Stocking Stuffers by Erin McLellan

Author:Erin McLellan [McLellan, Erin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781732173446
Publisher: Erin McLellan
Published: 2019-10-31T16:00:00+00:00

This was why Sasha didn’t open up, why she didn’t allow anyone in. She didn’t want to hurt this beautiful, giving, romantic man, but she didn’t trust in romance, or love, or relationships. Didn’t want to put herself in a position to be smashed again.

He wanted to make her like Christmas again. That was impossible.

“Well, that orgasm has been the highlight so far,” she said, pulling cheekiness over her like a costume. It worked, because it shattered the uncomfortable intimacy between them, and he took a step back.

A pained expression passed over his handsome face, and her stomach clenched. Resorting to sex and then diminishing the connection created by sex was probably her cruelest habit, but it also protected her.

This had gotten way too personal for Sasha’s taste, so she left the formal dining room, pausing in a hallway to get her bearings. He followed her after a few seconds, appearing way more composed.

Perry made her feel safe. Safe to talk about her fears, her dreams, her goals, and she couldn’t handle that. She wasn’t sure what was causing it, what made him special. Maybe it was their circumstances—snowed-in at a cozy inn with a bag of sex toys to keep them busy. Or maybe it was because Christmas was only days away, and the spirit of the season was dimming her higher functioning brainpower, muddying her normal cynicism with festive happiness.

Yuck.

If life had taught her one thing, it was that the love and happiness surrounding Christmas was a total farce.

She was gearing up to retreat to her room, alone, when Valerie waltzed out of the kitchen with a plate of goodies and nearly tripped over Perry’s feet.

“Oh, there you two are!” Valerie said. “I was about to send out a search party. You missed lunch.”

The mention of food, as well as the aroma of pastry, hit Sasha like a big red sleigh. Her stomach growled loudly, and Valerie laughed.

“Here, try one of these. It’s a goat cheese and fig tart with a honey glaze, and I have tea sandwiches in the kitchen.”

Sasha gladly grabbed a tart and took a bite. The pastry was crispy and buttery, the goat cheese and fig filling heavenly. The honey complemented the sharpness of the goat cheese perfectly. She moaned as if the tart was the best thing she’d ever tasted.

It might have been. She wanted to fall at Valerie’s feet in worship.

“Lead the way to the tea sandwiches, oh great temptress,” Sasha said.

Valerie laughed, an evil glint in her eye. “Why don’t you go on through to the breakfast room, and I’ll bring them out?”

Sasha readily agreed but stopped in her tracks when she realized she’d been duped. The breakfast room was craft central. Everyone was lined up like little elves at the North Pole and surrounded by pinecones, ceramic figurines, winterberry swag, glitter, paint, glue, and all manner of other craft goods.

The ornament-making activity Valerie had been threatening … or, uh, advertising … this morning was in full swing.

So much glitter.

Damn it.

“You don’t have to participate,” Perry said in her ear when she faltered in the doorway.

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