Free Mistletoe by Lyn Gardner Page A

kiss, she drank every ounce of it in. It was to die for.
    For the past week, Diana had tried to convince herself that her memories of their first kiss had been tainted by her imagination, warping reality into something divine. Now, with Jamie’s mouth pressed against hers again, she knew that she had been wrong. Jamie was divine…no doubt about it. Diana’s blood began to boil. Between her legs was born an ache that she knew only Jamie could soothe, and it took all the strength she had not to open her lips and beg for Jamie’s tongue to enter. Feeling a moan of passion rising from within, Diana sighed as she pulled out of the kiss. Slowly running her fingers across the shoulders of Jamie’s jacket to remove non-existent lint, she smiled up at the woman whose brilliant blue eyes had turned almost black with desire.
    Lowering her voice to a whisper only Jamie could hear, Diana said, “I don’t know about you, but I believe in miracles.”

    ~~~

    Reading yet another letter in a long line of letters, Santa stopped suddenly and wrinkled his nose. “Good Lord, what is that smell?”
    “I’m afraid, it’s me, sir,” Percy said meekly as he chimed and tinkled his way into the room.
    Smiling at the sight of the little elf, Santa said, “Well, now, I know that I sent you to a party, but I didn’t know it was being held in a perfume factory.”
    “It’s potpourri, sir. I can’t seem to rid myself of the smell.”
    “A bit over-the-top, isn’t it?”
    “Yes, sir, but the lady who was holding the party…well, she was a bit over-the-top herself.”
    “I see,” Santa said, taking off his reading glasses. “So, tell me, how did it go?”
    Two dimples appeared on Percy’s cheeks as the tiny elf smiled from one pointed ear to the other. Climbing into a chair, he said, “I’m not positive, but I think it well.”
    “You think?”
    “Well, they kissed again. Miss Diana and Miss Jamie, that is.”
    “Jamie?”
    “That’s what she likes to be called, sir”
    “Percy, were you eavesdropping?”
    “Me, sir,” Percy said, blushing slightly. “No, sir…well, I mean, I tried not to, but…but I couldn’t help but overhear a few things. They were too close not to.”
    “I see. So, what else did you hear?”
    “They just talked about their work and their families. Miss Jamie was having an issue with the potpourri in the room, so she ended up having to leave early, but not before they shared a kiss under our mistletoe, sir.”
    “And that went well, I’m assuming,” Santa asked. Watching as the small man’s cheeks turned the color of Rudolph’s nose, Santa let out a hearty laugh. “Apparently, it did.”
    “Yes, sir,” Percy said as his cheeks turned a few shades darker. “It went really well.”

Chapter Six

    W hat do you mean, you’re not going!”
    Looking around the shopping mall’s food court at the heads turning in the direction of their table, Gwen said, “You do realize that you’re screaming. Don’t you?”
    “I am?” Diana said, lowering her voice. “I’m sorry, but didn’t you say you had to attend all the parties?”
    “Yes, I was supposed to, but I got dispensation for Jamie’s since Adam and I will be out of town visiting his parents.”
    “But you’re not leaving until the twenty-third.”
    “That’s right, and Jamie’s party is on Christmas Eve.”
    “Christmas Eve!” Diana shouted.
    Gwen’s cringe got Diana’s attention, and looking around, she saw at least a dozen shoppers gawking in her direction.
    Lowering her voice, Diana leaned closer to her friend. “What is she doing having a party on Christmas Eve? That doesn’t make any sense.”
    “I have no idea,” Gwen said, taking a bite of her salad. “But that’s what the invitation said, and as soon as I saw the date, I called her assistant, Linda. I explained the situation, and was excused from making an appearance.”
    Diana’s shoulders drooped. “Oh, I told her that I’d be there,” she said