How perfect is this? Today we have a snippet from Carrie Lomax’s A Christmas Dramedy.
About the book:
One Unforgettable Christmas Week
A broken engagement.
An ill-advised fling.
A reality-TV-inspired dating contest.
A competition between one woman’s heart and her head — with her future on the line.
The Bachelorette
Alyssa Carlisle arrives home for the holidays nursing a fresh Christmas Eve heartbreak. A hookup with her hot neighbor seems like the perfect rebound. He’s never looked her way, but Marc De Luna’s just what she needs: a no-strings attached, super sexy vacation fling.
She never thought he’d want more.
The (Play) Boy Next Door
Marc’s had it bad for his aloof, ambitious neighbor ever since her family moved in. Her engagement to a rich boyfriend was enough to send him packing for an extended trip — anywhere — as long as it’s far away from any reminder of Alyssa. Now that he’s is out of the picture, Marc ‘s not about to pass up his chance to claim her as his own.
When her ex makes an unexpected appearance, Marc’s got a fight on his hands — and he’ll do whatever it takes to win.
Excerpt:
“I ought to let my family know I’m still alive. I disappeared last night.”
“Oh, they know,” Marc replied, kissing her forehead as he pulled her into his arms. “My mom texted me this morning saying she was worried about you. I told her you’re with me. I’m sure they’re planning the wedding already.”
Alyssa buried her face in his shoulder. “Oh, fuck. This is going to be awkward.”
“It doesn’t have to be.” He went quiet. “Listen, you said something yesterday about being here for the week. I’m not looking for a week.”
Alyssa’s heart sank. Great. He might have another girl lined up already.
Marc kissed her temple. “Aly, I don’t want you thinking I do this with just anyone. I’d given that up ages ago.”
She nodded, though didn’t believe him any more than she believed in the Easter Bunny. His own mother had once commented that Marc treated girls like an all-you-can-eat buffet. Alyssa had seen plenty of women lining up to be brunch over the years, and she hadn’t lived here in almost ten years.
“Flattery will get you anywhere with me,” she replied flippantly, grinning. Marc was a genuinely considerate guy, the polar opposite of Zach. She hadn’t gotten to know him because she’d always been so intent on avoiding her hot neighbor.
Alyssa quit resisting her base instincts and kissed him in the sunshine as if they were the only two people in the world, her pale skin contrasting sharply with his dark tan. Probably ought to think about sunscreen, eventually.
His fingers threaded through her hair, setting it free to whip around her face. In response, Alyssa tugged his shirt over his head.
“No fair.” He responded by pulling up the shirt he’d loaned her. Alyssa shrugged it aside. He cupped her breasts with his big hands. Then he took one in his mouth and nibbled gently on the tip. Alyssa sighed and curved against him.
When he thumbed open the button on the shorts he’d loaned her, she slid off his lap and kicked them off. Marc had pulled off his shirt and quickly discarded the rest of his clothes before rolling on a condom.
“I’ll be gentle,” he promised.
She nodded. Naked, Alyssa slid over him, her body extra-sensitive from the night before. Marc was as good as his word, moving slowly and focused on everything except where their bodies were joined. He let her set the pace. She was too sore to take his entire cock at first, but the more he teased and touched everything above her waist, the more her body accepted. They found their pleasure with no audience but the sun, the sea, and the sky.
An hour later, Marc steered the sailboat into its slip at the marina. They held hands as they strolled to his truck. When she asked about it, he told her he’d caught a ride with his brother to his parents’ house the day before.
Alyssa fidgeted with the shirt hem sticking out from the seatbelt. The loaner clothes were as good as a billboard about where she’d gone and what she’d been doing. Yet there was no point in trading them for her wrinkled dress, since last night wasn’t exactly a secret. The knowledge didn’t help her shoulders stay straight or calm her pounding heart as Marc parked on the street between their driveways, as though staking out a space in the middle of their families.
He took her hand. “We’ll go in together. It’s going to be okay.”
“Yeah, I know.” She squeezed his hand back. There was no reason for nerves. Yet she stepped out with an unshakable sense of foreboding.
A breeze coursed through the cab of the truck. Her dress fluttered like a captive butterfly on its hanger behind her. The screen door of her parents’ house opened.
Her eyes narrowed at the man-shape. In a flash her stomach iced over. No, it can’t be.
“What the fuck is this?” Zach, her ex, exploded. The screen door jumped back on its hinges.
Alyssa cringed but stood her ground. “What are you doing here?”
“We were supposed to celebrate our engagement with your family this week, remember? I changed my ticket.”
“I…” Oh holy shit.
*****
*****
Carrie Lomax grew up in the Midwest before moving to New York City for 15 years. She lives in Maryland with two budding readers and her real-life romantic hero. Hit her up to find out what else she has in the works: carrie@carrielomax.com
