The Secret Santa Wishing Well
by Nikki Lynn Barrett
Published by Nikki Lynn Barrett
Edited by Robert Barrett
Release Date: November 17, 2012
ASIN: B00A9FIHOC
Blurb:
The magic of Christmas has been lost to Jacob Winston. At the suggestion of his ill sister, Jacob takes a job as a Secret Santa at the mall, hoping to restore his Christmas spirit. Even that doesn't seem to work, until a special little boy ambles up to make a very special wish...
Cheyenne Jensen is struggling to raise her two kids without the help of her ex-husband who refuses to acknowledge his daughter's existence and doesn't provide for the son he does. This Christmas is shaping up to be as heartbreaking as the last, until her son Ben's kind actions lead a stranger to them.
Ah, but it's Christmas time and the magic has begun.
When Jacob and Cheyenne meet, neither can deny their immediate attraction to one another. As situations arise that require they spend more time together, their feelings grow stronger and stronger.
With Christmas fast approaching, the pair learn what matters most in life. Now, if only they could ditch the ghost of Christmases past.
Maybe this holiday will bring some wishes come true- for everyone after all.
Excerpt:
It didn't take long for her to come back.
Jacob moved to the living room, standing and waiting. When he saw her coming, he closed the gap between them. Before he could think twice, he touched her shoulder gently, wanting to thank her for the evening. But instead of talking, he leaned in and kissed her. Just a light kiss. Gentle. Friendly. Until she responded.
She had her arms around him, pulling him for another kiss. Deeper. Sweeter. She tasted so sweet. Her need made him swell. He could do this all night. Jacob pressed her against the wall, their kisses deepening with urgency. He ran his fingers through her fine hair. Hers wrapped around his neck, rubbing lightly.
Jacob pulled back abruptly. “Cheyenne," he ground out. “We have to stop.” Before I lose it. He didn't want to stop. He never expected her to reciprocate like this. Wow. Maybe it wasn't one sided after all. Jacob sighed.
That halted everything. She pulled away, looking at him with wide, beautiful eyes. “I'm sorry. I pushed. You must think I'm a fool. I thought when you kissed me...” Cheyenne attempted to move out of Jacob's embrace. Oh, damn. She thought he didn't want her. He did, oh, how he did.
“No, no. Honey, that's not it at all. Kissing you was magical. Amazing. But we just met. I don't want to take things too far. But I would love to see you again.” He pushed back loose strands of her hair that hung over her face when she'd moved. She looked so vulnerable. Was she going to cry? Oh hell, he wouldn't be able to handle it if she did. The last thing he wanted was for her to be upset with him.
“I'd like that, too. It was a wonderful, amazing day, and I have you to thank for it.” She nearly whispered the words, choking up on the last part. “God, I'm a mess. I'm sorry. There's been so much going on, and my signals are going crazy at the moment.”
Yours aren't the only one, Jacob thought. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket, typing in her name in the contacts and handing it to her. “Can I have your number?”
She laughed. “Of course.” Her fingers brushed his as she took the phone from him, tapping in her number. She handed it back to him. Electric shocks of awareness zipped through him. His gaze lingered on her, knowing he needed to get the hell out of here before he lost it completely.
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Links for Nikki Lynn Barrett
Author Blog: http://www.nikkilynnbarrett.blogspot.com/
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In order to enter the giveaway for a Kindle copy of Nikki's book, don't forget to leave a message below congratulating Nikki and letting me know if you've started getting ready for Thursday (Thanksgiving). Please be sure to leave your email in your comment, so I can contact you if you win.
Aww, thank you! This means so much to me! I can't believe this day has finally come. :) Thanks so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteOoh, that excerpt sounds good!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new release, Nikki! How exciting to have this debut now! Best wishes for many sales and much success!
As for Thursday, haven't started yet--got to go acquire the bird and ham, probably today. And figure out what I need to buy for sides... ;)
Aack!
f dot chen at comcast dot net
Congrats, Nikki, on your new release. This book sounds fantastic. Can't wait to read it.
ReplyDeleteI have done all my shopping of Thursday, so I guess I'm ahead of the game. Haven't started cooking anything yet though.
e.balinski(at)att(dot)net
Oh, I can't read the excerpt because I picked up the book this weekend and will start reading it soon! I just wanted to stop by and say hello to Nikki, and to the Queen of All She Reads. Good luck with your book, Nikki.
ReplyDeleteThanks for having the contest. I am a total sap - I LOVE Christmas stories! As for Thursday, I am getting ready by filling my car with fuel so I can drive 300 miles and get nagged by my mother :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Nikki! I've got most of what I need for thursday but cooking won't start until thursday morning...and I still have cleaning and tidying to do around the home **ack, where does the time go :)
ReplyDeleteivegotmail8889(at)yahoo(dot)com