 by C.M. Steele.jpg)
Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Prologue
Bethany
One more glass of champagne. I know I’ve had too much, but I can’t stand seeing Colter with that pretty woman. Who the hell is she, and why is he here with her? He’s never brought anyone to the Christmas parties before. He’s never brought any woman anywhere and yet she’s here with him and not me.
Colter and I were never a couple or anything, but I always hoped that he’d see me that way. We were friends, we laughed together, we teased each other when he would stop by the bakery and now, my chest hurts.
Then he dared to come up to me like I wanted to speak to him after that. What a jerk.
“Hi, Beth.”
“Hi, Mack,” I say.
His eyes rake over my outfit, which screams sexy Christmas vixen. Of course I shouldn’t dress like this here, but hell, I’m trying to drive Colter nuts. He acts like an older brother while I fight a long-standing crush on the bastard. “You want to dance?”
“Sure.” Mack’s my age and we see each other around town a lot. He’s cute and I should really be into him, but I’ve had a stupid crush on a guy three years older than me who is on his way to becoming a doctor.
He takes my drink and sets it down before leading me onto the dance floor. “Come on, pretty lady.” I beamed brightly and genuinely for the first time since I saw Colter walk in with that girl. “There you go.” He slides his arm around my waist and then takes my hand with his and we start dancing to a nice slow Christmas tune.
Mack starts singing, and it’s way off-key. I giggle. “No prize winner there?”
I shake my head, sending some of my hair in my face. “Sorry, no.”
“But are you having fun?” he asks, pushing it behind my ear.
Smiling up at him, I answer, “Now, I am. Thank you.”
“I don’t like seeing you so sad. It doesn’t suit your personality at all. You need to smile more.”
“I do, don’t I?”
“Yes. You have a beautiful smile.” He’s charming, but I don’t feel any butterflies in my stomach. My eyes are starting to blur, but I swear I can see Colter coming up behind Mack with a stormy look on his face. His light eyes darkening as he glares in our direction.
“Excuse me, I’m cutting in.” He nudges Mack out of the way with ease. Colter stands at six-four and could easily be a fitness model not a doctor. I wonder if it’s because he spends all day picking up and delivering heavy boxes. Mack doesn’t quite leave, waiting for my approval. “The excuse me was me being polite. The next time it won’t be.”
Colter takes me in his arms, dancing me toward the outside edge of the dance floor. Goodness, I’m in Colter’s arms, swaying. Still, he isn’t saying anything with his teeth clenched and his eyes focused on something in the distance.
“Why are you dancing with me?” I ask; my feelings were mixed. His body is warm and strong. Although Mack was similar in build, there was something different and powerful about Colter that made me ache. Still, he wasn’t here with me. He brought another woman to the party.
“Because I want to,” he whispers, making my heart dance and hurt simultaneously. There’s no way to fight the emotions he invoked in me, yet he’s the only one who can fix them.
“You have a date. Dance with her.” I pull out of his grip and walk away toward the hallway, where it’s quiet, but the big brute follows me.
He stops me with his hand on my waist. The flat of his palm does something to me that causes me to freeze, lost in his touch for just a moment. “You’re drunk, Bethany Faith,” he whispers.
“You can just call me Beth,” I return the barely audible reply, turning slowly around in his arms.
He shakes his head and cups my chin, forcefully lifting it so I look into his pretty blue eyes. “No, you’re my BF and you will always be. Besides, you’re shitfaced. I can’t let fucking Mack try his moves on you when I he knows you’re three sheets to the wind.” Wow, he really know how to piss me off.