All I Want For Christmas Is You Read online

  “What’s that?”

  “It’s a pole used to catch animals, but the top has a big loop around it, instead of a hook like a shepherd’s crook.”

  I shrugged. “Okay, I’ll take one of those instead. And maybe a pitchfork or two.”

  The guy helped me gather the rest of my purchases. As he finished ringing me up, he said, “Whatcha trying to catch?”

  I smiled. “A woman.”

  The look on the guy’s face was absolutely priceless. Though it was probably best to get the hell out of there before he called the cops on me.

  Back at home, I didn’t see Josie’s car in the driveway. So I went to work, setting up my display. The entire thing took me more than four hours to put together—I cut wood from the garage and assembled something resembling the arch of a stable and decorated it with white lights. Half-a-dozen Star Wars characters huddled around the hay-filled bassinet manger, where baby Yoda laid peacefully. I added a few blow-up palm trees with lights, and the pair of deer completed the nutty scene. It had started to get dark by the time I finished everything. Yet my neighbor still wasn’t home. I knew from the last few nights that her display went on promptly at seven—so it shouldn’t be long now before she pulled up.

  Josie

  Today had been the worst. Between a tense parent-teacher conference and the principal holding an unexpected staff meeting after school, I was mentally exhausted. Thankfully, it was the last day before Christmas break.

  I vowed to pick myself up and get ready for tonight’s display. I’d planned to make cookies and pass out cocoa and needed to be able to do it with a smile on my face. But maybe I’d light everything up a little later than usual and take a hot bath first to decompress.

  As I pulled onto my street, the craziest sight met my eyes. While my house was dark, since I hadn’t turned on the lights yet, Cole’s was lit up much more brightly than ever before. Well, if this wasn’t an ironic visual.

  And it wasn’t just the lights.

  Oh my God. What am I looking at?

  I abruptly parked on the street, not even bothering to pull into my driveway.

  As soon as I exited the car, I noticed the music. Blasting from a speaker was the theme to…Star Wars? Within a few seconds, I realized why he’d chosen that. Cole had set up a nativity scene featuring life-size Stars Wars figures. A rifle-wielding Han Solo stood alone near a cradle. I peeked in and found Yoda inside. Baby Yoda Jesus. Chewbacca, Darth Vader, and Jabba the Hutt were lined up, I guessed as the three wise men. R2-D2 and C-3PO were chilling together on the other side of the lawn as shepherds. And there were palm trees and deer—oh my! He’d put up so many more lights, too.

  What in the world?

  When the door opened and Cole came outside, I nearly lost it.

  “What the heck happened to you?” I asked. “Have you lost your mind?” My eyes traveled from top to bottom over his body. Cole wore a wig with buns on each side and a long white…dress.

  “Someone had to be Princess Leia.” He shrugged. “You can’t have a Star Wars scene without her. They didn’t have her at Target, so I found a costume store about thirty miles away. Figured I’d take one for the team.”

  I looked around. “And what a team it is…”

  “By the way, you hit the nail on the head. I did finally lose my mind—my toxic mind. It needed to go.” He held his arms up. “Because this is what it’s all about, isn’t it?”

  “Sure. What’s life without a Star Wars nativity?” I shook my head. “What’s gotten into you?”

  “I’ll show you.” Cole disappeared into the house for a moment. Then he handed me a card. I immediately recognized it as a Christmas card from William’s family.

  “I got this accidentally,” he said. “I took one look at William’s face and suddenly, I understood on a deeper level why you do what you do every year. His spirit made me reflect on myself. I realized that by living in fear, I wasn’t living at all. And then I also decided, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.”

  “You certainly did. I don’t even know what to say.”

  “How about ‘May the Force be with you’?” He winked.

  “Sounds appropriate under the circumstances.” I laughed.

  He snapped his fingers. “Oh, what are you giving to the spectators tonight, by the way?”

  “The usual cookies and cocoa. Why?”

  “Send them my way after. I got this bucket of glow-in-the-dark lightsabers.”

  “I’m sure the kids will love those.”

  “See? I won’t make kids cry anymore. That’s gotta count for something, right? Perhaps it makes up for me being such a dick to you early on?”

  “It might take a lot of lightsabers to make up for that,” I teased.

  We shared a laugh, and his eyes lingered on mine.

  Feeling flustered, I looked back over at my house. “Well, I need to get started on the cookies and stuff. I’ll be sure to send everyone across the street, although they’ll probably come over here first. I don’t know how anyone could resist getting a closer look at all this.”

  “Make sure you stop by, too. I’ll save you a lightsaber.”

  “Okay.” I laughed.

  Later that evening, I thoroughly enjoyed watching from across the street as Cole’s Star Wars display got the attention it deserved. He stayed dressed as Princess Leia the entire time. It was hysterical.

  After the neighborhood visitors finally dissipated, I turned off my exterior lights and went inside. I hadn’t gone over to Cole’s. I guess a part of me still felt weird about initiating contact after he’d stood me up for dinner that night. Let him come here if he wants to see me again.

  Several minutes later, I was just about to put on some tea when the doorbell rang.

  I opened it to find Cole, no longer in costume. Instead, he wore a coat over a fitted black shirt and dark jeans.

  “Well, if it isn’t Princess Leia. I see you got tired of your garb.”

  “Yeah. I’ve been emasculated enough for one night.” He laughed. “It was fun seeing all those smiling faces, though.”

  “You were a hit.”

  His breath was visible in the cold air as he asked, “Can I come in?”

  “Of course.” I stepped aside, allowing him to enter.

  “It’s so nice and warm in here, as always.” He looked around, seeming a little tense. “So…I wanted to talk you…”

  My ears perked up. “Okay…”

  “That night when I canceled dinner—I wish I had come over.” He looked down at his shoes. “I’ve regretted canceling ever since.”

  “Why didn’t you come over?”

  He took a deep breath and looked up. “I was hesitant to spend time alone with you because of how strongly attracted to you I am.” He paused. “I mentioned before that you remind me of someone who hurt me. My ex cheated on me, and it’s taken me a long time to learn to trust again. But it wasn’t fair of me to buy into that negative association based on your looks. Not to mention, you’re way more beautiful than she ever was—both inside and out.” He smiled. “Bottom line, I didn’t know how to handle my feelings, and I chickened out. But like I told you earlier, I’m done living in fear.”

  My heart raced. “I just assumed you weren’t interested...”

  “No. Just the opposite.” He took a few steps closer. “In fact, nothing had interested me in a very long time until you came along. Just being in your house that one night took away my writing block. But it wasn’t the house. It’s you—the way I feel when I’m around you. Your sweet soul and beautiful spirit. You make me feel alive again.”

  His words took my breath away. “I never thought my grumpy neighbor would turn out to be the first person to make me feel alive in a long time, too.”

  His eyes went to my lips as he leaned in and took my mouth. I wrapped my arms around his neck and savored his taste as we fell into a deep and passionate kiss. My hands raked through his thick hair as our chests pressed together. It had been forever since I’
d felt so turned on by a kiss, and my body buzzed with excitement. Somehow, I knew he wouldn’t be returning across the street tonight.

  After several minutes, we finally came up for air. I moved back to look at his gorgeous face. Then my eyes travelled down to his crotch and landed on the impressive erection straining through his jeans.

  I raised one eyebrow. “Is that a lightsaber in your pants, or are you just happy to see me?”

  His eyes sparkled. “That’s no lightsaber.”

  Muffled noise registered from outside, drawing our attention to the living room window, which we were standing in front of. It seemed a few spectators had arrived late, probably hoping to see the lights. Instead, they’d watched us kissing.

  Cole reached over to the lamp and clicked it off before pulling me back into his arms. “We seem to have lost power again.” He spoke over my lips.

  I smiled. “Oh, did we? That’s a shame. Shall I get the generator?”

  “No, ma’am. We’re about to make enough electricity of our own to light up the block.”

  OTHER BOOKS BY VI KEELAND & PENELOPE WARD

  Park Avenue Player

  Stuck-Up Suit

  Cocky Bastard

  British Bedmate

  Playboy Pilot

  Mister Moneybags

  Rebel Heir

  Rebel Heart

  Hate Notes

  Dirty Letters

  My Favorite Souvenir

  Happily Letter After

  OTHER BOOKS BY VI KEELAND

  The Rivals

  Inappropriate

  All Grown Up

  We Shouldn’t

  The Naked Truth

  Sex, Not Love

  Beautiful Mistake

  Egomaniac

  Bossman

  The Baller

  Left Behind (A Young Adult Novel)

  Beat

  Throb

  Worth the Fight

  Worth the Chance

  Worth Forgiving

  Belong to You

  Made for You

  First Thing I See

  OTHER BOOKS BY PENELOPE WARD

  The Anti-Boyfriend

  Just One Year

  The Day He Came Back

  When August Ends

  Love Online

  Gentleman Nine

  Drunk Dial

  Mack Daddy

  RoomHate

  Stepbrother Dearest

  Neighbor Dearest

  Jaded and Tyed (A novelette)

  Sins of Sevin

  Jake Undone (Jake #1)

  Jake Understood (Jake #2)

  My Skylar

  Gemini

  ABOUT VI KEELAND

  Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles have appeared in over a hundred Bestseller lists and are currently translated in twenty-five languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

  ABOUT PENELOPE WARD

  Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author.

  She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son and beautiful daughter with autism.

  With over two million books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over twenty novels.

  Penelope’s books have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

  Evan

  Mid-December - Edinburgh, Scotland

  Bing Crosby crooned, ‘It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas’ and he wasn’t wrong. Standing in the atrium of Shaw’s Department store on Princes Street, it definitely couldn’t get any more Christmassy for me. Strands of gorgeous fairy lights cascaded over the balconies of the galleried floors above us. I stood at Santa’s Grotto, surrounded by fake snow and glitter, while a twinkling forty-foot Christmas tree towered above me.

  Oh, and I was dressed as one of Santa’s Little Helpers.

  With glitter shimmering on my cheeks and my petite figure wrapped up in a green velvet elf dress, I looked all of sixteen years old. I was sure of it.

  For months now, I, Evan Munro, had been trying my hardest to make my brother’s best friend/my boss, see me as something other than his best friend’s wee sister who was not only thirteen years his junior but the woman he offered a pity job to.

  Okay, so it was a little harsh to call it a pity job. Landing a well-paid PA position after graduating university with a degree that couldn’t get me a job that didn’t require stocking shelves in a supermarket, demanded more respect than that. However, it was safe to say I only got the job because my big brother, Patrick, asked his successful best friend, Reid Shaw, to give me the position on a trial period.

  One would think, in this difficult economy, that I’d do anything to keep the job.

  For instance, I wouldn’t be mooning over my boss with an infatuation the size of said planetary satellite. But I couldn’t help it.

  Until recently I’d become obsessed with showing Reid that the thirteen-year age gap between us didn’t matter because I was a mature, wise-beyond-my-years, woman who would rock his freaking world in and out of the bedroom.

  After events of the last few months, I thought I’d made progress.

  And I had.

  But it still didn’t matter.

  Because to Reid I would always be his best friend’s untouchable little sister.

  Weeks ago, wearing this costume in front of Reid would have mortified me. Now I couldn’t care less.

  In fact, it was pretty damn funny.

  I was sure Reid would never see me as a woman he could take seriously again but as I smiled out at the excited faces of the kids lining up to see Santa Claus, I no longer cared.

  Fine.

  That wasn’t entirely true.

  It hurt like hell.

  But I had a little something called self-respect, and if Reid was too afraid to take a chance on me because of Patrick, then he wasn’t the right man for me.

  Bing’s voice trailed off and Mariah Carey flooded over the PA system of the department store.

  Santa, some guy I’d only met an hour ago called Gary, gestured to me and then to the pile of presents under the Christmas tree. I stifled my chuckle as the bells attached to the pointy toes of my elf shoes jingled as I walked. A little girl with laughing brown eyes caught my attention, and we shared a giggle together just before I bent down to collect the next gift from under the spectacular tree.

  A whoosh of cool air hit my backside and I straightened, blushing. The elf costume was not only roasting hot, it came with a stiff petticoat that meant the skirt didn’t fall down over my bum when I bent over. Everyone was probably getting an eyeful of my red and green striped bottom.

  I was wearing elf stockings.

  Seriously, I needed to learn how to say the word ‘no’.

  Feet jingling, bell jingling on my green Santa hat that matched the dress that came to mid-thigh, I strolled over to Santa and gave him the present. He winked flirtatiously at me.

  Charming.

  I tried not to wrinkle my nose at his inappropriateness.

  The young boy at Santa’s side took hold of the brightly wrapped gift, all distress at talking to a strange man disappearing as his mum came to take him away. That was my cue.

  I shuffled over to the front of the line and smiled at the waiting father and his little girl. I bent toward her, knowing I was probably giving Santa an eye full of my stockinged arse. Everything about the costume was silly and childish, except for the arse revealing part. The dress was high-necked. The sleeves long. Both collar and wrists trimmed in white fur.

  The costume was bought for a sixteen-year-old high school girl who hadn’t shown up to be Santa’s elf because she had the flu.

  Margaret,
the manager of the women’s department, had volunteered me to do the job since I was the only one who could fit into the costume. While I should have asked for Reid’s permission first, seeing the panic on Kerry, our store event coordinator’s face, I knew I had to help her.

  We’d advertised Santa’s Grotto everywhere, and parents had paid tickets for their kids to visit Santa and take home a quality gift for Christmas. Determining Reid would be more annoyed if we let down customers, I reluctantly donned the costume.

  And now, the object of my affection would probably never look at me the same way again if he caught me in it. Not that it would make a difference.

  Pushing through my crestfallen disappointment, I smiled at Santa’s next customers as the father handed over their ticket.

  “What’s your name?” I asked the little girl with her blond pigtails. She was adorable in a red velvet dress and matching shoes.

  “Belle,” she murmured shyly.

  “It suits you perfectly.” I beamed, drawing a smile from her. “Would you like to meet Santa?”

  After glancing up at her dad for reassurance, Belle took my hand and I led her over to Santa and then stood off to the side. While Gary kept throwing me looks that would definitely put him on the naughty list, he was great with the kids. He had a joyful big booming voice and pulled off ‘Ho, ho, ho’ with grand aplomb.

  My favorite Christmas song came over the PA system. Wizzard’s ‘I Wish it Could be Christmas Everyday’. While the employees of the department store had to listen to the same Christmas album all day every day in December, I spent much time at my desk outside Reid’s office on the top floor. Where he’d banned all Christmas music.

  Scrooge.

  God, I wish I didn’t adore the brooding bastard.

  Anyhoo, it was nice to listen to the Christmas music all morning and I relaxed, feeling less ridiculous (sort of) and falling more comfortably into my role.