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Chapter One
Rosie
There was something warm and charming about Christmas in a small town. Growing up as a military brat, I’d seen Christmas in a lot of places - Germany, New York, Arizona, and England, just to name a few - but little Holly Hollow, Colorado was my favorite by far.
It looked like something out of a fairy tale, with houses snuggled close together, snow-capped mountains rising in the distance, and Christmas lights dotting the landscape in a soft, golden glow.
My breath frosted in the air as I wrestled the box of decorations from the back of my car. I couldn’t wait to smother my desk in tinsel and popcorn garlands and lights. With Christmas only two weeks away, I was in full-swing with the holiday spirit.
“Well, well, well, Merry Christmas to me.”
My smile dropped at the sound of that voice. Lieutenant Jay Lawson of the Holly Hollow Fire Department was a royal pain in the ass.
He jogged up behind me with a smile that he had to know would melt the panties off any woman on sight.
My mouth went dry and my belly clenched. Just because my hormones found him incredibly sexy with his stupid square jawline, and his stupid broad shoulders, and those stupid smoldering dark brown eyes didn’t mean I had tolikehim.
“You’re looking especially breathtaking today, Miss Rosie Simmons,” Jay said. “May I swoop in and save the day to carry that load for you?”
“I’ve got it covered, thanks,” I replied curtly.
Unfortunately, I was almost at the door of the fire station and the box was too heavy to balance in one arm. Either I would have to put it down to open the door…or ask Jay for help which I flatly refused to do.
Jay hurried ahead of me and leaned one shoulder against the wall beside the door. But he didn’t open it. All he did was stand there, watching me approach with an infuriating smirk on his face. He knew I was stuck between a rock and a hard place and he was going to enjoy watching me struggle.
“What do you want, Jay?” I asked, my patience rapidly dwindling.
And I’d been in such a good mood this morning, too. But after five seconds of hanging around Jay Lawson, my blood pressure was rising already.
He shrugged and replied lightly, “Just waiting for the day you finally crack and ask for my help.”
I stifled a growl and set the box none-too-gently on the ground. Ornaments rattled and tinkled in protest. I really hoped I hadn’t broken anything…
I yanked the door open and propped my booted foot against it. Then I scooped up the box and met Jay’s gaze with defiance.
“That will be a very cold day in hell, Lawson, I can promise you that.”
He chuckled as he followed me inside. It had been like this ever since I took the Administrative Assistant position at the fire department eight months ago. I was no stranger to cocky men who couldn’t keep their mouths shut, but Jay really made my blood boil for some reason.
When I reached my desk, I thought he would leave me alone. Instead, he perched on a corner as I unloaded the ornaments.
“Got any plans for Christmas yet?” he asked. “Maybe something that involves mistletoe?”
I flicked an annoyed look in Jay’s direction. There was no way I would tell him that I was celebrating Christmas alone. My parents were divorced, spending the holiday in different parts of the world. My sister got married last month and she was still on her honeymoon in Paris. And the last thing I needed was Jay finding out that I was single. There would be no end to the heckling after that.
I placed my hands on the desk and leaned closer, attempting to show Jay he couldn’t intimidate me and I would push back twice as hard. Instead, I fought to keep my wits about me when I caught the sharp scent of his cologne.
Then -God help me- my gaze darted lower involuntarily. The top two buttons of his snug dark blue long-sleeved shirt had been left unbuttoned, providing a peek of sculpted chest. I swallowed hard and clenched my teeth. Just because my sex life had been non-existant for an entire year didn’t mean that I would fall into bed with someone as irritating as this man. I had more self-respect than that. I had standards, damn it, and I would not throw them out for a quick romp in the sheets.
“Careful, Lawson,” I said in a faux-sweet tone. “Or I’ll report you for sexual harassment.”
Jay didn’t even flinch.
“So that’s a no for the mistletoe then. Got it. You know, Simmons, I bet you’re such a good girl that Santa puts nothing but treats in your stockings every year.”
“And I’m sure you get nothing but coal,” I countered.
He shrugged and pushed away from my desk.
