A Bleak December: Fate Series, #4

By Hanleigh Bradley

"My dog ate a condom." Why that sentence made it past whatever filter I have, I will never know.

Ella needs a Christmas Miracle in this Holiday Romance from Internationally Bestselling Author, Hanleigh Bradley.

Her Christmas list isn't long. It is the shortest it has ever been. She doesn't want a pretty new pair of shoes or a new dress to wear to her work's New Years Eve bash.

All Ella wants is a Christmas Miracle.

With a sick mum in hospital and a little brother at home, she struggles to maintain order in the chaos that is quickly engulfing her. If she doesn't get her miracle will her entire world fall apart?

And if it does, who will help her put it back together again?

A Bleak December is the fourth book in the FATE series, a complete series. It acts as a Companion Story to the rest of the series and can be read as a Stand-Alone.

It's time... What if I'm not ready?

"A wonderful story with extremely likeable characters, one you really don't want to miss. Once again Ms Bradley has pulled at my heartstrings and succeeded in obtaining a few tears. Definitely a recommended read." - Reading Is Our Satisfaction

• Language: English
• Publisher: Author Friends With Benefits
• Release date: Mar 4, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386914945

Hanleigh Bradley

British Author Hanleigh Bradley writes Contemporary Romance about British twenty somethings in London.

Book preview

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Hanleigh’s London Saga

All the books in this Contemporary British Saga have interwoven plotlines, returning characters and places. These books are best read in order to avoid spoilers.

The Rules Series

Broken Rules

Enforced Rules

Revised Rules

A Secret Melody

The History Series

Repeating History

Deleting History

Forging History

A History In Paris

The Intimacy Series

Damaged Intimacy

Entangled Intimacy

Forceful Intimacy

Call Me Doctor

The Fate Series

Inescapable Fate

Inexplicable Fate

Irreversible Fate

A Bleak December

Hanleigh’s London Standalone

Dr. Xmas

Hanleigh’s London Boxsets

RULES

HISTORY

INTIMACY

FATE

Find out more about Hanleigh’s Books on her website.

Hanleigh’s London Saga

CHAPTER ONE Ella

CHAPTER TWO Tristan

CHAPTER THREE Ella

CHAPTER FOUR Tristan

CHAPTER FIVE Ella

CHAPTER SIX Tristan

CHAPTER SEVEN Ella

CHAPTER EIGHT Tristan

CHAPTER NINE Ella

CHAPTER TEN Tristan

CHAPTER ELEVEN Ella

CHAPTER TWELVE Tristan

CHAPTER THIRTEEN Ella

CHAPTER FOURTEEN Tristan

CHAPTER FIFTEEN Ella

CHAPTER SIXTEEN Tristan

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Ella

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN Tristan

CHAPTER NINETEEN Ella

EPILOGUE

Preview of Dr. Xmas

Preview of A Brit Down Under

THANK YOU!

Hanleigh Bradley’s Newsletter

About Hanleigh

Hanleigh’s London Saga

Dear Reader,

It’s never easy losing someone we love. This is a little something for everyone who has ever felt alone, true despair and loss.

I hope you find someone who makes your world that little bit brighter, even in the bleakest of winters.

Hanleigh

You made a promise but I knew you couldn’t keep it, he looks down at me with a shy smile, so I kept it for you.

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CHAPTER ONE

Ella

H

e’s my boss.

That doesn’t stop me though. It doesn’t stop my mind from picturing him naked standing in my shower, water cascading down over his toned, muscular flesh.

No. It doesn’t stop my inappropriate thoughts, and it definitely doesn’t stop me having them at the most inopportune of moments.

It’s not like I just think about him when I’m lying in bed late at night.

No, I fantasise about him during staff meetings, when he’s being a pain in the arse bossing us all around and when he’s reprimanding me yet again for being late.

Do you want to know the worst bit?

It’s not the thoughts. I can deal with my dirty mind; it’s always been that way. Dirty thought after dirty thought, wrapped in a world of dirty thoughts.

No. The thoughts are fine; it’s the things that come out of my mouth. The actual words that I apparently have an equal lack of control over.

Like right now, the whole room has gone silent in shock because of my stupid, big mouth.

As if I just said that!

I can feel my cheeks reddening with embarrassment and my best work friend is laughing under her breath beside me.

The bitch.

Tristan had asked me why I was late. It was a reasonable enough question but why, oh why, couldn’t I give him an equally sensible response??? No. Instead, I only went and gave him the most ridiculous cock and bull story known to man.

Why are you late? Tristan Riggens, my boss had asked in that deep, authoritative, yet almost disrespectfully uninterested voice of his. It’s a voice that threatens to destroy you while drawing you in, keeping you walking some imaginary tightrope.

My dog ate a condom.

Why that sentence made it past whatever filter I have, I will never know. Sometimes my mouth does unexplainable things, embarrassingly unexplainable. It’s a problem I’ve had since childhood and it shows no sign of improving.

The room goes silent, but he doesn’t react at all. His face remains expressionless except I think I can see humour in his eyes, or at least I hope I do. He’s not exactly easy to read and right now I really have no idea what he’s thinking.

Well, I hope your dog is okay now.

He’s absolutely fine.

I’m probably the colour of the Christmas tree in the corner. I think I might throw up my breakfast from the sheer embarrassment that I now feel.

Someone should call the RSPCA, a voice says from somewhere behind me.

You might want to reconsider where you stash your condoms, another of my colleagues pipes up with a laugh.

My best friend, the one who’s supposed to be on my side is in fits of hysteria. In fact, she’s laughing so hard she’s close to choking. I hope she chokes.

Okay. Tristan tries to divert their focus from me and my condom eating dog, back to the meeting. New Year – we’ll be having an office party.

If he thinks talk of a party might move their attention from my poor imaginary dog, he is wrong and he clearly doesn’t know his team that well.

How on earth did your dog get a hold of a condom?

Did it still have the foil wrapper on?

Eww, it wasn’t used, was it?

I’m shrinking into myself. Massively embarrassed. Eyes on the floor. Cheeks burning hot. Head pounding. Heart palpitating.

How the hell will I get out of this one?

I have an uncanny knack for getting myself into a bit of a pickle and absolutely no skill at getting myself back out again.

That’s enough – I’ve heard more than enough about condoms and dogs for one day. Back to work.

He’s shaking his head as he dismisses us all before leaving the open offices of our floor of the TRW Advertising building. Walking into his office, he closes the door behind him.

Lucky sod. At least he has a door he can hide behind.

Fuck, I say under my breath.

Only you, Ella. Sadie laughs beside me. I don’t know how you do it.

I just open my mouth… I sigh.

You don’t even have a dog!

I know. I’m groaning in mortification. We should get back to work before Tristan gets all shitty.

Or worse, Sadie whispers, Delos might come out of her office and have at us.

As if – Clara’s too nice for that.

To you. She hates me.

That’s not true. I laugh gently.

The door to Tristan’s office opens once more, and he pops his head out.

Winthrope. Reed. Do I need to find you something to do?

No sir.

Sadie nods her head before turning back towards her cubicle. I move to follow her, but Tristan is still talking.

Winthrope, in here, please.

Shit, I grumble before following him into his office.

This is the moment when he finally tells me that enough is enough and I need to start being on time, or worse look for a new job. The new job scenario is probably more likely. My tardiness is my biggest failing. I’m lucky I haven’t already lost this job.

He’s sat behind his desk; calm and composed in a way I have never been. He motions a hand towards the leather chair in front of him, and I take it gratefully because my legs are like