Under the Mistletoe
A red-hot festive fling!Two weeks of no-strings naughtiness. That’s all wealthy businessman Will Spalding wants for Christmas. That’s all he ever wants from a relationship. He didn’t expect to find it at the Lars Usten Lodge in snowy Utah, until the cute little blonde next door almost whacked him in the head with her cell phone.Hooking up with a handsome stranger is exactly what event planner Penny Devlin needs to put her obnoxious ex out of her mind forever. In fact, Will may just be the best Christmas present she’s ever given herself! But as the holidays work their magic, Penny realizes Will has found a place in her heart, not just her bed. How can she carry on, knowing he’s determined to walk away when their two weeks are up?
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A red-hot festive fling!
Two weeks of no-strings naughtiness. Thatâs all wealthy businessman Will Spalding wants for Christmas. Thatâs all he ever wants from a relationship. He didnât expect to find it at the Lars Usten Lodge in snowy Utah, until the cute little blonde next door almost whacked him in the head with her cell phone.
Hooking up with a handsome stranger is exactly what event planner Penny Devlin needs to put her obnoxious ex out of her mind forever. In fact, Will may just be the best Christmas present sheâs ever given herself! But as the holidays work their magic, Penny realizes Will has found a place in her heart, not just her bed. How can she carry on, knowing heâs determined to walk away when their two weeks are up?
âI have a proposition for youâ¦â
Penny looked at Will, trying to read his expression, but in the flickering light of the fire that wasnât easy.
âIâm listening.â
âI have a theory about relationships that has served me well most of my adult life. Itâs that the maximum time for them is two weeks.â
âGo on.â
âThereâs something I want to make sure of first.â
He put his arm around her shoulder, drew her closer. Their eyes met and held and she couldnât look away.
Whatever he meant by two weeks, she wanted to know more. His breath brushed over her lips as he exhaled, and he lowered his head slowly, giving her a chance to retreatâ¦but she didnât want to back away.
She wanted his kiss.
She wanted to forget the old Penny and be this new, exciting womanâ¦
Merry Christmas! Iâm a total maniac this time of the year. Iâve made my children dress in Santa hats and matching sweaters and pose with our dog (also in a matching sweater) all in pursuit of the perfect picture to capture our holiday. And to be honest thatâs sort of what drives Penny to go away for Christmas. Her mom is out of town with her newish husband for the holiday and the thought of staying home by herself doesnât appeal. Sheâs lost her joy and needs to recapture it. Sheâs sort of figured out how to do it when she meets fellow holiday-escapee Will.
Will has found a way to enjoy life in short bits of time and his ideas sound good to Penny, who is tired of trying to get everything perfect in the big picture. I had so much fun writing this book and bringing to life all the cute holiday snow festivities that I, as a Florida girl, never experienced. If I could, Iâd make Penny and Will dress in matching sweaters and snap a picture to add to my holiday album.
Happy reading!
Katherine
KATHERINE GARBERA is a USA TODAY bestselling author of more than fifty books and has always believed in happy endings. She lives in England with her husband, children and their pampered pet, Godiva. Visit Katherine on the web at katherinegarbera.com, or catch up with her on Facebook and Twitter.
Family and tradition define every moment of my Christmas holidays, so this book is dedicated to Charlotte and David Smith, who raised me to love the season and to never forget the reason for it. Also to my grandmothers, who are no longer with us but whom I miss more keenly at Christmas,
Rose Wilkinson and Priscilla Tromblay.
Contents
Dear Reader
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PENNY DEVLIN HAD decided that she was giving herself an early Christmas present this year. A vacation from her life. Actually, making herself not read another email her former boss and ex-lover sent her was the best gift she could ever really give herself.
Heâd made a mockery of her dreams of a white knight and cost her a job she loved. Rat bastard.
But really, who would keep working for a man like him?
Not her. Mentally she gave herself a pat on the back. Sheâd made the tough but right choice to leave her position as an event planner at Papillion Clothiers, and this place was her reward.
A ski chalet to herself for fifteen days at the luxurious Lars Usten Lodge in Park City, Utah. Her phone pinged again. She groaned as another text appeared on her screen from Butchâor actually from the label sheâd assigned him.
JerkButtFace: Stop being a baby. I need to talk to you.
Penny: All my files are in my former office. You donât need me.
JerkButtFace: Not about work.
Penny: All we had was work.
JerkButtFace: Stop acting like I did something wrong. This is the 21st century.
Penny: Jerk is the same now as itâs always been.
JerkButtFace: Name calling? You must still care.
As if. He was so frustrating. She didnât care, and was coming to realize she hadnât ever really loved him. That was the worst part.
Her phone pinged again.
Thatâs it!
She flung open the front door of her very lovely, secluded alpine cabin, stopped to admire the gently falling snow and then chucked her cell phone out the front door.
âHey!â
She glanced up just in time to see a man batting away her cell phone before it fell to the ground. Sheâd almost hit him in the face.
