Meet Me Under the Mistletoe Read online

  MEET ME UNDER

  THE MISTLETOE

  USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

  STACEY KENNEDY

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2019 by Stacey Kennedy. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact Stacey Kennedy.

  EPUB Edition

  Stacey Kennedy

  www.staceykennedy.com

  Edited by Christa Soule

  Proofread by Jolene Perry

  Cover Design by Sweet ’N Spicy Designs

  Manufactured in Canada

  For everyone who believes in Christmas magic.

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  About Sassy Blonde

  Excerpt from Naughty Stranger

  Prologue

  A little spice and sweetness packed into a gorgeous body was going to cost Darryl Wilson his job as a camp counselor at River Rock’s Wilderness Camp. A job he needed since he was paying his way through his criminal justice diploma at the college. For as long as he could remember, he wanted to be a cop. He’d always followed the rules; had a good sense of right and wrong engrained in him by his single-parent mom. But the brunette with the tight pony tails and pretty green eyes, and green camp T-shirt tied beneath her breasts—showing her midriff that he couldn’t stop looking at, made him want to break every rule in his rulebook.

  “You’re going to get me fired,” he said to Penelope, slowly striding toward her while she backed away, giving him a sexy grin. Across the lake were the cabins that housed the tweens all tucked away for the night, the nightlights in the cabins casting a warm glow out into the darkness.

  “We both could get fired for this.” Penelope had been hired on by the camp five days ago for the arts and crafts cabin, and there was a very strict no-fraternizing-with-staff rule.

  “It’s fun to live on the wild side,” she practically purred, tempting him and teasing him the way she had been since she arrived, slowing walking back until she leaned against a boulder. “And I know you want me as much as I want you.”

  Damn did he ever. He was rock hard as he licked his lips, watching her mouth, then he took her hand and pulled her up until she stood closer to him. “You’re right. I do want you.” He’d never wanted anything or anyone more in his twenty years on this planet.

  She nibbled her bottom lip then crossed her legs, bringing his attention to how gorgeous they were. “Then what are you waiting for? Kiss me.”

  His dick twitched at the blatant heat in her expression. Screw the job.

  He closed the distance then pressed his lips against hers. She let out a soft moan that unraveled him as he wrapped one arm around her waist, tugging her even closer. He opened his mouth and she followed his lead, letting him have a taste of her. His other hand threaded into her hair, and she wiggled against his throbbing erection. He’d never heard of or experienced this type of need before. He felt every single brush of her lips until he didn’t know where she began and he ended. And he was hungry. Starving, in fact, for her.

  He forced himself to break the kiss, reminding his raging hard-on he didn’t really know this girl well enough to take anything more than a kiss from her. He knew she was the cousin of the Carter sisters, Clara, Amelia, and Maisie, and that she was seventeen years old, but that was it. When he got a good look at the desire in her gaze, he had to step back so as not to grab her and make her his right then and there.

  “Not bad for our first kiss,” she said, breathless, pressing herself tighter against him, bringing heat and electricity pinging in the air.

  Jesus Christ. “Believe me, Penelope, stick with me, and I’ll make our first everything incredible.” He cupped her face, overwhelmed by what he felt with her, this girl he’d only known for a handful of days. He never broke the rules. He’d never risked a job before. And no girl had ever made him so turned on and so drawn in. With Penelope, everything felt different. Intense. The biggest difference between her and the other girls he’d kissed, he didn’t want to let her go.

  Desperate to have more of her, he sealed his mouth across hers again, and her soft needy whimper blazed heat through him. He fisted her ponytail, driven by the intensity burning between them. Every swipe of her tongue and hard press of her sweet body against his only made him want more. Hot, hard, and ready to take her in any and all the ways she’d allow, he drew away and then met her hooded eyes. “Damn, girl, you make me want to kiss you every day for the rest of my life.”

  When Darryl woke in his cabin the following morning, she was gone. For the next ten years.

  Chapter One

  “He knows if you’ve been bad or good…” the long-haired brunette with the sparkling green eyes sang.

  These days, not much gathered a crowd large enough to warrant a call to 911, but tonight was definitely not an ordinary night. The wrought-iron streetlights beamed soft light down on the sidewalk along River Rock’s historic Main Street, revealing large snowflakes fluttering down as Officer Darryl Wilson strode up to the large fountain in the center of town. The small town nestled into the Colorado mountains saw less crime than Disneyland on any given day. There hadn’t been a murder in River Rock since sometime in the 1970s, and most crime was either teenagers stirring up trouble, shady businessmen, domestic disputes, or more likely, drunk tourists getting into shenanigans. This time, just before eleven o’clock at night, the trouble was an intoxicated woman skating on the fountain in her high heels. And as he stepped closer, Darryl couldn’t believe his eyes.

  Penelope Carter. He’d heard she’d come back to town a few days ago, but he wasn’t expecting to see her like this.

  The girl who’d blown his mind at summer camp with the hottest kiss of his life when he was a camp counselor and then abruptly bailed, leaving him to never hear from her again, was skating before him. She’d been a pretty girl back then. She’d grown into a gorgeous woman with curves in all the right places that had his full attention.

  “Santa Claus is coming to town,” Penelope continued singing, pushing off one heel and lifting her hands in the air as if she were a figure skater and the music was real, not in her head.

  Impressive, really. She skated better on heels than most people did on skates.

  Darryl sighed and took in the crowd next to her with their cell phones out filming Penelope. She was going to regret this in the morning, especially if her little skit went viral. “All right,” he said, stepping forward. “Tuck those phones away. The show is over.”

  A few grumbles later, the glow of the cell phones faded, and the crowd began to dissipate. Darryl turned back to Penelope, who sang, “You better watch out.” At least if the clip went viral, she could carry a note.

  “Penelope,” he said, closing in on her, experiencing the same building heat he’d felt with her all those years ago.

  She did a little twirl. “You better not pout.” She pushed off one heel, wobbling slightly then quickly righted herself. “Something, something, somethin
g…gonna find out who’s naughty or nice.”

  He chuckled. Christ, ten years ago, Penelope had been a mix of sexy and cute. That hadn’t changed since he’d last seen her. He moved closer, not wanting the paperwork that came with an injury. Just like all those years ago, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. He’d been as enthralled with her when she was a teenager. The night he’d given her that hot kiss, she’d worn tiny shorts and her exposed belly had been his entire focus. Even now, in her tight sweater and black leggings, she stirred things inside him that hadn’t been stirred in a while.

  The trouble with small towns, and being a cop, was Darryl knew everyone, and they knew that he and his ex-wife, Natalie, had divorced six months ago. Natalie had left town before the ink of the divorce papers had dried, and every well-meaning woman in town had been trying to help him “get over” his grief.

  Now, Penelope had turned up, and he wondered if fate were giving him a chance to revisit his past. Unfortunately, it appeared that Penelope was in the habit of skirting the law. A law that Darryl had spent the past eight years enforcing. He’d put in his due and worked the night shifts since River Rock PD hired him. With a few cops retiring the next few months, there would be upcoming promotions, and the captain had already given Darryl the heads-up to bring his A game for the next while.

  A promotion that he already fumbled once six months ago when Larry Michaels retired. The day Natalie had signed the divorce papers and left him, Darryl decided to spend the evening making friends with a bottle of whisky. He’d also made a complete ass out of himself at the local watering hole in town, Kinky Spurs. The next day, the promotion went to another cop.

  That couldn’t happen again.

  Penelope sang another few lines, turning in a tight circle, and Darryl honestly doubted he could handle the likes of a grown-up Penelope Carter.

  “Santa Claus—” Penelope screamed, as her heel caught on the edge of the fountain.

  Darryl lurched forward when she began to fall. She landed with a yelp in his arms, and her wide green eyes connected with his. “All right?” he asked, ignoring the way her long, chocolate-colored hair felt damn soft against his hand.

  Their gazes held for a beat. Then, she burst out laughing. A full-on belly laugh. One that Darryl never thought he’d ever experienced in his life.

  “It’s you,” she finally said when she stopped laughing.

  “It’s me,” he replied, ignoring the semi he was sporting from holding her so close. She smelled like sugar and vanilla, pure temptation.

  “It’s you,” she repeated, snuggling her face into him like she belonged there. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re warm and comfy, just like a big teddy bear?”

  “I’m warm because it’s freezing outside, and you’re wearing only a sweater.” He slowly placed her down, ensuring she was steady. When he let her go, he unzipped his coat and slid it over her shoulders. “And you are very drunk.”

  She giggled, her eyes bright. “I know. I think it was the forth.” She held up her finger and hiccupped. “Nope, the fifth shot that did me in.” She pulled his jacket around her, inhaling a big deep breath then grinning at him. “Seriously, you still smell so damn yummy. How is that even possible?”

  Yeah, and he was rock hard now. Focusing away from what his little brain wanted, he turned to the laughing crowd who had obviously returned when Penelope fell. “I said the show was over, folks,” he told them firmly. “Go home before anyone else gets in trouble.”

  “Oh, is that what I am…in trouble?”

  Darryl’s jaw clenched at the heat and promise in her voice before turning back to her. He found her heady gaze on him, lust burning through him. Or maybe it wasn’t lust but the alcohol making her eyes glossy. “Come on, you little troublemaker. It’s bedtime for you.”

  “Your bed, I hope.” She grinned, pressing all those hot curves against him.

  “Not tonight.” But maybe some night. He shook the thought from his head, knowing this woman was not the type of woman for him to play around with. She’d likely be more of a headache than what it was worth. With his possible upcoming promotion, he could not have a smudge on his image, and this stunt was enough to tell him that he needed to stay clear of her. He took her gently by the arm and led her to the car, opening the door for her.

  “So, you really a cop?” she asked, flopping into the passenger seat. “Can I see your handcuffs?”

  “Yes, I am.” He leaned down. “And no, you may not.”

  “Boo. How boring.” She laughed.

  Hyper aware of her in every regard, he reached for the seat belt then clipped her in.

  “See, Mr. Police Officer, you like getting all close to me,” she purred.

  He turned his head after hearing the click, his mouth resting close enough to hers that all he needed to do was lean a little forward to claim those pouty lips. One little inch for him to find out if she still tasted as sweet as she smelled. “I don’t recall having said that I didn’t,” he told her honestly.

  His answer obviously surprised her, as her eyes widened ever so slightly. He grinned to himself, intrigued by the possibility he could surprise a woman like Penelope Carter. From what he learned from her cousins over the years, she’d been traveling and bartending her way along the coast. She’d seen it all, done it all, and experienced everything. But maybe one thing she hadn’t seen was small-town life and a man like Darryl, who had promised himself to no longer keep quiet about what he wanted and be as honest and straightforward as possible. He’d compromised enough with his ex-wife, Natalie.

  At Penelope’s silence, he arched an eyebrow. Yeah, he’d play this game, and he’d play it better than her. “Nothing else to add, Ms. Carter?” he asked.

  Her eyes rolled a little. “Ugh. I’m really drunk.”

  “I see that.” He grabbed a plastic bag from this glove box and laid it out open on her lap. “If you’re going to be sick, use the bag.” He ensured her legs were all tucked in, his fingers tightening to linger there, and then he shut the door. He strode back to the driver’s side door, a cloud of his breath leading the way, when suddenly the lights and siren flicked on, electrifying the dark night. “Trouble, yeah, sugar, that’s you.” He hurried into the car, flicking off the siren when he dropped into the seat, then he turned the ignition on and mumbled, “Can’t seem to keep your hands to yourself, little menace. Police cars aren’t toys.” He turned to her. “Are you staying with your cousins?” His gaze hit those gorgeous legs again before moving up her body until he reached her face. She rested her head against the headrest, her face tilted toward him, her eyes shut. “Penelope.” A beat. “Penelope.”

  She snored softly.

  “It’s not even a full moon,” he grumbled and sighed. He reached over and gave her a little shake. “Penelope.”

  Nothing.

  He stared at her then dropped his head back on his headrest, considering the best option now. He could call her cousins, the three Carter sisters who owned Three Chicks Brewery—a local craft brewery that was looking for its big break getting their locally famous beer, Foxy Diva distributed within North America—to find out where Penelope was staying. But somehow, that felt like the wrong move. The other choice was taking her to the station’s drunk tank, but that wasn’t quite right either.

  “Let’s just hope your trouble doesn’t become my trouble,” he told her before putting the car in drive.

  Chapter Two

  Everything hurt when Penelope woke the next morning. Her throat felt like sandpaper, her tongue lay dry in her mouth. Even her eyeballs burned. “Ugh. Bad shots. Bad, bad shots.” It took an embarrassing amount of time for her to realize she wasn’t in her bedroom at her cousins’ house, but she was in a masculine bedroom with plain gray painted walls and big, dark wood furniture filling up the space. She slowly pushed up to sitting, taking a quick inventory of herself. Her sweater and leggings from last night were in place. Beside her, she found a glass of water and a note that read: Drink Me. Set next to th
e water were two painkillers and another note that read: Don’t Forget Us! She did as instructed and downed both quickly, her head thumping like elephants were throwing a party inside of her skull.

  The water hit her tongue first, a sweet relief, followed by her stomach clenching, reminding her that she was twenty-seven years old, not twenty-one, and shots were a terrible idea. Very, very bad idea. She returned the glass of water to the side table, when a low growl snapped her focus to the end of the bed.

  There sat an orange cat that obviously ate more than he exercised. His brow was a tad darker than the rest of his face, giving him a scowl. “Hi, kitty,” she said. “I’m a nice human. Promise.”

  The cat hissed, lurched forward, and swatted at her.

  Penelope screamed, jumped on her pillows, trying to climb onto the headboard. The cat ended up directly in front of her, hissing and showing teeth. “Help,” she screamed. “Help. It’s going to kill me!”

  Loud footsteps thundered up an obvious staircase and then drew closer. A beat later, the bedroom door whisked open. Penelope was momentarily stunned by who entered the bedroom: the manly six-foot-two, scruffy-bearded, dark brown-haired man that had stolen her heart when she was seventeen years old. The man who she compared every man to. The one that made it impossible to get serious with anyone because everyone else seemed flawed against Darryl Wilson.

  When her gaze connected with his amber eyes, memories hit her in rapid succession. Singing Christmas songs at the top of her lungs…skating on the fountain…sloppily flirting with him… Dear God! Her cheeks burned, and suddenly the cat wasn’t her biggest threat.

  “Ebenezer, no!” Darryl snapped, charging into the room, scooping the cat up, who hissed, bit, then clawed his arm. “One sec,” he said through gritted teeth before leaving the room.

  In his place sat the cutest bloodhound, perched on the ground, his tongue wagging out the side of his mouth.