Two

  Warning, Part Three

  * * *

  Immortal Obsession

  Immortal Envy (Book 1)

  * * *

  Stand-alone Romance Novels

  Saving Grace

  Completely Captivated

  Intent

  Just One Summer (Novella)

  Mistletoe Not Required (Novella)

  Acknowledgments

  First and foremost, I want to thank my Lord and Savior for His continued forgiveness of a sinner.

  Readers: I’m sending an extra special THANK YOU for your support over the past few years. Releasing books is not for the faint of heart, but you make every part of this journey worth it. Every book is special to an author because it’s a labor of love—every word comes from the heart. Regardless if you loved, liked, or hated the story and the characters, you still have my sincere gratitude for simply giving me a chance.

  Bloggers: Thank you for your continued support. You help spread the word for cover reveals, new releases, and sales. You recommend books to your friends and followers. You are the best—for all the work you do, all the books you read, or all the promotional posts you create: THANK YOU!!!

  My Editor: Lisa A. Hollett, with Silently Correcting Your Grammar, THANK YOU for always taking my books at the last possible minute with the shortest possible notice. Your side comments and our back and forth banter make the editing process a little more fun.

  My Cohorts in Crime: Michelle Dare, Kate Benson, H.J. Bellus, Kristen Luciani, and Victoria Renteria, I love you ladies!!!

  My Cover Designer: Dana Leah, with Designs by Dana, THANK YOU for creating the best covers that bring my characters and my story to life. What would we do without you?

  About the Author

  A.D. Justice is the award-winning USA Today bestselling author of the Steele Security Series (Wicked Games, Wicked Ties, Wicked Nights, Wicked Intentions, Wicked Shadows), the Crazy Series (Crazy Maybe, Crazy Baby), the Dominic Powers series (Her Dom, Her Dom’s Lesson), the Immortal Obsessions series (Immortal Envy), and a few stand-alone romance novels, such as Saving Grace, Completely Captivated, Just One Summer, and Intent.

  When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with her own alpha male character in their North Georgia mountain home. She is also an avid reader of romance novels, a master at procrastination, a chocolate sommelier, a twister of words, and speaks fluent sarcasm. An avid animal lover, A.D. Justice has two horses, two dogs, and three cats.

  While the primary focus of her books has been romantic suspense, she has expanded into different sub-genres of romance. Stay tuned to read what she has in store for you!

  * * *

  Connect with her online!

  Newsletter

  Facebook Reader Group

  Website

  COMPLETELY CAPTIVATED

  SYNOPSIS

  Aaron Rivers

  Christa was the exact opposite of every woman who’d shared my bed for a night.

  All I could think about was getting to know her intimately. She completely captivated me.

  Then, as usual, I screwed up everything. My life. Her life. Our love.

  Now her old crush is back in town, and he set his sights on Christa. But she’s mine. I’ll be damned if he gets her.

  I will win her back before he wins her over.

  * * *

  Christa Lanes

  Aaron breezed into my coffee shop and right into my heart. He was gorgeous, confident, and sexy.

  Out of all the women who threw themselves at him, he wanted me.

  Against my better judgment, I took a chance. Then he took our new life away.

  When I was at my darkest, my lifelong friend Jared pulled me through, only to tell me he wants to take Aaron’s place.

  But can I give my h
eart to Jared when Aaron already stole it?

  COMPLETELY CAPTIVATED.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. If the location is an actual place, all details of said place are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to businesses, landmarks, living or dead people, and events is purely coincidental.

  * * *

  The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of a copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  All copyrights are held by A.D. Justice and have not been transferred to any other individual. Sharing or posting of this material in any group is considered copyright infringement and will be reported to the authorities. Criminal and civil charges will be pursued for damages.

  * * *

  Copyright © 2017 A.D. Justice.

  All rights reserved.

  Prologue

  The End…Or Not

  * * *

  July, Present Day

  This is the story of two very different men who are in love with the same woman. To grasp the full impact one person has on another’s life, I’m starting at what seems to be the end of the story. But don’t be deceived by appearances. I’ll just be getting started with my plans for them by the time you catch up with me.

  Who gets the girl and lives happily ever after is yet to be seen. My part in this story will be made clear soon enough. Until then, I’d like to introduce you to Christa, Aaron, and Jared. How they started. Where they fell apart. Then you and I will see how they end up—together. This is their past. Their future is still to come.

  Buckle up, buttercup. We’re all going for a ride.

  * * *

  Christa and Aaron walked hand in hand into the ultrachic, urbanely modern downtown office building. She was still reeling from their whirlwind weekend. Reality hadn’t yet set in, leaving her to question if she’d hallucinated everything that had happened. A beautiful, life-changing, dream-come-true hallucination.

  If I am, don’t ever let me wake up, she thought.

  As they crossed the marble floor of the lobby, she glanced over at Aaron for the hundredth time, convinced she was dreaming it all. A recurring unease ran through her mind and plagued her thoughts. She was desperate to ask if he felt as shocked with their new life as she did. Part of her wanted to know if the extreme mixture of excitement, fear, and exhilaration, immediately followed by sheer terror, overwhelmed him as much as it did her. But she didn’t want to be that girl—the needy, clingy, “What are you thinking?” type of girl.

  Her thoughts drifted to how different everything she’d ever known was compared to just a few short months ago before she’d met Aaron. Even at her young age of twenty-two, she’d learned firsthand how life wasn’t fair. Her parents had made sure to teach her that valuable lesson.

  She’d also accepted she’d never be lucky in anything. She’d been unlucky in having the big, loving family she’d dreamed of her entire childhood. As the only child of a deadbeat dad and a neglectful mother, the only people she could lean on were friends she’d made along the way. The Miller family had all but adopted her, giving her the only stability throughout her childhood.

  Luck in money had escaped her, since she had scraped by on her very last dime for anything she’d ever had. She’d worked tirelessly to start her own business, rising early in the morning and remaining in her shop until late at night to get her café off the ground.

  Finally, she’d most decidedly been unlucky in finding love. The few men she’d made time to date turned out to be less stellar than she’d initially thought. Or dared to hope. But after the last three days, she was finally convinced her luck had changed for the better, that true love could happen, that happiness could last.

  As they walked into the posh office building, nausea washed over her in repetitive waves when she realized she was completely out of place and notably underdressed. Elegant, professional women clicked by in their stiletto heels, with their hair perfectly coiffed and their nails fashionably manicured, wearing their expensive designer business clothes. Unlike everyone else, she was dressed in faded jeans, off-brand Ugg-type boots, and a generic name sweater. Her long, straight blond hair usually refused to cooperate, preferring to hang loosely on her shoulders.

  She was grateful Aaron held her hand tightly in his, paying no attention to the beautiful women surrounding them. His strength flowed into her through their connected hands, giving her the courage to face whatever awaited them.

  The security guard noticed her first and stood as though to stop her. The moment he realized she was with Aaron, his demeanor changed. “Good morning, Mr. Rivers.”

  “Good morning, Ty.” Aaron dismissed the guard with a nod.

  Aaron pushed the up button, and they were soon joined by several other people in the morning rush to their posh offices. Neither spoke as the elevator climbed to the twenty-sixth floor, where he led Christa to an expansive corner office.

  The space was professionally decorated, with pictures and sculptures arranged to be both visually pleasing and modernly chic. The large, dark cherry wood desk was strategically placed in the corner, facing the door but not obstructing the impressive view of the city from the floor-to-ceiling windows on each side. Her back was to the door, staring out at the sights, until the angry male voice behind her caught her attention.

  “Hold all my calls, Barbara.” His command resembled an irritable growl when he entered the office and all but slammed the door shut behind him.

  He cut his gaze to Aaron and sighed heavily without even attempting to disguise his disgust and disapproval. She watched the wordless exchange between the two men, observed as Aaron quickly averted his eyes from the heavy glare of the other man. She had a quick and powerful urge to come to Aaron’s defense and put the other man in his place. The obvious question was why he’d be so disappointed in Aaron in the first place.

  “Hello, I don’t believe we’ve met before. I’m Christa.” She extended her hand to offer a handshake.

  “Yes, I know who you are, Christa Lanes. I’m Lance Rivers, Aaron’s older brother.” His reply was curt and brash as he blatantly ignored her proffered hand.

  She immediately noticed he didn’t say it was nice to meet her, and a sickening feeling about this impromptu, early morning meeting settled into her gut.

  Lance’s stare darted between Aaron and Christa, throwing daggers in their direction. “Have a seat.” He motioned at a small conference table close to the window then jerked the chair out for himself.

  Aaron took the farthest seat, putting his back to the window. Christa sat directly across from Aaron. Lance sat at the head of the small table and waited for them to settle before he began. He opened the manila folder he’d brought with him and pushed a neatly stacked collection of papers in front of Christa. He then clicked his pen and laid it directly on top of the papers.

  “Ms. Lanes, let’s cut to the chase, shall we? My brother, Aaron, is quite impetuous—that means he doesn’t always think through his decisions as thoroughly as he should.” Lance’s tone was extremely condescending.

  “Yes, I know what ‘impetuous’ means, Lance. What are you trying to say?” Christa’s hackles were immediately raised, her tone rife with indignation over his assumption she was ignorant.

  Lance smiled, but his eyes lacked any humor or warmth. “Everything I need to say is right there in those papers in front of you, Ms. Lanes.”

  Christa looked down at the papers, and her world came to a crashing halt. She couldn’t breathe and couldn’t form a coherent thought. The words jumped off the page at her, but in her panicked state, they were in no given order. Her mind
raced and her heart throbbed, rendering her unable to comprehend the meaning of the words. Everything was a jumbled mess. But there was one lone word that resonated and reverberated throughout the echoes of her mind.

  Divorce.

  “I don’t—I don’t understand. Wh-what is this?” Christa demanded of Aaron when she finally found her voice. She searched his face intently, but it was void of any emotion. He deliberately masked his feelings, retreated inside himself, and blocked out the unpleasantness around him.

  “It is exactly what it says it is.” Lance spat out his sarcastic response. “Ms. Lanes, you and my brother do not have a real marriage. This fiasco never should’ve happened. We need to rectify this situation as soon as possible. As Aaron’s lawyer, I’ve drawn up these papers to handle the procedures speedily.”

  She gripped the armrests of her chair, trying to focus on a single spot while a vortex of blackness threatened to erase her very existence. Her entire world stopped spinning and hung precariously on its axis, of that much she was sure. But the room she sat in was spinning fast enough to draw the air from her lungs, making it harder and harder for her to maintain her composure.