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Kris removes the box from my hand, lifts the ring from its perch, and holds it up. He can’t get down on one knee since we’re sitting on the floor, but I wouldn’t have this moment be any other way.
“J-J-” He stops, licks his lips and swallows. I watch him gather his thoughts. “Joy Calvin, you fulfill me. You are my other half. I can’t imagine my life without you at my side. Will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
“Kris Nichols, I knew you were the man for me the day we met. I know lots of people don’t believe in love at first sight, but I do. My whole family does. The proof exists. It happens. And it happened to me, that day, in the hallway. Yes, Kris. It would honor me to be your wife.”
He slips the ring on my finger, and the next thing I know, I’m flat on my back on the floor, and his mouth is melted to mine. He's touching me everywhere: my arms, my legs, under my dress, exploring my body and leaving his scorching mark. His heart is pounding in time with mine. Our breaths are mingled. Our desire for one another in sync.
And then he stills. When he raises his head, the depth of his emotions is reflective in his gaze. “I love you, Joy.” He reaches one hand out and twirls a strand of my hair around his finger. “Let’s make this the best Christmas ever.”
I nod, my eyes misting with tears. This is going to be the most perfect Christmas ever.
About the Author
Anne Lange grew up with a love for reading. She reads many genres of romance, but prefers to write sexy stories, sometimes with a dash of humor, usually with a side of those sinful pleasures your mom never told you about.
Oh, and always a happily ever after.
Anne juggles a day job and a family while she looks forward to retirement someday soon, and finally writing full time. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her wonderfully supportive husband, has three awesome kids, and two fur babies.
Follow Anne on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Anne.Lange.Author
Or check out her website: https://authorannelange.com/
Maybe even sign up for her newsletter and get a bonus epilogue featuring more of Joy and Kris’s story: https://geni.us/Cuffed4XmasEpilogue
Happy Reading!
You can also pick up Let’s Get Naughty 3 here: www.letsgetnaughtybooks.com or https://books2read.com/u/mqBW89
The Brightest Christmas Star
USA Today Bestselling Author Sharon Wray
1
On a snowy December night, Sophie Sinclair decided she loved town hall meetings. She loved the bickering about church bells playing Christmas carols, repainting the benches on Main Street, and issues with snow plows. She loved being with people who’d known each other their entire lives.
The only issue with tonight’s meeting was that she wished she belonged. As a newcomer, it was going to take time for the town to get to know her. Time for them to think of her as herself and not just as the new girlfriend of the Kingsmill’s sheriff.
If she had one Christmas wish, it would be to belong to the town of Kingsmill.
Gage Mosby, Kingsmill’s mayor, hit the podium with his gavel. “The last item on tonight’s agenda is Santa’s Christmas Eve parade.”
She leaned back in her chair and sighed. She and Santa didn’t have the best relationship considering the one thing they had in common was the first letter of their first names. She wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the room’s chill. She, along with others, wore winter coats because they sat in a barn-like building on Main Street that had once been a stable during the Revolutionary War. A stable haunted by Generals George Washington and Anthony Wayne. While she wasn’t sure about the story, it could explain why the room could never be heated and the bulbs hanging from the high rafters flickered.
Yet, she didn’t mind the intimacy of the low light or the cold air. This was her first town meeting, and she’d been invited by the mayor himself. She’d even printed out the email and slipped it into her coat pocket, just in case someone wondered why she was there. She was excited because this meeting, a few days before Christmas, was considered the most important one of the year.
She shivered and clasped her gloved hands in her lap. Her boyfriend Ben Mosby—who was also the mayor’s nephew—had teased her about carrying the invite. But she didn’t care. She’d snuck into town a few months ago, alone and homeless, and now she had friends, a job she loved, and a man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. As far as she was concerned, the town of Kingsmill, nestled deep in Virginia’s Shenandoah Mountains, was perfect. The only thing that raised the hairs on the back of her neck was this mention of Santa.
Ben, who sat next to her, covered her fingers with his ungloved hand. Concern etched lines around his dark brown eyes, and she wished they were alone so she could kiss them away. As the town’s sheriff, he was always preoccupied. Although her recent issues with the FBI had exacerbated his problems.
“You okay?” he mouthed.
“Yes,” she whispered back.
“Shush, you two.” Nana Ruthie, an older woman who sat behind them, tapped Sophie’s shoulder. “Do you need a cough drop, dear? I always carry cherry.”
She shook her head and shared a humorous look with Ben. While they’d been whispering, Nana Ruthie had scolded them with her outside voice.
