Naughty and Nice Anthology

230 Pages·2016·1.02 MB·English

by  Burton Jaci

Naughty And Nice
‘Tis the Season for Romance A famous singer reunites with an old flame. A
couple explores their desire to be truly bound together. Newlyweds heat things
up when they’re trapped indoors. And sparks fly when the lights go out. Whether
you are naughty or nice, you can still get what you really want for Christmas in
this collection of four seasonal shorts.
Anthology includes nice novellas:
Holiday Sparks by Shannon Stacey
All She Wants for Christmas by Jaci Burton And naughty novellas:
Unwrapped by Megan Hart
Believe by Lauren Dane Stories also available for purchase separately.
Dear Reader,
There’s something magical about the holiday season, whether you celebrate
Christmas or Kwanzaa, Hanukkah or Diwali. The energy and excitement
surrounding these holidays charges the air and our emotions, providing a perfect
platform for romance and love. So I knew we couldn’t let Carina Press’s first
holiday season pass without celebrating it with a collection of special novella
releases.
This holiday season, celebrate with our first collection of invitation-only
novellas. We’ve pulled together eleven talented authors and author duos, all of
whom have made their mark in their respective niches, and invited them to
transport our readers with holiday delights. In Naughty and Nice, join Jaci
Burton, Lauren Dane, Megan Hart and Shannon Stacey as they show you both
the sensual and sweet sides of the holidays. Visit post-apocalyptic worlds and
paranormal beings in an enchanted journey with authors Vivi Andrews, Moira
Rogers and Vivian Arend in Winter Wishes. And celebrate the beauty of the
season in His for the Holidays with m/m authors Josh Lanyon, Z.A. Maxfield,
Harper Fox and LB Gregg.
Through the talent of their writing and their captivating storytelling, I believe
you’ll find something in each of these special novellas to put you in the magic of
the holiday moment.
Wishing you the happiest of holiday seasons.
~Angela
Executive Editor, Carina Press
www.carinapress.com
www.twitter.com/carinapress
www.facebook.com/carinapress
Nice
Contents
Copyright
Holiday Sparks: Shannon Stacey
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
About the Author
All She Wants For Christmas: Jaci Burton
Acknowledgements
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
About the Author
Unwrapped: Megan Hart
Begin Reading
About the Author
Believe: Lauren Dane
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
About the Author
Holiday Sparks
By Shannon Stacey
House-sitting for her parents seemed like a good idea, until the microwave blew
up and the lights went out.
Now Chloe Burke thinks upgrading the electrical system of her childhood home
while they are away would make the perfect Christmas gift. Fortunately, there’s
an electrician in town who can get the job done by the holidays.
Scott Quinn has wanted to get his hands on the Burkes’ wiring for almost as long
as he’s wanted to get his hands on their daughter. Chloe didn’t notice Scott back
in high school, but she’s noticing him now, and soon they’re indulging in a little
festive fun: no strings, no expectations. After all, Chloe plans to get out of this
goldfish bowl of a town and back to her real life in Boston by New Year’s.
But Chloe and Scott discover they enjoy each other’s company just as much out
of bed. Could their holiday fling turn out to be the real thing?
Dedication
For Annmarie, one of the most joyful people I know. Your warmth, humor and
generosity of spirit are like a little bit of Christmas, all the year round. And for
the real Kojak. Even after twenty-three years or so, I still miss you.
Chapter One
House sitting her childhood home seemed like a good idea until the microwave
blew up and the lights went out.
Okay, so the microwave didn’t exactly blow up—it was more of a pop—and
it wasn’t all of the lights, but Chloe Burke wouldn’t be trusting her laptop to her
parents’ kitchen outlets anytime soon. It was still light outside, but on an early
December day in Maine darkness fell fast and early, so she grabbed a flashlight
before venturing down into the basement.
Where she found some ancient, round, screw-in things instead of a neat row
of circuit breakers. Since her skill set ran to designing websites rather than
poking her fingers into faulty electrical systems, it was time to call a
professional.
The phonebook was in the same kitchen drawer phonebooks had been kept
in for as long as Chloe could remember, and a handwritten sheet of frequently
used numbers was still tucked inside the cover. The paper wasn’t yellow and
didn’t fall apart in her hand, so hopefully the info was from the current decade at
least. And because her parents were more than comfortable in the ‘80s, they still
had an old-fashioned, corded phone that didn’t need juice to work. That was
good since her cellphone’s battery was almost dead.
The name of the company she remembered her parents using had been
crossed out and a new name—Quinn Electric—and a number were squeezed in
next to electrician. The name was familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. A
friend of her dad, maybe.
Despite the fact it was probably past regular business hours, the phone was
answered on the second ring. “Quinn Electric.”
An incredibly sexy voice, so probably not one of her dad’s VFW buddies.
“Hi. I know it’s late, but I think I have an electrical problem. I turned the
microwave on and the lights went out.”
“That’s definitely an electrical problem.”
Under the initial sexy impact, his voice was warm and had a touch of humor
that had her twirling the cord around her finger like a teenage girl. “The furnace
is still running, so I guess it’s not an emergency, but—”
“Where’s your house?”
“It’s actually my parents’ house.” She gave him the address and crossed her
fingers. Maybe it wasn’t really an emergency, but she wasn’t a big fan of the