Page 1 of Snowbound Princess

Chapter 1

Kayleigh shut off the radio, unable to stomach yet another version of Jingle Bells. The song reminded her of the brilliant fit she had thrown which ended in smashed perfume bottles and damaged holiday sweaters at the local mall. A woman high on her moral horse had shouted at Kayleigh and called her a filthy hussy. Kay believed the woman had spoken in such a way because of some leaked photos and had lost her cool.

“Stupid hackers,” she mumbled as she pulled her long black hair into a messy bun and secured it with an elastic band. Kayleigh sank down into the cushions of a huge oversized couch. It would have been more comforting had she been in her own house instead of mooching from her parents.

A private photo shoot had been leaked online due to a hacker, and it hadn’t been the photographer’s fault. No, the breach in security resulted in multiple images being shared across the web. The biggest issue was that Kay’s photos were kinky, intimate, and nude. All forty poses were emailed to the photographer’s contact list and shared to the next list and the next list and so on. Over and over ad nauseam until her kinky shoot was spread out across the globe. Her cheeks burned with the heat at the memory. Finding herself out of a job and unable to land anything boring and normal afterward caused her checking and savings accounts to dwindle down to nothing. She had no choice but to move home.

Life had been tough the past year, and Kay hadn’t been able to land a steady job. After the incident with the customer at the mall, she had quietly cleaned up the mess and quit immediately. She didn’t want to have to explain to her boss, some college kid with a cocky overinflated ego, that she got into an altercation with a customer who may or may not have seen her kinky photos.

“Ugh!” She tugged her feet under her and sipped from the hard apple cider bottle in her hand. “I need a fucking miracle.”

Well, not a miracle but a job for sure.

Kay adored posing for the camera. She had done it ever since she was a little girl, and she missed it. Seeing her pictures plastered around a studio wall gave her self-confidence a huge boost, and without it, she found herself depressed. Her boyfriend at the time couldn't handle the razzing at work. Some of his buddies even inquired if he would ‘loan’ her out for a good time. Drake couldn’t handle her being viewed as an object, and instead of trying to support her through it, he just threw his hands up and left. The break-up added an extra scoop of self-loathing on top of her dwindling confidence.

A Daddy wouldn’t have left me when I needed him the most.

The thought tugged her to action, and she got to her feet. It wasn't just the thought of a Daddy; no, she had wanted a strong and reliable man for quite some time who held the same interests she did, but why today more than any other time? Her eyes caught the television screen as it showed a world map. A large red dot representing a sleigh hovered over eastern Europe.

Christmas Eve!

Magic happened all over the world because children believed in it. A knot twisted in her stomach, but it eased when she spied a large notepad on the coffee table. Could Kay write a letter to Santa? She needed a holiday miracle as much as anyone, so what harm would it be to write to a mythical creature?

Tears blurred her vision, and she wiped them away with the back of her hand. It couldn't hurt to direct her energy into something tangible. A Daddy for Christmas. Kay needed someone to love and protect her, cherish and nurture her. It wouldn’t be so bad to have a Daddy please her in more adult ways either.

Tearing off a piece of paper from the pad, she then hunted down her calligraphy set. Selecting the perfect shade of green ink came easily, but penning the perfect letter to Santa would take some time. Half an hour later, Kayleigh found her mood elevated for the first time in over a year. She explained on paper how she had beaten herself up so much and some days she couldn’t even get out of bed though she gave her best effort. Her parents and older brother Rhett had been champion supporters of her cause, giving her a shoulder to cry on when it was needed, but none of them pushed that extra little bit. Her very own Daddy would dedicate his time to her and make Kayleigh his priority. She fretted and worried her lip. She wasn’t sure what she had left to offer a Daddy, but a warm sense of accomplishment filled her. She kissed the bottom of the page with her sparkly lip gloss and signed it.

“Merry Christmas to me.”

Tomorrow would be better. It had to be.

* * *

Sebastian Cruise cursed under his breath as the thick white snow fell harder and harder. He'd planned on delivering the presents piled in his truck tonight, but the weather didn't allow for it. They were mostly hand-made items for his kink-minded friends, and they would understand the delay. The party set for tonight had been canceled and rescheduled for later in the week, but the decision had come after he'd set out for his destination, so Sebastian thought of another plan. He pulled off to the side of the road without a hitch.

Glancing at the street signs, he realized his proximity to his best friend Rhett's house. John and Marlee Cavett, said best friend's parents, were snowbirds, and they weren't expected back until April. Sebastian had spent several winters of his own out here over the years, and he still had a key to the house. Rhett wouldn't mind an unexpected guest.

Sebastian shot off a quick text to his friend. I'm near your parents' house. Bad storm. Mind if I stay?

Rhett replied quickly. You're always welcome. Out of town. Kay is home. She refused to come to Florida.

Anything I should know?

Possibly. If anyone can figure out Kay it’s you.Rhett included a winking smiley face and a surprised face emoticon.

Seriously? Sebastian rubbed his chin with his free hand. What had gotten into Kay? Or hadn't gotten into her for that matter?

You have no idea.

Fuck.Maybe he shouldn't go stay while he waited for the storm to pass. Still, he texted:I'll handle your sister.Merry Christmas.

Don't handle her too well, or she'll never let you go. Merry Christmas!

Bastard. He added a candy cane and a heart at the end of the line which played off their typical sarcastic banter.

Both men sensed how badly Kay needed a firm hand attached to a strong man who would protect and guide her without abusing her or cheating on her. She had a long list of exes, each one worse than the last. This year had been so rough on her, and he should have checked in, but life sometimes gets in the way. Rhett told him she wasn’t happy to have to move back in with their parents, but she wasn’t expecting help either.

Sebastian pocketed the phone and eased his car back into the lane. Holiday magic, if you were the believing sort, might have twisted his plans for the better. He pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment then placed his hand back on the wheel. Because of their past, Kay wouldn't be thrilled with him showing up even if her family were all out of town. With the rapidly worsening condition of the road, he no longer had a choice. Sebastian headed toward the Cavett household and hoped he could coax Kay into a better state of mind.

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