by ChaShiree M
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
About the Authors
Sneak Peek of Cupid's Kiss
Also by the Authors
Marry Grinchmas
Copyright © 2017 by ChaShiree M. & MK Moore
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
About the Authors
Sneak Peek of Cupid's Kiss
Also by the Authors
Dedicated to those looking and discovering love during the most wonderful time of the year.
MY MOTHER IS A PIECE of work. At thirty-one, I should be able to decide if I want to go to the town’s Christmas festival. However, she doesn’t give up until she gets what she wants. My three younger brothers are not excluded, but as the oldest, they look to me to settle down and have children so our mother will get off their backs. They can believe it will release them to have some fun.
On one hand, I understand. On the other, I don’t get a break to have fun. Why should those little dbags get to have any? It’s not like I don’t want to settle down. The reason I have not is that I have not met the one, the one my father said I would give up everything for and gain everything anew.
Next in line after me is my brother Jace. He is twenty-nine and lives next door. Each one of us has a cabin that we built with our father. The two younger boys are scattered throughout my parents land, but Jace and I are set up about 500 feet apart.
Heading to my truck, I see Jace is already sitting inside with the heat blasting. I hop into the driver’s seat and head down the driveway going towards what I classify as hell.
Holidays are not my favorite time. They cause me to be moody and broody, and I don’t give a fuck who knows it. I am not a dick to anyone who starts a conversation with me, but I don’t intentionally seek out people to talk with. This has earned me the nickname of Grinch.
The snow has been steadily falling since yesterday, but that doesn’t mean much in Minnesota. Moosehead is situated near the Canadian border which means it snows all the time.
The silence between Jace and me as we pull out onto the highway is comfortable. We just pass the halfway mark when I notice a car in front of us. The driver doesn’t seem to know what they are doing. The plow hasn’t been through and the tiny hatchback is not designed for this type of weather.
I have never felt much of anything for the other drivers until I saw that car slide on black ice and go into that ditch. All of a sudden, a form of intuition was telling me I needed to reach that car. Pulling to a stop I jump out. I notice the license is a summer forever Florida plate with a vanity tag showing Ava1ynn. I reach the driver side door and rip it opens.
“What the hell man?” The most beautiful woman I have ever seen says.
I reach in and unbuckle her seat belt. I lift her out of the car to rush back over to my truck. While I am walking to the truck I ask her, “Are you ok? Do you need to go to the hospital?”
“No. I’m fine, only shaken up. Thank you.”
Setting her carefully in the driver seat. I turn around and head back to her car. Looking in the back seat of her car I find a large suitcase and in the front passenger seat her purse. Retrieving both items I take them to my truck and put them in the cab.
When I am back at the truck I see Jace is already on the phone with the sheriff. From past experience with accidents where there are no injuries, the sheriff department will get the car when they can. After he hangs up, Jace gets out of the truck and gets in the back seat.
“Scoot over and buckle up.” I say.
She slides her long legs and smoothly lifts her butt over the center console causing me to clear my throat. It shouldn’t be erotic but it definitely is. She is not dressed for the weather here. She is wearing tiny cut off shorts, flip flops, and a Florida State sweatshirt. My mind immediately goes to an image of her riding my cock.
“Where are you going dressed like that? It is December in Minnesota.”
“I was going to my Nana’s house. She lives in Moosehead. It was a spur of the moment trip because I needed to get out of Florida.”
“Do you want to come with us? We are going to the Christmas Tree Lighting and then I can drop you at your grandmothers.”
“That would be lovely. Thank you for rescuing me.”
“You’re welcome. My name is Ham and this is my brother Jace.”
“It’s nice to meet you. I am Avalynn.”
“You should change. It’s cold as fuck out, and those legs should be covered.”
She blushes and unbuckles her seatbelt. Leaning over the seat, she reaches into her suitcase and pulls out a pair of jeans, fuzzy socks, and brown boots. She kicks off her flip flops and reaches for the snap of her shorts. As I realize what she is about to do I start to clench the steering wheel. My head goes up to look at Jace in the rearview mirror and he is staring at me.
“Don’t fucking look at her asshole,” I tell him. He averts his gaze with a wide-eyed look showing he is surprised I staked a claim on her so quickly after meeting her.
She looks at me while I side-eye her. I have to stop the truck as she shimmies those tiny fucking shorts down her legs. She stares right at me daring me to do or say something.
As I rake my gaze over her body to her pussy, I almost die. My girl isn’t wearing panties and I am now white knuckling the steering wheel. She pulls her jeans on covering her neatly shaved pussy. I notice she isn’t completely bare, which I find I like and know that I would do anything to make her mine. She starts to put her socks and boots on giving me a chance to ease back into driving. Jace is trying to look around at everything or anything but her.
“Jace, you can look now. Sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
I am still gripping the steering wheel when she l
ays her hand over mine and pries it from my hands. She intertwines her tiny fingers with my large ones and gently sets our hands on my thigh. At that very moment I was goner. Nothing has ever felt more right than in this moment. I realize I have no intentions of ever leaving her side again. My mother is going to have a field day with this. If her grandmother is who I think she is, she will be over the moon, too.
IT’S JUST MY LUCK. WHEN I finally meet a guy who makes the butterflies in my stomach dance, it is when I have made a ninny of myself by running into a ditch. The truth is; I don’t know what I was thinking as I packed my bag, climbed in my car, and started driving for Moosehead. All I knew was there is no way I could stay home and have everyone looking at me with pity and/or smug concern.
What did I expect would happen after I started dating the most popular and rich guy in our town? I believed or convinced myself that Chase really liked me. He tittered around the shop any time he came in, always finding ways and reasons to get my attention.
When he finally did ask me out, I thought my life would be a fairytale. I would marry prince charming and live happily ever after. But it turned into a nightmare.
It wasn’t long before rumors started saying he was carrying on with Sandra Brooks behind my back. I didn’t believe them, or maybe I didn’t want to believe them. When I finally got the nerve to confront him, he denied it. He told me he loved me and asked me to marry him.
Of course I said yes. A man who is cheating on his girlfriend wouldn’t ask her to marry him right? I mean, right? I decided they were jealous and started to plan my wedding keeping my head in the clouds.
A big problem with having your head in the clouds is that the world is very fuzzy. It looks a lot more, clear when you finally come back down. Walking in and finding the two of them in bed together helped put me on my way down.
It is amazing with all the drama I’ve had in my life recently; I am currently sitting in a truck next to an extremely handsome man. My body is being a traitor and acting like a complete hussy even though I never had this kind of a reaction to Chase. Who is the girl that took off her pants with no underwear on in front of a stranger? I definitely need to talk to my Nana about this.
I got a warm and fuzzy feeling inside my body as he tells his brother not to look at me, making it sound like he wants me all for himself. His very strong reaction to seeing me almost naked worries me. Watching him gripping the steering wheel tightly makes me think his hands might fall off.
What’s a girl to do when her man is hurting himself? My man? Wait! Did I just say that? Oh boy. I have stepped in it now. But truthfully, the moment he opened my door and carried me to his truck, I felt a connection to him. There is no explanation other than to say we are soul mates.
I know it sounds silly and fanciful. I have definitely had enough fanciful, considering all fanciful has gotten me in the past is egg on my face. I need to be practical and keep my heart and silly notions to myself.
“You never did tell me who your grandma is.” he says to me, breaking into my thoughts.
“Greta Kimber. I’m sure you’ve heard of her because she kicks up more dust than a sandstorm. The woman has never met a problem she didn’t stick her nose in. God love her.”
“Shit! Yeah. I know Greta, alright. She and my mama are best friends, and if I may say so myself, they are the original troublesome twosome. If there is something happening, you better believe those two are in the middle of it. Seems to me your grandma and my mama are going to be pleased as a pig in mud over us meeting, don’t you think?”
Shoot. He’s right. If my grandma sees me getting out of his truck, she will have us all but married within 48 hours. Dang it! I have to get him to let me out before her house.
“You know what? Why don’t you drop me off at the corner and let me walk the rest of the way. It might be good for me to get some fresh air and think. I’m sure you can understand?”
“Well darlin’, that won’t be happening. No woman of mine is going traipsing through the snow by herself.”
“Woman of yours? When did I become your woman? I came into this town the same I was born. Alone. Mister. I don’t need a man telling me what to do.”
“Do you understand me, Ham?”
“I see I will need to teach you a few things my little lamb.”
Uh-oh. Why does that worry me and turn me on at the same time? Yea Lordy. I have really stepped in it.
THE WOMAN HAS A SMART mouth that I didn’t realize I would love instantly.
“Yes. My woman. If you have a problem with that you best tell me now so I can talk you out of it.” She laughs, and it is one of those huge belly laughs that seemingly come from her toes.
“Yes Ham. I do have a problem. I am not your woman.” She says in a soft voice with a huge smile, while squeezing my hand that is still joined with hers. However, she swiftly removes it.
“I guess you best get yourself prepared for me working hard to get you, because I won’t stop until I make you mine.”
She gives me a smile and looks out the window.
I pull the truck into a parking space near the municipal building. Moosehead has a small population and nothing but a couple of mom and pop restaurants. We have to drive about twenty miles to come upon St Paul or Minneapolis, which isn’t a big deal.
Jace opens his door and hops down as I round the front of the truck to get to the passenger door. “I’ll get a ride home. Don’t wait on me.” He says as he walks away.
I chuckle and shake my head as I open the door and Avalynn jumps down into my waiting arms and slides slowly down the front of my body. As soon as her toes are touching the ground, I lean my head down and claim our first kiss. Her tongue meets mine and while they firmly mesh, I can feel her melt into me. Having had my fair share of first kisses, I am aware this is my last first kiss. I feel it in my bones.
Her mouth tastes like peaches and coffee. A strange combination, but I will never want to stop kissing her perfect, warm mouth. I never knew a feeling of rightness could happen this quickly, but it did.
I reach for her hand as we walk toward the festival that is being held in the town square. My mom has set up shop near the coffee house and sent a group text to my brothers, father, and me at six this morning. She really is certifiable, but she can’t get enough of the holidays.
I lead Avalynn over to my mom and a woman who I suspect is her grandmother. My suspicions are confirmed when she practically leaps from my side into Greta’s arms.
“Nana! It is so good to see you.” Avalynn exclaims while hugging Greta.
“I had no idea you were coming. How on Earth did you meet Ham so quickly?” Greta responds as I notice her giving my mom a sly look and a gleam in her eye.
“Sorry Nana. I needed to get out of Florida because of a scary situation, but I am OK now. Ham saved me.” She says with a smile that doesn’t seem to reach her ears. Hmmm… I will need to get to the bottom of that story.
“Ma, this is Avalynn. I met her out on highway 109.”
“Is that so?” She says as she gets up from her lawn chair.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Crawford.”
“Are you with this son? If not, I have three others in need of a lady.”
Laughing, she responds with, “No, ma’am. I ended an engagement recently as a matter of fact. I came to see my nana and clear my head, definitely not to be in another mistake.”
“What the hell did you say woman?” I growl. “There’s no ‘mistake’ over here. You belong to me and there is no way around it”. I know it seems crazy, but I really mean it. She gives me a look with a slight annoyance and a little smirk I almost miss. My little lamb wants to pull a fast one, huh? We’ll see about that.
I grab her around the waist in front of everyone, making sure there is no mistake, and I lay a deep, possessive, and wet kiss on her mouth.
“How’s that for meant to be?” I respond to her challenge.
She wraps her arms around my neck and whispers in my ear “Tha
t all you got big boy? “ Then she proceeds to slap her hand over her mouth in disbelief that she said that. What happens next, is like a miracle. I let out a full belly laugh. An all-out and out laugh that brings tears to my eyes. This one is going to keep me on my toes.
Tucking her under my chin as I look at my watch, I notice there is only ten minutes until the tree lighting. Once the damn thing is lit, I hug my mom and then Greta. “We gotta go, but we’ll stop by for dinner soon, Ma.”
I lead her back to the truck, lift her up and in. Once she is buckled in the seat belt I walk around to the driver’s side and get in. After buckling my own seat belt, I put the truck in drive and pull out of the lot onto the highway.
“Do you need anything from town before we head home?” I ask.
“Nope, I have everything I need right here.” I assume she means me because I sure as hell mean her. Then she winks at me and adds “in my bag.” Sneaky little elf.
I reach over, lace my fingers with hers and give them a slight squeeze before bringing them to my lips. I am dying to get inside her. I briefly wonder if she is untouched considering how beautiful and pure she is on the outside. No matter, I will be the only man she ever needs.
We reach my cabin in twenty minutes, and I grab her bags from the back seat of the truck. She hops down and starts up the steps.
“Do you want to take a shower? Grab some food?” I ask, giving her different options than what I want to do.
“A shower sounds good. Lead the way.”
The cabin is laid out in a simple manner with three bedrooms down a single hallway. The kitchen, living room, and dining room are sectioned by the furniture in an open concept. I show her to our room and leave her there to get done what she needs to before I join her. Going in there with her right now means I will never let her out.
HOW IS A GIRL SUPPOSED to keep her head straight when growly men kiss them into a fog state? I swear when he laid that kiss on me, I didn’t know if I was coming or going.
As I look around the room he showed me to, I immediately know it is his bedroom. It has all the makings of a Masters room without any feminine touch. The bed is massive. We could probably fit the two of us and three kids comfortably.