One Perfect Christmas (Short Story) (8 page)

BOOK: One Perfect Christmas (Short Story)

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“Don’t do this, Sophia.”

Sophia forced her eyes open, to find Nicholas staring at her, the potent mixture of
anger and strong conviction that shadowed his face effectively weakening her will.

But not breaking it.

“I have to, Nicholas. You know that I do.”

Nicholas let go of her arms and pointed to the door. “Go,” he ordered, his voice raw.

The sudden release from his hold was disorienting. Her body mourned the loss of his
touch, as if he had held her spellbound, enchanted, for those too brief moments. Her
body trembled and her mind searched for an explanation that would provide a reason
for her overwhelming response to him. She found none that she could accept.

She stumbled backwards, desperate to put distance between herself and Nicholas. “You
will return to London?” she asked, bracing herself for rejection. “I’ll have your
word.”

Nicholas lifted his hands to his temples and began to methodically rub as if in pain,
barely nodding in agreement.

“Your word, Nicholas,” Sophia pressed, regretting the childish demand the moment it
flew from her lips.

“Go!” he roared, pointing savagely at the door.

Sophia started at the guttural cry and ran for the door, not pausing even once to
look back.

About the Author

A native Northwesterner with the pale skin to prove it, STEFANIE SLOANE credits her
parents’ eclectic reading habits—not to mention their decision to live in the middle
of nowhere—for her love of books. A childhood spent lost in the pages of countless
novels led her to college, where she majored in English. No one was more surprised
than Sloane when she actually put her degree to use, landing a job in Amazon.com’s
editorial department. She spent more than five years reading for a living before retiring
to concentrate on her own stories. Stefanie Sloane lives with her family in Seattle.

ove stories you’ll never forget by authors you’ll always remember
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