Romancing the Holidays: Twelve Christmas Romances - Benefits Breast Cancer Research

by Crista McHugh

  “Because I’m feeling really stupid about now.”

  “You sound angry.”

  “I am.”

  RJ had one eye watching their guests’ progress toward the porch. “Why do I get the feeling that something your mom said has set you off.”

  “She told me something that you should have told me.”

  “And that is?”

  Earl and Judy were almost close enough to hear their conversation. “You knew about Brandy and Brian taking off to the Bahamas, together. That he was about to dump me. All this time, you’ve just been feeling sorry for me. I must have been crazy drunk to try and kiss you.”

  A dark cloud settled over RJ’s head.

  “Merry Christmas!” Judy exclaimed, out of breath, as she walked up the porch steps, snow clinging to the bottoms of her snow pants. “I brought you two a present.” She whisked a sprig of Mistletoe out from behind her back and held it right over Claire’s head.

  * * * *

  Earl and Judy insisted on hearing the story of how RJ’s dog was stolen and the weeks of searching to eventually see the same van and take off after him in hot pursuit.

  They were both impressed by RJ’s bravery and determination to get Rosco back.

  Sitting in front of the crackling fire, each with a hot toddy drink warming their hands, Earl looked at Claire with a quizzical expression.

  “I think I mistook you for someone else when I referred to you as RJ’s girlfriend. You’re not the same woman who was here last Spring with RJ.”

  Judy elbowed Earl in the ribs.

  It didn’t help.

  “She was much taller,” Earl continued.

  “You’re referring to Brandy. The swimsuit model,” Claire said. It was amazing what a hot toddy could do to improve one’s temper. She sat relaxed in the club chair sipping on her hot drink. Her legs were resting casually on the arm of the overstuffed chair, her bare toes warming toward the fire. She had this. She was in control. She may have made a fool of herself last night on the bearskin rug, but that was in the past, and she intended to blame it all on alcohol, should RJ ask why the sudden climate change.

  “It’s not a good idea to mention the old girlfriend in front of the new girlfriend,” Judy said to Earl out of the side of her mouth.

  “Actually, I’m not RJ’s girlfriend.” Claire smiled sweetly over at RJ.

  Rosco’s owner sat in the matching club chair adjacent to the fireplace while Judy and Earl sat on the sofa. RJ sipped at his hot toddy while petting a happy dog on his lap.

  “That’s correct.” RJ said. “She’s not my girlfriend. Claire’s my neighbor and she makes a mean pot roast. And her boyfriend just broke up with her and took my ex-girlfriend to the Bahamas.”

  Claire slid an icy look his way. His emphasis on ‘not my girlfriend’ was a bit overdone.

  Judy and Earl looked from one to the other as if wondering what to believe.

  “Truth.” This from Claire. “Our exes dumped each of us for each other.”

  “Wouldn’t joke about something like that,” RJ said, so casually from his chair. “Although, Brandy didn’t dump me. It was mutual.”

  “Mutual? Really? You may have thought so, but I understand that these Bahama reservations were made months in advance. Brandy was planning to break up with you. Sorry to break that to you.”

  “Regardless. I’m good.” RJ shrugged his shoulders.

  Well, she could be just as cool about the subject. “Me, too. And just so we’re clear, it’s not like I needed your sympathy last night.”

  RJ stopped with his mug to his lips. “That wasn’t sympathy.”

  “What was it, then?” Okay, so the imbued coffee wasn’t working as well as it should. “What were you thinking when you were on top of me?”

  You could have heard a pin drop. Even Rosco waited in anticipation for RJ’s response.

  “What were you thinking?” Earl asked.

  He immediately received an elbow in the ribs.

  “What? I want to know?”

  Judy got to her feet. “We need to check on the turkey we have in the oven.” She grabbed Earl by the hand and pulled him off the sofa and to the door. “Just leave the thermos and plate on the front step when you’re done. Merry Christmas!”

  The door closed behind them.

  “It’s about time they left.” RJ set Rosco on the floor and stood. Then he was standing in the middle of the bearskin rug. “In about two seconds, I’m either taken Rosco and heading home or I’m grabbing you and kissing you.”

  Her mouth dropped open.

  “Brandy broke up with me, but I wasn’t aware that the other man was Brian. I’m sorry that happened to you.”

  Her mouth continued to hang open.

  “I didn’t just arrive here because I was chasing the Bad Santa. I saw him at the gas station, yes, but I was there fueling up because I’d decided to crash your Christmas Eve.” He hesitated. “I didn’t want you to spend it alone…and I couldn’t stop thinking about you. There! Does that sound like I was feeling sorry for you?”

  Rosco was at his feet, wagging his tail. He let out a small bark. RJ knelt next to his dog and rubbed his ears. “It’s okay, Rosco. It’s just grown-up talk. I’m trying to get this woman to understand what I’m telling her.”

  Satisfied, Rosco waddled over to his bed by the fire and curled up in a ball. He was soon fast asleep.

  “What are you trying to tell me?” She needed to hear it. Too many times, she’d stepped over the line only to be pushed back.

  Suddenly, he grabbed her by the foot and pulled her out of the chair and onto him as he lay back on the bearskin rug. Her arms were pinned in his wrist as she lay full-length on top of him.

  “RJ!” Her heart beat faster.

  “What form of explanation are you going to need?”

  She looked down into his smiling eyes. “Words. I want words. I don’t want to have to guess what you’re thinking.”

  “I’m not asking you to guess. Just ask me. Always ask me.”

  “Okay.” She was going to give it a go. “I take it you like me?”

  “I do.”

  She loved the sound of that. And she liked this ‘ask me anything’ game. “Are you going to kiss me?”

  “I am.” He pulled her down to do so, but she put a hand to his chest to stop him.

  “Would you take Brandy back?”

  He shook his head, no. “We weren’t right for each other.” He was all serious now. “Would you take Brian back?”

  “No. We weren’t right for each other. I knew that a long time ago, I just didn’t have the heart to tell him.”

  He nodded his understanding as he released her wrists. “Some things just need to work themselves out. And eventually, everything ends up where it should.”

  “Oh, yeah?” she teased as she slid her arms around his neck. “Did we end up where we should?”

  Holding her by the hips, he suddenly rolled her onto her back. “We are, now.” He grinned.

  She could feel his heart beating fast against hers. The length of him warmed her. They lay so close, there was no room for uncertainty. RJ lowered his head and kissed her, long and slow on the bearskin rug. She couldn’t imagine a better way to start something with this man.

  ~ The End ~

  Find out more about Carmine at www.carminevalentine.com

  Reader: If you enjoyed these books, please leave a review, no matter how brief, on the site where you bought this book.

  We are attempting to sell thousands of books to benefit CANCER AWARENESS and your review helps more than you can imagine, even if you only read one or two of the books.

  Thank you and Happy Holidays!

  ~The 13 Authors of Romancing the Holidays~

  ABOUT THE AUTHORS

  Crista McHugh

  Crista McHugh is a NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING author of fantasy and romance with heroines who are smart, sexy, and anything but ordinary. She also writes fantasy with a little less kissi
ng and bit more action (outside the bedroom) as C. A. McHugh.

  She currently lives in the Tesla-filled suburbs of Seattle with her husband and two children, maintaining her alter ego of mild-mannered physician from time to time, when she isn’t writing.

  For the latest updates, deleted scenes, and answers to any burning questions you have, please check out her webpage, www.CristaMcHugh.com.

  Find Crista online at:

  Twitter: www.twitter.com/crista_mchugh

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/CristaMcHugh

  Jami Davenport

  An advocate of happy endings, Jami Davenport writes sexy romantic comedies, sports hero romances, and equestrian fiction. Jami lives on a small farm near Puget Sound with her Green Beret-turned-plumber husband, a Newfoundland cross with a tennis ball fetish, a prince disguised as an orange tabby cat, and an opinionated Hanoverian mare.

  Jami works in information technology for her day job and is a former high school business teacher and dressage rider. In her spare time, she maintains her small farm and socializes whenever the opportunity presents itself. An avid boater, Jami has spent countless hours in the San Juan Islands, a common setting in her books. In her opinion, it is the most beautiful place on earth.

  Website: http://www.jamidavenport.com

  Events Blog: http://jamidavenport.blogspot.com

  Romancing the Jock Blog: http://www.romancingthejock.com

  Twitter Address: @jamidavenport

  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jamidavenport

  Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/jamidavenportauthor

  Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/jamidavenport/

  Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1637218.Jami_Davenport

  Kathi Daley

  USA TODAY bestselling author, Kathi Daley, lives in beautiful Lake Tahoe with her husband Ken. When she isn’t writing, she likes spend time hiking the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home. She has authored more than seventy-five books in eight series including: Zoe Donovan Cozy Mysteries, Whales and Tails Island Mysteries, Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mysteries, Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Series, Writer’s Retreat Southern Seashore Mysteries, Rescue Alaska Paranormal Mysteries, Tess and Tilly Cozy Mysteries, and Seacliff High Teen Mysteries.

  Newsletter, The Daley Weekly http://eepurl.com/NRPDf

  Kathi Daley Blog – publishes each Friday http://kathidaleyblog.com

  Webpage – www.kathidaley.com

  Facebook at Kathi Daley Books – www.facebook.com/kathidaleybooks

  Kathi Daley Books Group Page – https://www.facebook.com/groups/569578823146850/

  E-mail – kathidaley@kathidaley.com

  Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7278377.Kathi_Daley

  Twitter at Kathi Daley@kathidaley – https://twitter.com/kathidaley

  BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kathi-daley

  Misty Evans

  USA TODAY bestselling author Misty Evans writes the award-winning Super Agent romantic suspense series, as well as an urban fantasy and paranormal romance series. She likes her coffee black, her conspiracy theories juicy, and her wicked characters dressed in couture.

  Read more about Misty at www.readmistyevans.com

  Find Misty on Facebook and Twitter

  Adrienne Giordano

  USA TODAY bestselling author Adrienne Giordano writes romantic suspense and mystery. She is a Jersey girl at heart, but now lives in the Midwest with her workaholic husband, sports obsessed son and Buddy the Wheaten Terrorist (Terrier). She is a co-founder of Romance University blog and Lady Jane's Salon-Naperville, a reading series dedicated to romantic fiction. For more information on Adrienne's books, please visit…

  www.AdrienneGiordano.com

  http://www.facebook.com/AdrienneGiordanoAuthor

  http://twitter.com/AdriennGiordano

  http://www.goodreads.com/AdrienneGiordano

  For information on Adrienne’s street team, Dangerous Darlings, go to http://www.facebook.com/groups/dangerousdarlings.

  Allie Boniface

  USA TODAY bestselling author Allie Boniface is a small-town girl at heart who's traveled around the world and still finds that the magic and the mystery of small towns make them the best places to fall in love and find adventure. From the New England coast to Rocky Mountain hotels to tiny European bars, she's found more character and plot inspirations than she could ever count. Currently, she's lucky enough to live in New York's beautiful Hudson Valley with her own romance hero, her husband who can fix, build, drive, and grill anything and is the epitome of the strong and silent type.

  When she isn't writing love stories, Allie is a full-time high school English teacher who enjoys helping her teenagers negotiate the ups and downs of writing along with the ups and downs of life (because, really, she's still trying to do the same thing!). And while she'll continue to travel far and wide, Allie knows there's really nothing like coming back to the place where the people who have known you welcome you home with open arms.

  Website: www.allieboniface.com

  On Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorAllieBoniface

  On Twitter: @AllieBoniface1

  Sign up for Allie’s Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/9TO79

  Rebecca J. Clark

  USA TODAY bestselling author, Rebecca Clarke says…I’ve wanted to write romance novels since I read my first Harlequin Romance at age eleven. When I’m not writing, I work as a personal fitness director and group exercise instructor, where I teach Pilates, aerobics, weight-training and yoga. I feel very lucky to have not one, but two dream jobs: writing and fitness.

  I live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband, two adult kids nearby, a German shepherd beast, a cat who plots to kill the dog, and a dead gecko (seriously). In my free time, I like to read, watch Criminal Minds reruns on TV, and do absolutely nothing.

  Website: http://rebeccajclark.com

  Twitter: http://twitter.com/rebeccajclark

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorRebeccaJClark

  Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/shhRH

  Kim Hornsby

  National Bestselling Author Kim Hornsby is an Amazon #1 Bestselling Author, having shared space on the top five bestseller list with J.D. Robb, Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Nicolas Sparks. Kim's Dream Jumper Series is optioned for film with the first movie scheduled to begin filming next year on Maui. Her Romantic Suspense, Necessary Detour, has reached top 5 in all Kindle Store.

  In her former life, Kim taught scuba in Fiji and Hawaii, as a singer opened shows for Jay Leno and Jamie Foxx, once found a boa constrictor under her bed and has dived with dolphins, humpback whales and sharks. These days she writes books outside Seattle, overlooking a tree-lined lake.

  Find Kim’s books at www.kimhornsby.com

  Newsletter www.bit.ly/KimHNews

  Facebook www.facebook.com/kimhornsbyauthor

  Twitter www.twitter.com/kimhornsby

  Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6763851.Kim_Hornsby

  Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/kimberwrite/

  Tess Thompson

  Tess Thompson writes small town romances and women’s fiction. She lives in Seattle with her husband and their four children. Like many of her characters in her bestselling River Valley Series, she hails from a small town in Oregon. Her novel, “Duet for Three Hands”, won first runner-up for a RONE Award for the American Historical 2016.

  Want to follow Tess on Social Media? Come join us!

  Website - http://tesswrites.com/

  Goodreads - http://bit.ly/2vClTfX

  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTessThompson/

  Bookbub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tess-thompson

  Facebook Team Room - https://www.facebook.com/groups/TessThompsonBooks/

  Savanna Grey

  Savanna Grey is married to the love of her life and is the mother to three daughters and one son. Life is never dull. She fell in love with the written word as a young girl. Her enchantment with
the act of falling in love was cemented after reading Pride and Prejudice in the 10th grade.

  “I love being able to crawl inside a book as if I am a bystander watching it all unfold live. Now that's a good book!"

  Her desire is to share her fictional friends with you so that they become your friends too!

  “When you read my books, if you don't end it by saying ‘Best Imaginary Friends EVER!’, then I haven't done what I set out to do.”

  Website: www.authorsavannagrey.com

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorsavannagrey

  Twitter: @AuthorGrey

  Email: authorsavannagrey@gmail.com

  Instagram: www.instagram.com/authorsavannagrey

  Lori Leger

  Award winning author, Lori Leger, adores writing stories set in southwest Louisiana, where good Cajun cooking, helping your neighbors, and saying ‘y’all’ is as normal as hurricanes, heat, and humidity. She has twelve full-length novels, and five short stories published in four series: La Fleur de Love, its spin-off, Halos & Horns, Seasons of Love, Prime of Love series, one stand-alone Christmas suspense published with The Wild Rose Press, with two more in production and if God is willing, more to come.

  Her fourth novel in the Halos & Horns series, “One Year to Forever” won 2015 Romance Novel of Excellence award from InD’tale Review magazine.

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  http://www.lorileger.com (also for newsletter signup)

  http://www/facebook/llegerauthor

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  https://twitter.com/LoriLegerAuthor (@LoriLegerAuthor)

  Instagram: lorilegerauthor

  http://cajunflair.wordpress.com

  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5171074.Lori_Leger

  Jacki Delecki