Title: Back To You This Christmas
Author: S. L. Sterling
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: 22nd November 2019
BLURB supplied by Xpresso Book Tours
Bah-humbug!
This Christmas, all I wanted was to wallow in self-pity until the woman I thought was the love of my life could explain why she left me at the altar. Instead, my buddy, Zach forced holiday merriment on me. I thought it was going to be a tinsel-laced nightmare… until his sister, Alexa, showed up. Turns out, she grew up into a gorgeous present I was insanely tempted to unwrap. Lucky for me, she shared my desire to meet under the metaphorical mistletoe… and let things heat up from there.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bah-humbug!
This Christmas, all I wanted was to wallow in self-pity until the woman I thought was the love of my life could explain why she left me at the altar. Instead, my buddy, Zach forced holiday merriment on me. I thought it was going to be a tinsel-laced nightmare… until his sister, Alexa, showed up. Turns out, she grew up into a gorgeous present I was insanely tempted to unwrap. Lucky for me, she shared my desire to meet under the metaphorical mistletoe… and let things heat up from there.
For the first
time in months, Laura, my ex, wasn’t haunting my thoughts like the Ghost of
Christmas Past. Which, of course, is exactly why she had to pick that moment to
call and say she wanted to talk. I could only hope St. Nick had a playbook in
his sleigh because things were about to get complicated.
From author
S.L. Sterling comes a sizzling holiday romance hot enough to roast your
chestnuts!
EXCERPT
I was still awake at two in the morning. I
was now lying in the dark, staring up at the ceiling. I had heard Zach come in
around twelve-thirty and heard Mom and Dad come up to bed shortly after that.
The house was now quiet, except for the sound of Dad snoring off in the
distance. I lay in the warmth of my bed, my mind still reeling with thoughts of
Drew, alone, across the hall. Drew had everything: good looks, a great job, he
was successful, and for the life of me I couldn't figure out why some girl who'd
had him would ever let him go. I'd give anything for a chance with a guy like
him. Well, not just any guy, and here she was just throwing him away as if he
were last night’s trash.
I rolled over onto my side and let out a
sigh. I needed to get my mind off him, and knowing he was right across the hall
wasn't helping. The first thought that came to my mind as I rolled back over
and stared up at the ceiling was cake. Mom had a coconut cream cake downstairs
in the fridge, and the more I thought of it, the more I wanted a piece.
Finally, the craving won and I got up,
threw on a pair of socks, and slipped out of my room. The house was silent, and
I tiptoed down the stairs, carefully avoiding the creaky steps. I could see a
tiny light that we always left on in the kitchen. I came around the corner to
see Drew, shirtless, his sleep pants hung low on his hips, standing with his
back to me. He hadn't seen me, or so I thought, and I was about to scurry back
up the steps when he spoke.
"Hey, you want some cake?" he
asked, holding out a plate with a slice on it. I came slowly around the corner,
my eyes firmly planted on his chest and abs. Fuck. The man looked like one of
the lingerie models I had photographed. He was so cut and well-defined. When my
eyes met his, I saw him take a quick glance down my body, and that was when I
realized I was in nothing but a short T-shirt and panties.
"Couldn't sleep?" I asked, taking
the plate from his hand. My fingers brushed his, the contact sending a jolt
through my body.
"No, and I couldn't get the thought of
cake out of my mind either. Your mom makes damn good cake, and this one just
happens to be my favorite," Drew said, watching as I tried to hide my
half-naked body behind the counter, a half-smile coming to his lips.
"What's so funny?" I asked as he
turned and cut another slice of cake, placing it on another plate.
He turned around with fork in hand and dug
into the soft, moist cake. He leaned up against the counter, his eyes roaming
what he could see of my body as he ate. "I just think that it's cute that
you are trying to hide from me. Especially when you don't need to hide from me,
Lexi. I've known you pretty much your entire life. I've seen you in less
clothing than that. We spent many summers all together by the pool."
I felt a blush rise to my cheeks. "I'm
not hiding. I just wasn't expecting anybody to be up at this time. Besides, I'm
not exactly dressed for a friendly chat. You've known me all your life, with
clothes on," I said, nervously laughing, and stepped around the corner of
the island, setting my plate down.
"So, look at me!" he exclaimed,
holding his hands out to the side like he was putting himself on display.
"Do I look like I'm dressed for a friendly chat?"
"Yeah, look at you, Mr.
Eight-Pack." I rolled my eyes. "Do you want some milk?" I asked,
holding the corner of my shirt down and raising my arm up into the cupboard for
a glass.
"Sure."
I could feel his eyes burning into me as I
reached for another glass and got the milk out of the fridge. I quickly poured
two glasses and turned around, only to see him still staring at me. I did my
best to ignore it and slid his glass over to him, returning to my slice of
cake. I tried hard to avoid eye contact with him, but it was almost impossible,
and when I checked him out again, I could see the outline of his semi-rigid
cock through his sleep pants. I bit my lower lip and ate the last bite of the
cake on my plate. Drew was already done with his and had put his plate into the
sink. I walked over and put my plate in the sink on top of his while he put the
cake back into the fridge.
I was about to turn around to grab his
glass when I felt the heat of his body against my back. I could barely breathe
and was afraid to move, so I grabbed the dishcloth, preparing to wash up the
dishes we had used. I turned toward the sink and was just about to turn the
water on when I felt his fingers dance along the edge of my panty-line. Drew
was touching me. Drew, the same boy who used to pick on me, was now standing
behind me, a man, running his fingers against my bare skin. His touch was
almost paralyzing as I struggled to breathe. He was so close to me that I
could feel the light puff of his breath on the back of my neck. I could feel
myself get instantly wet, and I bit my lower lip and closed my eyes as his
fingers tickled along the side of my belly to grip the edge of my T-shirt and
pull it down to cover over my ass.
As soon as I was covered, he leaned in, his
scent intoxicating, and whispered in my ear, "Thanks for the cake. Good
night, Lexi."
I closed my eyes. His hands were still
grazing my skin, and I stood there allowing the room to spin around me. His
hands then went to my hips and rested there for a couple of seconds, his warm
touch searing into my skin, and then, as quickly as he was there, he was gone.
The heat from his touch was gone. I turned around. He hadn't gone far; he was
leaning against the other counter across from me, intensely watching me. I
looked into his eyes and caught a glimpse of what I was sure was want.
At first, the look scared me a little
because, well, this was Drew. He then stepped closer to me, the closeness of
his body making my nipples harden. I watched his eyes leave mine and look down
at my lips, the silence around us almost deafening. I was almost sure he was
going to lean in and kiss me, but the sound of the house settling caused him to
back away.
Without saying a word, he left the kitchen
and made his way back upstairs to his bedroom, leaving me alone in the dim
light of the kitchen.
TEASER
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
S.L.
Sterling was born and raised in southern Ontario. She now lives in Northern
Ontario Canada and is married to her best friend and soul mate and their two
dogs.
An avid reader
all her life, S.L. Sterling dreamt of becoming an author. She decided to give
writing a try after one of her favorite authors launched a course on how to
write your novel. This course gave her the push she needed to put pen to paper
and her debut novel "It Was Always You" was born.
When S.L.
Sterling isn't writing or plotting her next novel she can be found curled up
with a cup of coffee, blanket and the newest romance novel from one of her
favorite authors on her e-reader. Her favorite authors include Kendall Ryan, Vi
Keeland, Penelope Ward, Lauren Blakely, Alessandra Torre and Willow Winters.
In her spare
time, she enjoys camping, hiking, sunny destinations, spending quality time
with family and friends and of course reading.
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