Christmas with the Ice Queen: A Steamy Sapphic Small-Town Holiday Romance by Emily Hayes

Author:Emily Hayes [Hayes, Emily]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2025-12-20T00:00:00+00:00

6

IVY

The bakery was alive with the warmth of a busy morning. The bell above the door jingled constantly, signaling the endless stream of customers. The scent of baked bread and buttery scones filled the cozy space, mixing with the sweet, sharp aroma of cinnamon and sugar from the morning’s batch of pastries. Regulars chatted at the tables, laughing and sharing stories over steaming cups of coffee and flaky pastries. It was the kind of morning that Ivy loved—a blur of movement and familiar faces, a sense of community that made the bakery feel more like a home than a business.

Her hands worked quickly, sliding steaming coffee mugs across the counter, exchanging warm smiles with customers as she moved back and forth between the register and ovens. But even with the flurry of activity, Ivy’s mind wasn’t fully on the bakery today. Every now and then, her gaze drifted to the corner of the room where Celeste sat, nursing her own mug of coffee.

Celeste, in her perfectly tailored suit, looked like she had wandered into the wrong world entirely. Her polished appearance seemed at odds with the rustic charm of the bakery—the exposed brick walls, the wooden beams overhead, and the handmade ceramic mugs lining the shelves. Ivy couldn’t help but feel amused and intrigued by the contrast. Celeste stood out, yet at the same time, in her own way, she fit in. There was something about the way she sat, quietly observing the morning rush, that made her seem oddly at home here, even if she didn’t quite belong.

Ivy shook her head slightly as she wiped down the counter. Celeste had been spending more time at the bakery lately, showing up early in the mornings before her meetings or swinging by in the afternoons when things were quieter. It had become part of their unspoken routine—Celeste arriving just after the morning rush, her eyes scanning the space until they found Ivy. Sometimes they talked; other times she just sat there, watching the rhythm of Ivy’s day unfold.

But today, Ivy couldn’t shake the nervous energy bubbling beneath the surface. The more time she spent with Celeste, the more complicated her feelings became. Celeste was a force of nature—confident, successful, and maddeningly attractive. But there was also something vulnerable beneath her polished exterior, something that made Ivy want to get closer, even though her mind screamed at her to keep her distance.

The problem was that Ivy didn’t know if she could trust her. She couldn’t forget the reason Celeste had come to Hollyridge in the first place—to tear down her beloved bakery to build a resort. Ivy’s bakery was small, but it was hers, and she couldn’t let her feelings for Celeste blind her to the reality of the situation. What if all this was just temporary? What if Celeste was still planning to tear down everything Ivy had built?

As Ivy handed a steaming mug of coffee to Mrs. Gilmore, who was prattling on about the Christmas festival, she stole a glance at Celeste.

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