The Christmas Merger
()
About this ebook
“Okay,” I mumble as I sit the boxes aside. “What do you want, Cooper? My body?” I ask, shocking him.
I watch as he babbles a bit before gaining control.
“Well, um…if you willing to give me--“
“I didn’t say I’m giving you anything. I just wanna know what you’re working up to?”
“All I am working on is beating you.”
I scoff loudly. “Well, you’ll be working overtime to get no pay because I’m taking home the win, again,” I stress. “What’s it gonna be?” I pause for effect, “Third year in the row?” I tease, rubbing salt in the wound.
“You haven’t crossed the finish line yet,” he smirks.
“I would be getting closer if you would stay out of my face so I can work,” I finish with a nice-nasty smile.
“So, that offer from before... nevermind,” he says as he takes note of my hard gaze.
Bitter rivals since high school, Cooper and Felisa have been going head to head in business, and the annual Christmas Festival for years. It never fails for things to get out of hand whenever the two are in close quarters.
Things only get worse when to save their sinking companies, a business merger is proposed. Being in each other’s face on a daily only serves to increase the opportunities for comical moments, fights that get the town talking and taking bets, and strokes the flames of a sizzling romance that’s been years in the making.
Christine Gray
Christine Gray is an author, publisher, and entrepreneur. Beginning her career under the pen name, Sapphire, her list of books include Don't Tell My Husband, One of a Kind Love, Sweet Obsessions, the paranormal series, Relentless; A Vampire King's Desire, and many more. Christine Gray is a very creative writer that's heating up the Interracial Romance scene with her talent for creating books that pull her readers into the story, allowing them to experience every emotion. Her gift for original story lines laced with mystery, humor and erotic moments combined with strong women, and devilishly handsome men, has brought her a large fan base since her start in fall 2014 with Royalty Publishing House. Now as a CEO of After Hours Publications, it's her desire to push the boundaries of the Lit world by offer stories in the Paranormal, Erotica, and Historical Fiction, even Sci-Fi genres which are areas that many African American characters aren't featured.
Read more from Christine Gray
Dirty Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFated to Love Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Billionaire Mob Wife: Loving the Bad Boy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBlindsighted by Love: Cujo and Rhiannon's Romance Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRelentless: A Vampire King's Desire Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Enjoying Mr. Hardwood Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCase One; The Pervert, The Monster, and The Sex-Bot Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIrish Heat Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSweet Obsessions: His Beauty, Her Beast Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPursued: A Billionaire's Obsession Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDon't Tell My Husband 3: Don't Tell My Husband Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhat Pharaoh Wants Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTainted Love; Mateo and Carmella Story Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to The Christmas Merger
Related ebooks
The Missing Piece Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTill We Ain't Strangers Anymore Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHearth, Holly, & Honor: Zulu Spectre Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGive Up On Me Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Contrition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTemporary Home Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Christmas Gift: A BWWM Holiday Romance: A Langdale Christmas, #3 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Cowboy In New York: The Cowboy Way Series Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Classic: Adrenaline Series, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOvercoming Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHer Soul (Ellison Brothers #5) Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Liar For Hire: For Hire Series, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBlast Out Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Taking Joy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLoving Ilsa Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDestroy The Innocent: Destroy Me Trilogy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPreconception Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Look In His Eyes: Jasmine & Zack, #1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Vanity's Pleasure: The Davonshire Series, #3 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Kryptonite: S.W.A.T Chronicles, #4 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This Ain't No Love Story: A Little Bit Cupid Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Taste of Spring BWWM: The Changing of the Seasons Collection, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDiamonds and Gold: A BWWM Billionaire Romance Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTempted by the Cowboy: Corbett Ranchers, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSpells Gone Wild Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Harbour of Refuge Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUnder The Big Top Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Sleighproof: A Shatter & Shock Christmas Novella: Haworth Enterprises, #4 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Home for the Billionaire 3: A Home for the Billionaire Serial (Billionaire Book Club Series 1), #3 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Game Misconduct Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Romance For You
Before We Were Strangers: A Love Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Heart Bones: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5All Your Perfects: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hopeless Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Confess: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ugly Love: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Finding Perfect: A Novella Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Without Merit: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5November 9: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Chased by Moonlight Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Favorite Half-Night Stand Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wish You Were Here: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Something Borrowed: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It Starts with Us: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Swear on This Life: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maybe Now: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wuthering Heights Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dating You / Hating You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stone Heart Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maybe Not: A Novella Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bossy: An Erotic Workplace Diary Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Adults Only Volume 3: Seven Erotica Shorts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tess of the d'Urbervilles Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Under the Roses Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Buzz Books 2023: Spring/Summer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Roomies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5After Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Seven Sisters: Book One Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Second Glance: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for The Christmas Merger
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
The Christmas Merger - Christine Gray
CHRISTMAS MERGER
A HOLIDAY STANDALONE
A Novel By,
CHRISTINE GRAY
©2020 Published by After Hours Publications, Inc. www.afterhourspublications.com
All rights reserved.
Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage without express permission by the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Contains explicit language & adult themes suitable for ages 17+
TAKE A PEEK BETWEEN OUR PAGES
WWW. AfterHoursPublications.Com
Chapter 1
FELISA
The most wonderful time of the year, I think, as I put the finishing touches on the first of many decorations for the Christmas fest in town. I wish that it could be, but there is too much else going on, too much that has taken up my thoughts to make me excited as I usually am for Christmas.
What should I do with this?
Kelly, my assistant, asks, holding out the beginning of a train set.
I look at it and consider just where it might go. I’m partially in charge of decorating half of the downtown Christmas Village, along with having a booth to sell items. I’ve been doing this for years, and usually, I can do it with my eyes closed, but with the drama going on in my business, which is causing it to fail, my mind is all over the place. Hell, I didn’t even consider buying new decorations when I’m fighting to keep the lights on. Nah, I have to work with what I have and hope that the customers would enjoy it as they have every year previously.
We’ll have it start in the back of our booth and run along the table in front. I think there are some poles that we can use in the back. I’ll go grab them,
I finally answer.
Kelly nods and sets the piece on the table as she continues to unpack more decorations. It would take just the two of us days to set everything up. Time that I honestly should be working on my actual business. Yet, I can’t back out. For five years, I have financed a portion for the month-long fest that features fun family activities, a talent show, and a flea market for people to sell their items. Too many town’s folk count on my funds to pull this off. Not to mention, me backing out would be a big red flag of what’s going on behind the scenes.
I place the decorations I had been debating on as I move to the storage pod of the town event hall. Years of doing this has taught me what will be available for me to use. The musty scent of the room is a surprising comfort to me. I flick on the light, and it comes on, sputtering to life to dimly light the pod so I can search.
Items have been moved around since I’ve last been here, which is to be expected. I'm not the only one trying to snag one of these neutral items that are up for grabs to whoever gets it first. I move through the too close together rows. I know I’m here for the poles, but I scan the shelves with hawk-like eyes in hopes of finding a real gem. Finally, I find the poles with the stands at the bottom and top that I know will be perfect for holding up a train set. Collecting a few pieces, I head back to the storage entrance. Halfway to the door, I see a shadow, and I slow my steps. I shouldn’t have to gather my whits every time I see this damn man, but that’s the case.
Cooper Rogen. Why the fuck he’s always underfoot? I wonder.
Okay, that’s not true. He’s not. It just seems that way because it takes me so long to shake the feelings seeing him has on me. That’s what makes it seem as if he’s lingering. We’ve known each other for years,… since we were teenagers. Just a year apart, we bumped heads at school and at his mom’s business after I got a job there. When I was working my ass off, Cooper was the pretty boy with his Mama’s credit card. Whatever the money couldn’t open for him, his stunning, Mediterranean looks did the rest. Our heated and at times insane need to best each other, I’m sure, is born out of both our desire to win and sexual tension between us. It’s no different yearly with who’s Christmas display wins with the most visitors. So much so that it’s become a town’s guilty pleasure of betting who’s gonna win.
Knowing he hasn’t noticed I’m in the pod, I use the advantage to let my eyes look him over. Although I’ve been wishing obesity on him, Cooper’s 6’2 frame has not an ounce of fat. Pure muscle flexes under his tan skin to cause his light blue turtle neck to breathe and sigh. I’m not too shocked it’s blue…his top. With his mother not only being the owner of a posh clothing store, and also a columnist for Vanity Fair magazine, Cooper knows fashion. I make a face of happy appraisal of his ass in his low riding jeans as he turns to dig around on a shelf.
Mr. Rogen,
I call out to make myself known. I give him a stiff nod as I try to make a run for the door.
Ms. Williams, how good it is to see you again. I don’t think I’ve seen you since the summer fest.
I frown at his bold-faced lie. Our stores are in the same district. We bank at the same bank. We sat rows apart at the Christmas planning meetings.
Okay, if he wants to play it that way.
Yes, good to see you too, can we talk later? I need to get this to my station.
That busy? Promise we’ll talk later?
Once again, I give him a double-take. I huff while readjusting the poles in my arms, Yeah.
Cooper smirks before opening the door wide enough for me to easily walkthrough. I don’t have to glance over my shoulder to prove he’s still looking at