Christmas on Main Street by E. Ayers & Susan R. Hughes & Tori Scott & Mona Risk & Jill James & Kristy Tate & Leigh Morgan & Carol Devaney & Pepper Phillips & Stephanie Queen

Author:E. Ayers & Susan R. Hughes & Tori Scott & Mona Risk & Jill James & Kristy Tate & Leigh Morgan & Carol Devaney & Pepper Phillips & Stephanie Queen [Ayers, E. & Hughes, Susan R. & Scott, Tori & Risk, Mona & James, Jill & Tate, Kristy & Morgan, Leigh & Devaney, Carol & Phillips, Pepper & Queen, Stephanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Romance, Anthologies, Genre Fiction, Holidays, Collections & Anthologies, Inspirational
Amazon: B00GCPPALG
Published: 2013-11-15T05:00:00+00:00

* * *

It didn’t feel quite right rifling through Ryan’s dresser, but Paige needed something to wear to bed. Since her skirt and blouse were her only choice of attire she had to keep them as neat as possible. Quietly sliding the top drawer open, she lifted out the first T-shirt she found, a navy blue short-sleeved top that looked long enough to cover her significant parts.

Shedding her clothes, she draped them over the top of the dresser and quickly pulled the T-shirt over her head, catching the faint scent of laundry detergent. It was an odd feeling to put on a stranger’s shirt, but she appreciated having a fresh garment in which to slip between clean sheets.

Though Paige was dead tired, her nerves hummed with energy, and as she flopped onto the bed her mind drifted to Ryan. She knew almost nothing about him; she’d been too absorbed in her own troubles to ask him much about himself. His bedroom, as neat and sparse as the living room, gave her no further clues. The plain blue curtains that matched the shade of the comforter and pinstriped sheets only reinforced her impression of a man who was fastidious with a bent toward the traditional.

She imagined what he might be doing at that moment—probably pulling out the sofa bed, then stripping off his white shirt and dark pants to don his tartan pajamas. Her gut was already a knot of apprehension about what lay ahead for her, but it tightened further as visions of taut muscles swelling under bare bronzed skin floated through her mind, making her warm and aware of every nerve in her body.

Rolling onto her side, Paige tried to banish those images from her brain. They were unwise fantasies to indulge in—not to mention dangerous. She was grateful to Ryan, and that was as far as it went. She didn’t need more complications in her life, and she certainly didn’t need to form any kind of attachment to another man so soon after breaking off the last one. Accepting his kindness for one night was all right, but she wouldn’t take advantage of his hospitality any longer than she had to.

The chirp of her cell phone on the nightstand made her jump. She snatched up the phone to find a text message from Marianne on the screen, and her pulse quickened as she opened it.

Paige, got your message. So sorry. I thought the lease was up in September. Have you got a place to sleep?

Paige’s thumbs moved quickly, typing a terse reply. Luckily yes, but not for long.

The response from Marianne was slower in coming, and when it appeared on the screen Paige felt her heart drop into her stomach.

You know you can always go back to Matt. He misses you.

She pitched the phone onto the bedspread and collapsed over the pillows, holding her breath and pressing her hands against her eyes to stifle a surge of angry tears.