She leveled him a look that he thought she should patent as a corporate weapon. Resistance was futile.
Hopped up on hot chocolate while they waited for Seb, Matty, and Noelle to come downstairs, Chance and Rowen were not going to wait any longer to open Santa’s gifts. Smiling at their enthusiasm, Seb sat on the floor next to Matty, who was holding Noelle between his legs. He looked around at the now familiar Victorian décor. This house was very special to all of them. The success of joining their families that first year had led to a new tradition and they’d all decided to split the cost each year of renting the Christmas House, as the girls always called it, so everyone could be together for the holidays. They were expected at the Longs’ home for Christmas dinner later. This was Stephanie’s year with the girls so after dinner they were all heading back to Fir Falls. He loved this house but was looking forward to returning to the home he shared with Matty and Noelle. Moving into Matty’s renovated family home had been the best decision Seb’d ever made. Well, other than asking Matty to marry him and share their lives forever. And adopting Noelle. He smiled, grateful for second chances and having had the boldness to change.
As Chance squealed at her new telescope, Matty reached out and squeezed his palm. He looked around at the happy faces and bent over to run the back of his free palm over Noelle’s cheek. He met Matty’s eyes and said, “Merry Christmas.”
The morning sun streaked in through wide patio doors and turned Matty’s eyes gold. He tugged Seb toward him and placed a kiss to his lips, before replying with a hoarse voice, “The merriest. The brightest.” He turned to Seb. “I’m too happy to sit still.” Bouncing up he took Noelle with him and flew her around the room as she shrieked and flung her arms wide.
Seb blinked as images of Matty spinning Chance and Rowen merged with his antics with Noelle. The old man with a beard had been very good to him over the years. Catching Steph’s amused look from the corner of his eye, he leaped up and said, “Who wants a ride next?”
SANDINE TOMAS grew up an unapologetic bookworm, making friends with characters from the ancient past to the farthest reaches of the universe. Her career as a marketing writer has given her insight into the divergence between what a person thinks they want and what they truly need. Relationships are at the heart of her writing, and she enjoys creating characters who become so real that their stories beg to be told. Writing allows her to explore people and ideas from all sides, spinning a notion around like a gem until its facets glisten.
Twisting the old adage about writing what you know into writing what you feel, Sandine doesn’t shy away from raw emotions, turbulent circumstances, and above all, deep passions fueled by humor, honesty, and trust. She enjoys instilling her characters with the flaws, courage, and idiosyncrasies that bring them to life.
Sandine lives in New York with her husband, daughters, and a Golden Retriever puppy named Noodle. An unabashed TV and film enthusiast, she happily binge-watches her favorites until her eyes glaze over. Her other guilty pleasures include attending fandom conventions, sleeping in on weekends, and recharging solo by holing up with a caramel macchiato and an amazing book.
If you’d like to chat, reach out to her on Twitter @SandineTomas or on her website sandinetomas.wordpress.com.
Coming in January 2020
Dreamspun Desires
Silent Heart by Amy Lane
Dog wrangler Preston Echo has been in love with his brother’s best friend, copilot, and business partner since high school—and Damien Ward knew it. As Preston grew into a stunning, hard-willed man, Damien began to dream of Preston too.
Then Damien almost died in a helicopter crash. While his physical wounds are slowly healing, the blows to his self-confidence and goodwill are almost worse. His body is broken and he’s afraid to fly—how can Preston love him now?
When Preston’s brother goes on a search-and-rescue mission and disappears in an earthquake zone in Mexico, Preston and Damien are thrown together in an effort to find him and bring him back. Preston’s merciless honesty—and relentless passion—may leverage Damien into his bed, but can Damien overcome his fears to allow himself to stay there?
Dreamspun Desires
Adam Bomb by Kilby Blades
Moguls, Royals, and Rogues
Can a lifelong friendship survive the fallout?
Levi Cossio’s best friend Adam has always been larger than life: a smoking-hot billionaire hotelier whose charm can bend the world to his whim. When New York City stops being big enough for both of them—at least if Levi ever wants to fall out of love with Adam—he leaves it behind for a job in in San Francisco.
But when Adam pulls an Adam—upending the calm new life Levi has come to love with a plea to lend his talent to a worthy cause—Levi is helpless to resist. Adam will be the first Fortune 100 CEO to come out of the closet on a grand scale. He needs a trusted ally on his PR team. Levi is a lauded portrait photographer. And the job will only last three weeks.
Levi accepts on one hidden condition: he’ll keep his new friends away from Adam, certain that if they get a whiff, they, too, will fall under Adam’s spell. Bent on keeping his two lives separate, Levi barely makes it through the first two weeks unscathed—and then Adam drops another bomb….
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Published by
DREAMSPINNER PRESS
5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA
www.dreamspinnerpress.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Santa’s Last Gift
© 2019 Sandine Tomas
Editorial Development by Sue Brown-Moore
Cover Art
© 2019 Alexandria Corza
http://www.seeingstatic.com/
Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.
All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or www.dreamspinnerpress.com.
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-64108-229-7
Digital ISBN: 978-1-64405-722-3
Library of Congress Control Number: 2019946382
Digital published December 2019
v. 1.0
Printed in the United States of America
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