Sunday Smooch with Jennie Jones

Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!

Today we have a smooch from Jennie Jones ___ but first 


... the winner of last week's Sunday Smooch Giveaway is Lyn .....

Can you please contact Louisa George on louisageorge(at)  gmail (dot) com to receive your copy of Enemies With Benefits .........

And now for today's Sunday Smooch from 12 Days at Silver Bells House by Jennie Jones........



Kate Singleton has twelve days to find herself. With Christmas Day and her thirtieth birthday approaching, the best thing a city-chic fashion designer who no longer has a raison d’etre can do is

nullify herself in the country. With Chardonnay.

 

When trouble strikes, the country presents her with Jamie Knight – a gallant but uncommunicative He-Man who drives an excavator and rescues her, her shoes, and her case of Chardonnay from a boggy field.

The adventure should be over – nothing but a good story to tell to her friends in the city – but her saviour turns out to also be an unexpected roommate, the new owner of Silver Bells House, Kate’s holiday home.

Forced together and dragged into the community Christmas spirit of the town, Kate and Jamie flounder their way through mistletoe, kissing games, carolling choirs, and a bone-deep yearning for community and acceptance.

Can the enchanting Silver Bells House and the holidays bind them together? Or will love get lost on Highway B23 back to the city?

‘Come on then, we need someone to test it.’

            ‘Test what?’ Kate asked as Mrs Tam pulled her closer to the tree and to Jamie.

            ‘The mistletoe.’

            Two young girls began playing the violin and one boy played an acoustic guitar, plugged in, Kate noticed, to the socket board used for lighting the tree lights.

            She shuddered as a memory walked down her spine. Not exactly her memory, but one that had seen her born. ‘Who did the electricity?’ she asked Jamie as he stepped to her side.

            ‘Mmm? Me,’ he said.

            ‘Thank God.’ She’d hate to think she was about to witness the destruction of a whole town due to dodgy lights.

            ‘Are you ready?’ Jamie asked.

            ‘What for?’

            He smiled down at her, took her hand and pulled her to stand with him beneath the arched wooden gate to the pioneer cemetery. ‘The kiss,’ he said.       

            Kate looked up, saw a bunch of plastic mistletoe above them but before she had time to haul in a breath and get ready Jamie leaned down and kissed her mouth.

            Holy bell-ringing Christmas. She grabbed his arms as illuminations ignited in her head and exploded. He pressed his mouth on hers as he put his hands onto her waist to hold her.

            ’Twas the brightest, most resounding halleluiah running through her body, making her glow like Rudolph. Jamie’s electricity strummed through her, his radiating strength curling the tip of her ponytail.

***

The first notion running through Jamie’s head should have been why he’d kissed her so hard in front of everyone, but it wasn’t. The kiss had been going to happen; he no longer cared about the where and the when. He’d wanted to do it all day anyway, watching her do her bit for the town. Wearing her flare-legged shorts and flat white pumps. Sitting on the steps, knees together, garlands of tinsel strewn around her as she laughed good-naturedly at Ted’s jokes and the gentle bickering going on around her. His bad humour had backfired on him. His intent to stay clear of the homey feelings she wrenched from him had undone all the lessons he’d taught himself overnight: stay away from her. You’ll get hurt.

            Now, thirty seconds after kissing her for the first time, the questions were running amok in his head were nothing to do with Kate. Why had he bought Silver Bells House? Why here, Swallow’s Fall? Why had he succumbed to the emotional compulsion of a shooting star?

            He took hold of Kate’s hand. She appeared to be teetering, eyes bright with shock. He’d told her he didn’t want to know about the silly things that happened to her, like breaking a nail or losing a shoe, but he did. He wanted to know every little thing that affected her. Or hurt her. Or gave her pleasure.

            Kate ran the tip of her pink tongue over her lips as she stared up at him and Jamie wondered how much longer he could contain desperation, and if he couldn’t— how much hurt he’d be dealing with.

12 Days At Silver Bells House is a November 22nd release and is available for pre-order here

To go into the draw to win an eCopy of 12 Days at Silver Bells House, leave a comment to this question -

Have you seen a shooting star? When and where did you see it and how did it make you feel?

Come back next Sunday when the winner of today's smooch will be announced and a smooch from Amy Andrews will be posted......