Once Upon a Christmas (Kismet Bay Book 1) Read online

  He stared down at the mug as if he found it offensive. “I’ve had several cups. If I drink any more I’ll turn into a chocolate bar.”

  She’d bet he would taste yummy too. Holly nearly licked her lips at the thought of taking a bite out of him. Well, not literally, but definitely in a more intimate fashion. She had to clear those thoughts from her head. He wasn’t for her. Nicholas hated Kismet Bay and she’d never leave this town. It was her life. “That’s too bad. Serendipity Lane has the best cocoa in town.”

  “That sure of it are you?” His lips tilted upward into a sensual smile. “Do you have to stay here or can you walk with me. Where is the owner?” He glanced around the shop. “Ask them for a break or to let you off early.”

  She wanted to say yes, but she couldn’t leave Ivy alone. It also irritated her that he didn’t believe she could own the shop. She was only twenty three, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be a responsible business owner. He was probably four or five years older than her. He seemed close to Gabriel’s age.

  “I’m afraid not.” Holly shook her head. “She’s a slave driver.”

  “That’s too bad we could have had some fun.” His smile turned into a flat line. “If you point me in her direction I might be able to charm her into letting you off.”

  “That’s not possible,” she told him. “If it were I’d have already said yes.”

  “What?” He stared at her in confusion and then he shook his head. “I see. You own the place.”

  She nodded. “My sister and I do.” She pointed across the room. Ivy had finally returned and she didn’t look too happy. “Ivy.”

  “Maybe later then.” He stared at Ivy and it burned her that he seemed to have turned his interest toward her. Was the man that fickle? Oh well, she didn’t need him anyway… She left him alone and started to work behind the counter. Holly had better things to do than daydream about a man she couldn’t have.

  Chapter 4

  Nicholas had blundered badly with Holly. He did want to spend some time with her and decided to wait until they closed Serendipity Lane for the day. Their hours had been displayed in the front window and they wouldn’t be open past five o’clock. That gave him a couple of hours to kill and he used that time wisely. He went into the local flower shop and asked if they were acquainted with Holly—and of course they were. Gabriel was right. The town was full of Stranges. Since they were Holly’s family it was easy enough to discover her favorite flower and order a couple dozen of them. Then he went into Grape Flavors for a bottle of wine. His luck held out there too and he was able to pick up some of her favorites there too. He went to Witch’s Brew, and struck a deal with Tristan Scott—who owned the coffee shop with Holly’s cousin Esmeralda. Witch’s Brew closed an hour before Serendipity Lane did for the day and he was able to pay for the use of the coffee shop. Nicholas set everything up to surprise her. All he needed was someone to arrange for her to stop in. That came from a surprising source.

  “I’ll stop into Serendipity and tell her Esmeralda needs her assistance over here.” He winked at Nicholas. “When it comes to the Strange women you’ll need all the help you can get. Esme has already left for the day. She has a hot date of her own later.”

  “Does that bother you?” Nicholas asked.

  “No,” he said as he shook his head. “We’re friends nothing more. A different Strange has a hold of my heart. One day she’ll return. They always do.”

  Nicholas frowned. “What makes you so certain?”

  “This town calls to them. They make it what it is. I can’t explain it exactly.” He paused for a moment and then continued, “It’s almost like magic. Anything can happen and sometimes when you least expect it to. I can’t tell you how many times the love bug has hit people here. It’s almost as if this town was created to bring lovers together.” He shook his head. “But maybe that’s wishful thinking on my part. I have to believe or I’ll have lost the one I love forever.”

  “Who is it?” He didn’t think it was Holly because Tristan never would have helped him otherwise. Nicholas had met several Stranges in the past few hours. None of them could be Tristan’s love either. They all owned businesses in town. The way Tristan spoke of his lady love she’d left town and didn’t look back.

  “Holly’s twin sister—Sage.”

  Something about that bothered him. Would he make a play for Holly if he couldn’t have Sage? If they were twins… “Where did she go?”

  “She’s in the big city running an event planning business. She’s making a name for herself there. Sage is the one Strange that had no desire to make her stamp on Kismet Bay. The only thing she has in common with any of them is the color of her hair. Otherwise she doesn’t fit in.”

  “Her and Holly don’t look alike?”

  Tristan shook his head. “No they’re not identical.”

  For some reason that relieved Nicholas. He wanted Holly all to himself and he didn’t like the idea that she was similar to anyone else. She was… He frowned as his thoughts turned possessive. In that moment only one word came to mind for him regarding Holly. Mine.

  “Thanks for helping me. I appreciate it.”

  “It’s nothing.” Tristan finished closing the counter and restoring everything. He handed Nicholas a set of keys. “Make sure you lock up when you’re done. Give the keys to Holly and I’ll retrieve them from her at Serendipity Lane. Esmeralda is opening tomorrow so I don’t need them right away.”

  Nicholas had never met a group of people so trusting. Maybe there was something to this small town life… Tristan barely knew him and he was giving him the keys to his business. Why would he do that with a virtual stranger? “You can trust me.”

  “I know,” he said cryptically. “Otherwise I’d have tossed you out as soon as you asked for my help. As I said… Kismet is magic. You’ll see.”

  With those words Tristan exited Witch’s Brew and left Nicholas alone to wait for Holly. He hoped she liked the surprise and forgave him for his earlier blunder. Nicholas rarely acted on impulse, but Holly made him want things, want her…

  Chapter 5

  Tristan had said to stop in Witch’s Brew. What did Esmeralda need her for? Holly hated she was in such a grumpy mood, but all she wanted was to go home and curl up on her sofa. The cocoa crawl had been a huge success. They’d find out later that week which business had been voted to have the best cocoa. Maybe Esmeralda might want to join her for dinner. Holly shouldn’t have pushed Nicholas away. If she’d been friendlier perhaps he’d have invited her to dine with him. She might not have been able to leave Serendipity Lane when he wanted her too, but she had her whole evening free.

  Holly sighed and pushed open the door to Witch’s Brew. Little white lights decorated the entire shop. Had Tristan and Esmeralda finally decided to put up Christmas decorations? Holly had been teasing them for over a week to make it look more festive. The lights were off in the shop and only the little lights gave any illumination. “Esme?” she called out. There was no answer. Holly stepped farther into the coffee shop and squeaked when a large shadow fell in front of her.

  “I didn’t mean to frighten you.” Nicholas stepped closer to her. “I wanted this to be a good surprise.”

  Had Tristan and her cousin set her up? How had they known she was interested in Nicholas? That didn’t matter, but she’d question both of them the next time they crossed paths. She had been wishing she could spend the evening with Nicholas and now she could. The question was how much did she want him aware of that desire? “It’s all right. I expected to find my cousin here and it was a small shock that you’re not Esmeralda.”

  “Forgive me.” He said. “But I needed to see you again and this seemed like a good idea at the time.”

  Holly took the time to check out what he’d done. Her favorite flowers—pink and white lilies were in a vase at the center of one of the tables. A white Riesling sat next to them with two empty wine glasses. There were covers over two dinner plates probably to keep the meal warm. If
he had all her favorite things what were the chances he had her favorite food as well. Holly turned her attention to him. Nicholas had changed out of his coffee stained shirt and replaced it with a blue one that was a shade lighter than his eyes. His tie matched them completely. His dark suit made him appear so dapper she wanted to throw herself into his arms.

  “Well?” he raised a brow. “Does everything meet with your approval?”

  She tilted her lips upward into a sensual smile. “So far, yes.” Holly peeled off her winter coat and placed it on a nearby hook, then turned her attention back to him. “Tell me what you prepared for dinner and I’ll decide if it’s perfect.”

  “Chicken Marsala with whole wheat pasta.” Her mouth watered immediately. He had discovered her favorite meal. Nicholas was turning out to be the perfect man and that scared her a little.

  “How did you…”

  “Arrange this?” he finished her sentence. “You’re family was quite helpful. You should perhaps discuss with them the dangers of sharing things with people they don’t know that well.”

  There was only one reason they all would have helped him. Kismet Bay was working its magic. Nicholas had been abrupt and irritable when they’d first bumped into each other. The town wasn’t named Kismet by chance. The founders, her ancestors, had believed in fate. They’d been saved when their ship had made it to the bay unscathed. From that point on the area had seemed magical, and one of the things it brought them was love. There was more to destiny than finding a soul mate, but once you crossed paths with your one true love it wasn’t to be ignored. That was part of the reason Ivy was so melancholy all the time. Gabriel was it for her. Without him she was missing a piece of herself. Was Nicholas Holly’s other half? Her family seemed to believe it, and Holly was beginning too. She felt an instant pull toward him she couldn’t ignore. He must feel it a little too for him to pursue her so eagerly.

  “The Strange’s always trust their intuition. They wouldn’t have helped you if they didn’t believe it was the right thing.” She didn’t want to scare him away by talking about destiny and magic. Holly did want to do one thing though before she made any decisions. She closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Kiss me,” she demanded.

  Nicholas didn’t need to be told twice. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. That magic she’d been thinking about wrapped its way around them and sparked a fuse that drove them to both deepen the kiss. His tongue tangled with hers and she was infused with his taste—like cinnamon and chocolate. The two main ingredients to her cocoa… Holly moaned as her desire heightened and she wanted to strip them both naked and see if they were compatible in all ways. She held back though. It was too soon to be that intimate with him. Holly took a step back before she went down a path she might come to regret.

  “That…”

  “I know,” she told him.

  He shook his head. “I want more with you.”

  Holly smiled at him and softened it a little. Nicholas could come to mean more to her than her own happiness. He could be her happiness. She kept her sister Ivy in mind and treaded carefully. “I’d like the time to figure out what this is. How can we do that when you live in the city?”

  “I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “But I want to try if you’re willing.”

  Holly nodded. “I do.”

  Nicholas pulled her back into his arms and held her tightly. “I never expected to find you when I came to town with Gabriel, but I’m glad I did. Later, I’ll tell him I don’t want to go with him. I’m going to stay in Kismet Bay for the holidays. The rest—we’ll work it out as we go.”

  Holly hugged him back and closed her eyes. She’d gotten her greatest wish and she wasn’t going to squander it. Stories had to begin somewhere and this was her and Nicholas’s once upon a Christmas….

  Excerpt: Heart In Waiting

  Prologue

  Ten years earlier

  Music echoed through the ballroom at the Roseland Hotel. Everyone was dressed in their prom finery—except him. His mother barely made enough to make ends meet. Dane had a job, but even his money went to pay the bills. So, no, he didn’t have on a fancy tuxedo. He’d been lucky to scrounge enough to purchase a used suit at the thrift store. It didn’t fit him well, and even after a bit of home dry cleaning, it smelled like death mixed with mildew. He prayed no one noticed.

  “Why, if it isn’t Dane Hunter crawling out of the slums for the night.”

  Of course his luck wouldn’t hold out. Especially as he never had any to speak of… All he’d wanted was to have one dance and a magical moment he’d be able to carry in his memories for the rest of his life. Perhaps attending prom had been a mistake. The money for the suit and the ticket could have been used for something else—like food. Eating was a commodity they couldn’t afford to ignore, yet he had for this one night. She’d been the reason he’d thrown caution to the wind.

  Like a magnet drawn to its polar opposite, his gaze drifted to the one female he couldn’t ignore even if he wanted to—Reese Jackson—and he certainly had no desire to forget her. He loved her and always had. Sadly, she barely noticed him; however, one time she had. She’d come into the diner where he worked and made him a promise that if he came to prom, she’d dance once with him.

  Of course, she’d been taking pity on him after he said he wouldn’t attend. Dane wasn’t too good to take charity, and that was what that promise had been. She glanced up and met his gaze, and for a brief moment, nothing else existed.

  “Hey, douchebag,” someone said as they shoved him.

  Dane met the gaze of his jerk of a brother. “Go away, Nolan. I’m not bothering you, so why don’t you return the favor?” His brother was one of the immaculately dressed gracing the ballroom. He had on a designer tuxedo that fit him perfectly. It was probably tailored specifically to him. Their father didn’t spare any expenses for his golden boy. They were as opposite as two people could be. Where Nolan was light—Dane was as dark as sin. Going by appearances alone, one would think Nolan an angel of good and Dane the son of Satan. In that assumption, they would all be entirely wrong…

  Nolan laughed almost evilly. Dane hated him a little more with each interaction. There had been a time he’d wished for a brother. If he could take back that wish, he’d have done it a long time ago. How could one person be so rotten? At times like these, Dane wondered if he had a little bit of the evil gene festering inside of him too. Nolan and Dane shared a father, but nothing more. The esteemable Mason Pratt had decided to abandon one family in favor of the other—with one notable exception. He’d agreed to send Dane to the same private school Nolan attended. Something he could have done without, but his mother had insisted. She’d wanted him to have the best education possible. All Dane had wanted was to forget he had a father, and a brother.

  Since the school was so expensive, his father considered it all the child support he’d ever give. Dane suffered through the teasing and constant bullying from his classmates. He kept his head down, completed all his schoolwork, and became a social outcast. There was nothing at the school he wanted other than the education provided. At least, until he met Reese. She changed his mind about everything. Unfortunately, she wasn’t a student there and was currently dating one of the seniors. At least it wasn’t his brother. He wouldn’t have been able to stomach that…

  “Your very existence bothers me,” Nolan spat out. “Where did you get that suit? A dumpster?”

  Of course Nolan would notice his smelly suit. He should have stayed home. A mantra that was soon repeating on a loop inside his head... Reese wouldn’t dance with him. Why should she? The stench rolling off him couldn’t be completely hidden with a few dryer sheets and a touch of cologne.

  “Don’t you have something better to do than harass me?”

  Nolan hated him. Dane hadn’t started out loathing his brother, but he hadn’t given him much choice. Nolan’s animosity far outweighed Dane’s and that was something he couldn’t comp
letely comprehend. His brother had everything while he struggled and fought for the little he had. Their father chose to stay with his mother and had left Dane’s to suffer.

  “Because your existence leaves a foul taste in my mouth—you’re the one person I can take it out on.” Nolan shoved him again, pushing him into a nearby wall. “Leave, and maybe I’ll forget you had the audacity to show up tonight. No one wants you here. Do yourself a favor and drop out of school too.”

  Dane took a deep breath and held back the urge to drive his fist into Nolan’s perfect face. It wouldn’t help him and only aid Nolan’s cause to have him expelled from school. It had been his brother’s main goal since their father had him enrolled a few years ago. Dane’s mother, Moira, reminded him daily to keep his cool, but it was becoming increasingly more difficult with each passing day. The moment he graduated, all bets were off though. He’d gladly show Nolan exactly what he thought of him then.

  “What are you doing?” a female asked as she stepped toward them. Dane knew that voice. It had played over and over in his dreams each night that he’d recognize it anywhere. Reese was coming to his rescue and all he wanted to do was hide. She shouldn’t see him like this… She crossed her arms over her chest and glanced at Nolan.

  “Who are you?” Nolan asked and released his hand from Dane’s chest. He practically oozed charm as he spoke. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

  Reese glanced at Dane and then back at Nolan. “I’m not from here.”

  Dane rolled his eyes. That was obvious enough—if she went to the same school, she’d have pretended nothing was happening. No one ever went against Nolan. His word was practically law in the hallowed halls of Shelton Academy. While she was distracted by Nolan, Dane took the time to appreciate her exquisiteness without her noticing his attention. He let his gaze roll over her exquisite beauty. Her blonde hair was piled on her head in a twist of curls that framed her lovely heart-shaped face. The gold flecks in her hazel eyes made them appear to sparkle in the low light of the ballroom and her soft pink lips were delectable. Dane wished he had the privilege of kissing her good night. Something that would probably never happen, but a boy could dream.