Mistletoe Mistake (It's All About the Mistletoe Book 4) Read online

  Knowing she would lose her courage if she let him speak, Wren quickly continued.

  SILAS WAS IN UTTER shock. His ears were hearing what Wren was saying, but his mind was having a hard time processing it. Snapping his mouth shut, he did his best to focus.

  “And then one day, this jerky-jerk girl in their school made some rude comments. And the girl with the crush was too young and stupid to stand up for what she believed in.” Wren’s voice had grown shaky, immediately pulling at Silas’s heartstrings. “So the girl with the crush backed off and did her best to discourage the guy, even though she wanted nothing more than to give in to his invitations.”

  Wren paused then, breathing deeply and glancing up at him again. Silas found himself completely enthralled with her story. He knew exactly what it was like to stay away from things you wanted because a bully had taken advantage of you. Instead of being upset at her confession of why she had hurt him so long ago, he wanted to hear more. He wanted to know how she felt now. Was she only sorry about high school? Or was she hoping to rectify the mistake and try again? What did she want?

  He stepped toward her and held out a hand. “Then what happened?” he asked softly.

  Wren gave a tremulous smile and slipped her fingers into his. He gave her hand a squeeze, hoping to help her be brave enough to keep sharing.

  “Then the girl with the crush left home and assumed the cute boy would want nothing to do with her ever again. However, many years later, an opportunity came for her to make amends. Only it didn’t exactly go as planned.”

  Silas felt his lips twitch and he pulled her a little closer. “It didn’t, huh? This is beginning to sound like one of your plays. It would appear we’re at the part where the couple do something stupid.”

  Wren’s eyes finally met his and Silas was floored to see the yearning sitting there. “Yeah...” she breathed. “The girl had hoped to find her sweet geek at the dance and be able to pick up from high school. Instead, she found a handsome man who was too cool for the likes of her.”

  Silas scrunched up one side of his face. “Only the handsome man was a façade.”

  Wren shook her head and finished closing the distance between them. “No. He really is a handsome man now, but it would appear he was hiding the nerd the girl really wanted.”

  Silas hands were now shaking just as bad as Wren’s, but he wanted so desperately to pull her in and close the distance between them. A dream he thought had died years ago was right in front of him and he was going to take a cue from Wren and grab it with both hands. Letting go of her hand, he bracketed her face and brought his forehead to hers. “What if I told you I have a Darth Vador shirt on under my tux?”

  Wren gasped, then smiled wide. “Are you kidding me? But wait.” She grasped his forearms and frowned. “I haven’t gotten to the part where the girl said some really rude things and has to apologize.”

  Silas shook his head ever so slightly. “Nope. We’re skipping straight to the happy ever after.” Unable to stop himself, he brought his lips to hers and immediately sighed in bliss. Temptation, thy name is Wren.

  Her arms shot around his neck and pulled him in hard, nearly causing him to stumble, but Silas didn’t care. He wrapped his arms around her in return and erased any and all air between their bodies. No one better wake me up from this dream or I might do something violent.

  “Hey, Man!” an annoyed voice broke their intimate moment and Silas nearly snarled in frustration.

  He jerked his head up to tell the guy off, but stopped when the front desk clerk was pointing toward the ballroom. “The mistletoe is that way, Man.”

  Silas chuckled when he felt Wren huff in his embrace. “Right,” he stated. Tightening his grip, Silas picked Wren off her feet and carried her. Wren’s bare feet bumping his shins as he walked. “What happened to your shoes?” he asked as he walked inside the door and immediately began scanning the ceiling.

  Once he had stopped at the side of the room under a bundle of the plant, he looked down.

  “Doesn’t matter,” Wren said, pulling his neck down. “They were getting in the way of my happy ever after.”

  “Good riddance, then,” Silas managed before his mouth was otherwise occupied once again.

  CHAPTER 7

  Wren snuggled into Silas’s shoulder as they watched the flames die down in the fireplace. He was running his fingers through her hair and she was nearly asleep in her dreamy state. “I can’t believe you came all this way to see me for Christmas,” she murmured sleepily. “Wasn’t your family expecting you?”

  Silas kissed the top of her head. “I’ve been visiting my family for years for Christmas,” he answered. “It was time to break tradition. Besides,” he chuckled, bouncing Wren against his chest, “my mother couldn’t be more thrilled that I was heading to see a girl. I think she was close to giving up on me ever finding a girlfriend.”

  Wren laughed lightly. “I can’t believe all those women you work with weren’t breaking down your door. I’ll bet they were just as turned on by your geek chic look as I was.”

  Silas nodded with his lips pursed. “Oh yeah. There was one in particular that was never shy about hiding her interest.”

  Wren jerked upright, suddenly wide awake. “What? Are you serious?”

  Silas gave her a crooked grin. “Yep.”

  “Did you go out with her?” Wren’s heartbeat was moving too fast for someone who was sitting still, but if she had competition, she needed to know about it. Who is this chick? Do I need to come to his workplace and stake my claim?

  “Nope.” He brushed a curl out of her face.

  Wren’s righteous indignation melted. “Oh.” She started to lie back down, then sat up again. “Why not?”

  Silas looked heavenward and laughed. “Because I discovered something about myself from her flirtations.”

  Wren’s eyebrows went up as she waited for him to finish.

  “The only reason I gave her a second glance was because she reminded me of you. It was for that exact reason that I even considered coming to the ball. I decided I needed closure, or I’d never move on.”

  Wren put her hands on his chest and leaned in for a kiss. Staying close to his lips, she murmured, “I’m so glad you hated me enough to get revenge.”

  “And I’m so glad you hated Nicole enough to fight for me.”

  Wren started to laugh, but it was quickly cut off by Silas’s lips. With a sigh, she melted into his embrace and settled in for the long haul.

  Okay, can I just say how much

  I LOVED that Wren preferred the geek?

  There’s something special about those

  cute boys with brains, right?

  Not ready to be done quite yet?

  Never fear! Esther’s story is next!

  You can find “Mistletoe Memories”

  HERE

  Tired of Christmas stories?

  Keep scrolling to read the first chapter

  in my “Overnight Billionaire Bachelors” series.

  What happens when three brothers find a hidden

  treasure and suddenly become billionaires

  overnight? Paparazzi, drama and turbulence on the path

  to true love, that’s what!

  Read on!

  “Her Billionaire Boss”

  CHAPTER 1

  “Well, Mrs...”

  “It’s Miss. Miss Monson,” the woman sitting across from Eli interrupted.

  “Sorry, Miss Monson. As I was saying, everything appears to be in order.” Eli’s face was emotionless as he shuffled the papers in front of him before looking up at the middle-aged women in front of him. “We will be contacting people later in the week to let them know the results of our hiring.” He stood and the woman eagerly jumped to her feet, fluffing her hair. Eli held out a hand. “Thank you for coming in, we’ll be in touch.”

  “You’re welcome.” Miss Monson smiled as she gripped his hand and fluttered her eyes a little. “I mean, thank you for your time.” She giggled
and shrugged her shoulders.

  “Yes, well,” Eli’s long legs took him over to the door of his brand new office and he quickly opened it. “Have a nice day.”

  “You too.” She watched him as she walked past, wiggling her fingers in goodbye as she slowly moved out into the hall.

  Eli shut the door firmly behind her. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he moaned as he slumped into his desk chair. The smooth, buttery leather of the seat didn’t so much as squeak as he settled in. “Money might not buy you happiness, but at least it buys comfortable chairs,” Eli mumbled as he lay his head back and closed his eyes.

  “How goes the job hunt?” Hayden asked as he stormed into the office.

  “Probably about as well as yours.” Eli peeked through one eye. “Have you filled all your spots in the kitchen?”

  Hayden huffed and fell back on the sofa on the far wall. “Half the people coming in to interview are women looking for a date, not a job.” He ran his fingers through his hair.

  Eli held in another groan. Last year, the three Truman brothers had become instant billionaires, not to mention media sensations, when they had discovered a room full of hidden treasure in the old castle they were struggling to renovate. Low on funds and down on their luck, they had plans to redo only enough of the castle to rent out a few rooms and open a bed-and-breakfast.

  When they had literally struck gold, they had jumped at the opportunity to turn the old castle into a resort destination with each brother overseeing a specific part. Eli worked in hospitality, Hayden was a chef and had built an in-house restaurant and Nelson had created an outdoor program that utilized the several hundred acres that had come with the castle. They had even made plans to move their twin sisters to the resort once they were graduated and help them find a place to work.

  Now, a year after their discovery, the resort was set to open, but the brothers were struggling to find good candidates to fill all the positions necessary to make it run. Hundreds of resumes had come flooding in, but the vast majority were from single ladies wanting to get a glimpse of what the media had dubbed ‘The Overnight Billionaire Bachelors’.

  Eli smirked. “How many of them left in tears?”

  Hayden scowled. “I haven’t made anyone cry today.”

  “Yet,” Eli mumbled.

  “Shut up.” Hayden growled, then quirked an eyebrow. “Have you filled all your spots?”

  Eli groaned. “No, I’m running into the same problem you are. The last one in here had to have been at least fifty, if she was a day, and she giggled at me. Actually giggled!”

  Hayden chuckled. “I don’t think I got that one in the kitchen. She must only be after the oldest brother.”

  Eli threw his stress ball at Hayden, who caught it with a laugh. “Anyway, I still have a couple more interviews today.”

  “What position are they for?” Hayden tossed the ball in the air and caught it.

  “Front desk clerk,” Eli replied after looking at the paperwork. “It shouldn’t be that hard to find a friendly person who can answer phones and make reservations. It’s not rocket science.”

  Hayden smirked before throwing the ball back. “Good luck with that,” he said as he stood and headed to leave.

  “Oh!” A feminine voice gasped when Hayden suddenly threw open the door.

  Eli’s head snapped up at the sound; a slight shiver running down his back. What the heck is that?

  “Sorry,” Hayden said gruffly.

  “No, no. It was my fault. I shouldn’t have been standing so close. I was just about to knock, because, I mean...” The voice sighed. “Sorry, I ramble when I’m nervous. I have an appointment with Mr. Truman.”

  Hayden folded his arms and smirked. “Which one? Technically, there are three of us.”

  “Oh, right,” the voice gave a light laugh that resembled the tinkling of a bell. “Sorry. I’m looking for Mr. Eli Truman.”

  Without conscience thought, Eli jumped to his feet and hurried toward the doorway. “I’m Eli Truman,” he stated louder than necessary, coming up behind Hayden. Whoa...

  A petite, redheaded beauty stood in the hallway. Light from the large windows in the foyer was playing around her head, giving her porcelain skin an otherworldly glow. But it wasn’t her skin that drew Eli’s attention. It was the set of full, pink lips that were shaping a perfect ‘O’ that caught and held his stare. Holy-

  When he managed to drag his eyes from her lips up to her eyes, he nearly choked. Wide, emerald eyes, almost too wide for her petite features, stared back at him.

  “H-hi,” she stuttered out. “I have an appointment.”

  “He’s ready for you,” Hayden said, turning to slap Eli on the back.

  The whack woke Eli from his trance. “Uh, yes. Of course. Come in, please.” He schooled his features into the stoic facade he always put on for the public. Beautiful or not, this is just a job interview.

  “Good luck, Brother,” Hayden said with a chuckle.

  Eli scowled at him, but Hayden closed the door before he could see it.

  “So, you are...” Eli forced himself to walk calmly around to his desk and look at his schedule. “Miss Thompson?”

  “Yes, Ivy Thompson,” she said softly, still standing awkwardly by the door.

  “Have a seat, please,” Eli waved his hand toward one of the chairs sitting close to his desk.

  “Thank you,” Ms. Thompson murmured and followed his directions. She sat down, primly folding her hands in her lap.

  “I have here that you are looking for a position at the front desk?” Eli glanced up at her.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “You can call me Mr. Truman,” Eli stated.

  “Yes, Mr. Truman, sir.”

  Eli glanced up and noticed a small smile on her face. It slowly melted when he didn’t smile back. “So, tell me Miss Thompson, why you are looking to work at Avangarde Castle?”

  “Well,” her eyes dropped to her lap, “I’m looking to make a change and recently moved to this side of the state.” She looked up and tried to smile at him again.

  Eli watched her in fascination. Her whole countenance was sweet and airy and seemed to shine a light on the dark parts of him that had shut down after his divorce.

  “I was planning to start looking for work soon and saw this pop up in the paper. It seemed ideal.” She gave a light shrug.

  “Do you have any experience in hospitality?” Eli kept his eyes firmly on the paper in front of him. Being attractive doesn’t make her qualified.

  “No. But I’ve worked in retail, so I’m pretty good at handling people and solving problems.”

  Eli grunted. “You understand that working at the front desk would mean handling multiple things at once? You have to be able to answer phones, take reservations and solve issues that might arise from those staying at the hotel?”

  “Yes, Mr. Truman.” There was no teasing in her tone anymore.

  Good. She knows I mean business.

  “Just how old are you, Miss Thompson?” Eli blurted out before he thought better of it.

  Her eyes widened, and she stiffened in her chair.

  Eli closed his eyes. Now you’ve done it. You’re not allowed to ask those kinds of questions. “I apologize, Miss Thompson. It’s just that you look too young to-.”

  The petite woman in front of him sniffed and crossed her legs. “Being small makes me look younger than I am. And yes, I know you’re not supposed to ask me that, but just to ease your mind, I’m twenty-five.”

  Too young for you, Eli. Better steer clear of this one. He shook his head. What the heck? I’m steering clear of all of them! No more women for me, thank you very much. “Good to know,” Eli said curtly. “Thank you for your time, Miss Thompson, we will be contacting people at the end of the week, after we have finished all the interviews.”

  “All right, thank you for your time, Mr. Truman.” Miss Thompson stood and stepped forward with her hand outstretched.

  Eli reached across the desk and took her
proffered fingers. After a quick shake, he dropped her hand like it was a live coal. A frisson of warmth had shot straight up his arm from her touch and he had no desire to examine why her touch had affected him so.

  Eli stood, stoic and silent as she quickly walked out of the room, leaving the door ajar as she disappeared.

  Once she was out of sight, Eli’s knees gave out and he dropped into his chair. His hands shot out, catching himself on the desk when the wheels shifted.

  “Did you give her the job?” Hayden leaned his grinning face inside the room and waggled his eyebrows.

  Eli scowled. “No, why would I do that?”

  Hayden rolled his eyes. “Because she’s pretty.”

  Eli mimicked Hayden’s eyeroll. “I can’t hire someone just because they’re good looking.”

  “Was she just after a date?”

  “No,” Eli grumbled and tapped his fingers on the desk. “She didn’t appear to be after that at all. She sincerely seemed to want a job.”

  “Was she unqualified?”

  Eli shrugged. “She looks like she would do fine.”

  “Then what’s the problem.”

  The problem is she’s stunning. And she made me feel things I didn’t like. “She seems a bit young.”

  “How old was she?” Hayden frowned.

  “Twenty-five.”

  Hayden scoffed. “Why the heck would that be too young?” His eyes widened after a moment. “You like her!”

  Eli scowled. “I do not. I told you I’ve sworn off women. Not to mention I’ve seen plenty of beautiful women during these interviews. Looks have nothing to do with anything.”

  Hayden pointed his finger at his brother. “You can’t not hire her because you’re attracted to her.”

  “I’m not attracted to her. Acknowledging that someone is good looking and actually being attracted to them are two different things.” Eli glared.