Page 1 of Santa's Angel

Chapter One

Carla

I tighten my coat around me as I step out of the car and into the snow-dusted driveway of the Grand Pines Lodge. The towering pine trees, strung with fairy lights, glimmer in the moonlight, casting a festive glow over the rustic mansion. I take a deep breath, letting the crisp scent of wintery pine fill my lungs.

This party is supposed to be the highlight of the season, a glamorous gathering of the city’s elite. But for me, it’s just another holiday obligation. Considering my job as a senior event planner at Monarch Events, I can't afford to miss one. Yet, tonight, I wish I were anywhere but here.

“Alright, Carla,” I whisper to myself, slipping off my coat to reveal the sleek, off-the-shoulder emerald-green dress that hugs my curves. “Just smile, mingle, and get through the night.”

I step into the lodge, and the warmth wraps around me like a hug. The grand hall is a sight to behold—crystal chandeliers cast prisms of color from the roaring fires in the stone hearths, and wreaths of holly and mistletoe adorn wooden beams. The air buzzes with chatter and the clinking of champagne glasses.

Grabbing a flute of champagne from a passing server, I search for a quiet corner to settle into. If I’m lucky, I will be seen by the right people, fulfill my duty, and be home in an hour.

“Carla Griffin, is that really you?”

The deep, gravelly voice sends a shiver racing down my spine. I turn, and there he is. Grady Miller. The man I’d sworn I’d never see again.

My heart skips a beat as I take him in. He’s even more impossibly handsome, dressed in a charcoal suit that fits his broad shoulders like it was custom-made. His dark hair is tousled just enough to look effortlessly sexy, and there’s a hint of scruff along his jaw that gives him that devil-may-care look that still gives me butterflies.

“Grady,” I force a smile. “What are you doing here?”

He raises an eyebrow, his hazel eyes glinting with familiar mischief. “I could ask you the same question. You’re not one for social gatherings unless you’re the one running them.”

Touché. He’s always seen right through me.

“Just here for networking,” I take a sip of my champagne, hoping it will steady my nerves. “Is there a reason you’re here?”

“I own the lodge.” His gaze sweeps over me, lingering a beat too long on the curve of my hips before locking back onto my eyes. “You look stunning, Carla,” he says, his voice dropping to that low, intimate rumble that has my knees weakening. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you dressed just for me.”

My heart does a little flip, but I force myself to stay cool. I haven’t seen him in years—not since our ill-fated weekend in Aspen that ended with both of us vowing never to speak of it again. But here he is, standing in front of me, as if time hasn’t passed, as if we didn’t go our separate ways.

“Still the charmer, I see,” I keep my tone light, though there’s an edge I can’t hold back. “Some things never change.”

He takes a step closer, his warmth and the scent of cedarwood cologne causing goosebumps to skate across my skin. “Neither do you,” he murmurs, his eyes searching mine. “You’re just as breathtaking as I remember.”

My pulse quickens, but I can’t let him know he’s affecting me. Not again. Grady Miller is trouble-wrapped in an expensive suit—a reminder of mistakes I swore I’d never repeat.

I open my mouth to deliver a witty comeback, but the sound of someone tapping a glass echoes through the room. The crowd turns toward the center of the hall where our host, Jim Sullivan, is about to give his annual holiday toast.

Grady leans in close, his breath warm against my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. “Meet me under the mistletoe after the toast,” he whispers. “I’ve been waiting a long time to kiss you again.”

Before I can say anything, he’s gone, disappearing into the crowd with a wink that leaves my heart racing.

I stand there, frozen, suddenly feeling like the room is both too hot and cold. This was just supposed to be another work event, but now Grady has thrown me completely off balance.

The champagne glass trembles slightly in my hand as the guests around me cheer and toast. I take another sip, trying to clear Grady from my mind. This was supposed to be a quick night of mingling. Yet now I’m torn between the nagging voice telling me to run and the memories of how I melted under his touch.

I scan the crowd to find him standing across the room with a smug smirk on his chiseled face. He’s watching me with the same intensity that made me lose myself in him once before.

The mistletoe hangs above him like a challenge.

Despite promising myself never again, I feel the power of his animal magnetism pulling me in.

He’s the lion, and I’m his prey.

And I don’t know if I will be able to get away.

Chapter Two

---