The
Christmas Key
Chacelyn
Pierce
Blurb:
Dumped before vacation, Shalaine Harper goes to Alaskan to drown out
her sorrows on wine, watching Xander Christian films, and using a
toasty fire to burn away the hurt. As one of Xander's biggest fans,
fate deals her a strange hand when the Hollywood star is blown in
before a snow storm.
Xander
Christian finds himself stuck in Alaska and the closest safe haven is
a cabin occupied by a woman dealing with heartache. Since neither
bear gifts, they'll have to find other means for sharing the holiday
spirit.
Excerpt:
Shalaine
Harper swiveled in her office seat after making the last editorial
note on the article she’d penned on the opening box-office hit,
Tiding Sun. The A-list movie starred Xander Christian, the exotic
Adonis who made any sane woman's panties drop when he licked those
kissable lips. He caused heart palpitations for the millions of horny
women across the globe. Though his movies as of late hadn't been his
best work, she still gave him an A for effort.
Diehard
fan that she was, Shalaine couldn't help but give him high marks on
her movie reviews. Even if they deserved a lower grade, she couldn't
bring herself to scribble anything lower than a B. Her eyes drifted
to the hanging poster for Tiding Sun on her office wall. It was now
her favorite face shot of Xander. His blue-green eyes captivated her
first; they always did. It was no wonder teenage girls fantasized
about him more than any famous teeny-bopper. Though she wasn't a
teenage girl, she couldn't help but sigh like a lovesick puppy. Her
mind recollected the steamy scene he'd had with Jess Gilmore in the
hayloft. His raciest scene yet. The supporting actresses didn't know
how good they had it, to kiss X. Chris and taste his mouth. Heaven.
That's what it had to be like. Pure heaven. She tore her gaze way
from the framed beauty and got back to work on making him look as
good on paper as he did onscreen.
The
Reviewer was a very prestigious magazine that focused on box-office
hits and celebrities. They looked toward her to cover all X.
Christian-related movie releases. Everyone in the office teased her
and nicknamed her complimentary articles on him as Shalaine's X.
Chris or Double-X articles. Adding a few more raunchy words into her
reviews would lead many women into an orgasmic state and mean a quick
firing on her part. She was just a few words shy of making it a XXX
feature worthy of Playgirl Magazine. Might be worth it though.
Running
out of time, Shalaine. Get the article done.
She
looked at a photo on her desk for inspiration. It was a sketchy shot
of Nathan and her in Cozumel. There was lots of sizzling sex in the
air that week and to date, it was the best time they'd ever had
together. Three years had gone by fast and she expected Nathan to pop
the question any day now. Maybe he'd do it when they arrived at the
small rental cottage in Alaska. Shalaine enjoyed their vacations
together; it was the only time they could be uninterrupted. Since
they rarely got to spend time together, it was a set plan for them to
have quality time a few times year. While in Alaska, neither of them
would let work dictate their schedules and they could work on their
relationship. She glanced at the clock. Three more hours and she'd
leave New York for a full week. Overjoyed didn't even cover it; she
was stimulated.
Stimulated.
She
jotted that word on a sticky note to fit into her article somewhere
just as her office phone rang.
"Shalaine
Harper," she said wistfully, thinking of snow, cabin sex with
Nathan, and fire cuddles. She could almost smell the woodsy scents
and hear the wildlife.
"Hey,
Shay, it's me." Nathan's glum tone set off warning bells.
"What's
up?" She tried to convey her good mood to him over the phone.
Three
hours, baby, don't crumble on me now.
"I
can't go to Alaska."
She
lost her breath at his words. "What? Nathan, we've planned this
trip for months! Go tell your boss to get over not seeing you for a
week; it won't kill him." She threw her pen across the desk but
reached for it again, needing something in her hand. He sighed and
paused for a minute, leaving open air on both their lines.
"Non-refundable
tickets, Nathan," she reminded him.
"I
know, I know. Let me rephrase then…I can't go to Alaska with you."
He mumbled the last part as if he had to muster the strength to get
the words out.
A
lot of things filled Shalaine's head at that very moment, none of
them good, but in a small voice, all she could ask was, "Why?"
"Because I can't do this anymore!"
"Do
what, Nathan?" She tried not to grit her teeth, a bad habit
she'd been trying to break. "What are you talking about? You
can't do what?"
"Us!
Seems like all you have time for is just our vacations. You're either
at a big movie premier in L.A, an interview in some exotic
destination I'll never see, or having drinks with movie stars. I
can't…I just can't anymore. It's not the same as it used to be,
plus…plus, I've met someone else. I want to spend my Christmas with
her."
Authors
Bio: A rocker by heart, Chacelyn Pierce is constantly ear plugged
with heavy tunes blaring to stir up the phantom personalities that
swarm her mind. It’s no surprise that she enjoys writing and
reading to satiate her appetite for the male antagonist in a story.
Married to a blatant redhead and mothering a diva, there is never a
dull moment in the house. As a native Texan, she doesn't personally
own a horse but follows the unwritten southern rule of knowing how to
ride one. When she’s not testing the emotional capacity of her
characters, she works as a dog groomer.
Giveaway:
One
copy of the book to five tour-wide winners
Code:
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not
necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other publishing person(s).
Lord Gregory Stockton is a powerful and respected businessman embracing the modern era of the Victorian industrial revolution. He has a grand and beautiful manor house complete with a repertoire of servants, and his young wife is charming, attractive, and the perfect lady to his gentleman. The only thing they lack is an heir to the family estate.
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