Mine Under the Mistletoe

1

The buttery sweet scent of fresh mince pies teased Ashley as she sipped her hot chocolate. Snuggling deeper into the overstuffed sofa , she watched Santa’s feet emerge from the chimney. He wriggled his girth backward to free himself , displaying an impressive plumber’s crack above the fur-trimmed red suit bottoms before he stood and hiked up his pants. She stifled a giggle , startling him. He spun around , his elbow cracking into her temple ...

Ashley woke with a panicked gasp as a man tumbled into her bed, knocking his skull against hers and cursing loudly enough to make her realize this was no dream. It was a potential nightmare. She struggled to free herself from under him and fought for breath to scream.

Bloody hell! he yelled, apparently not lost for breath himself. What the—?

Ashley answered with a sharp fist to his eye, and he cursed again.

The weight lifted from her, and Ashley reached in the dark for the lamp next to her bed only to grasp air. Twisting to her left, she blinked as her eyes adjusted and told her she wasn’t imagining things. No lamp, no bedside table. Where was her furniture?

A hand grabbed her hip and she kicked out, connecting with something soft that made the man squeal like a rich girl who got a pony on Christmas morning. His hand slid free and a loud thump told her he’d landed on the floor. Don’t give him a chance to yank you down with him. Escape! But one of her legs was still tangled in the comforter, so she grabbed a pillow and beat it over his head while she thrashed to get free.

Stop, he gasped, ...love of God.

She raised the pillow over her head, ready to deliver death by feathers, when her eyes finally got used to the semidarkness. The room was dully lit by a streetlamp casting its light through a thin curtain. Her room faced away from the street and stayed dark all night. A small table and lamp stood on the right side of the bed, not the left. The walls were painted a deep, dark color. Maybe red. Not the bright sunshine yellow of her room. Masculine, antique-looking furniture lined the walls. Not the cheapo build-it-yourself-with-instructions-half-translated-from-Chinese that she could afford. And the man—who’d used the word bloody as a curse— lay curled up on a wooden floor like a newborn with a tummy ache. Real wood, not linoleum designed to look like wood.

Crap. She was in London, not San Diego. And this house was the one she’d swapped her own for during the holidays. Double crap.

Who are you? She glared at the man on the floor, tightening her grasp on the pillow and judging the distance to the bedroom door in case he gave the wrong answer.

Oliver, he groaned. Oliver Stansfeld. You’re in my bed. Still grimacing, he cupped his package with one hand while the other protected his face from further pillow attack.

Oh, no. Mortal terror quickly ebbed away, replaced by a different kind of panic. Horrified, she slapped her hand over her mouth. I’ve been asking Santa for a man for ten years, and this is what I do to him? She lowered the pillow. I’m so sorry. Can I...um, can I help you with anything?

He rolled to his knees but stayed hunched over, his forehead resting against the floor. For the first time she noticed that someone had unwrapped him. Her Christmas gift was nekkid. He panted, in through his nose and out through his mouth, clearly trying to get a grip on the pain. She gave him a few moments and tried to ignore the way his deep breaths accentuated the muscles bunched across his back and rounding over his taut backside.

Stop perving. He’s hurt, and you just attacked him in his own home. Do you need an ice pack?

He groaned again. Shaking his head, he said, No ice. Just another moment of silence. Please.

Oh, crud. He was polite even when she’d nearly smashed his family jewels. Maybe that was a British way of coping with agony. Would he kick her out of his house? Surely he would understand that she’d thought he was an attacker. She’d saved for this trip for five years and she was finally here, ready to live her childhood fantasies of snow, figgy pudding and men who called each other guv’nor, but she’d just gouged the man’s testicles for heaven’s sake. Hospitality only went so far.

"I’m so sorry—"

Shh. He pressed a finger to his lips, still cringing. She held herself completely still until Oliver took one last deep breath and pushed himself up to kneel below her, covering his groin with both hands. He let out a pained-sounding sigh and finally met her eyes. Blinked. Then seemed to look more intently.

Holy Christmas miracle, the man had the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. Even with only a touch of light to illuminate the room, she could tell they were a wintry blue like ice, but without the coldness. In fact, they warmed up as a wry smile touched his lips and shone even brighter because they were offset by his mop of dark hair.

Sorry I startled you, he said, his voice still somewhat strained. I didn’t expect to find Goldilocks in my bed. I take it you’re one of the San Diego women I’ve swapped houses with?

She nodded. But...what are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in San Diego.

He reached for her and she stiffened. Oh, he wanted the pillow. Fair enough. She let it go and he covered his crotch, making her bite back her disappointment. Bad girl. Man in pain.

Technically speaking, not quite, he said. I should be in a plane above Canada right now, but Mother Nature and Heathrow have scuppered my plans.

Her brows drew together, and he explained. The runways are covered in ice. They boarded us, then made us sit on the tarmac for five hours before announcing the airport was closing. No flights in or out today.

You’re kidding! At Heathrow?

It was a catastrophe. He grimaced. The staff said we were best off coming home and trying again tomorrow, so I’m stuck here for another night instead of on a sunny beach. I’m sorry, I figured your flight had been canceled too. When did you get in?

Seven this morning.

Ah. You must’ve been one of the last ones allowed to land. And no problems?

She shrugged. Did Brits often have conversations naked? The plane skidded a little when it landed. The train to Paddington was fine but catching a bus was harder than I thought. Apparently a lot of buses were canceled because the roads were too icy.

He blinked up at her. "You took a bus to Shoreditch from Paddington? That must’ve taken nearly as long as the flight from L.A."

The memory of her first London adventure made her smile. "I took three buses here from Paddington. And it took about two hours. Most of that time was waiting for the next bus. I’ve never been to London before, so I wanted to see everything. I didn’t want to travel underground."

A taxi would’ve been much easier. And much more expensive.

He inclined his head in agreement. But with three of you sharing—

Oh! I forgot to tell you. My roommates backed out at the last minute. I’m here alone.

Alone. Yes, she was alone for Christmas...again. Not quite the perfect vacation she’d imagined, but at least she was here.

Wait, he said, eyes narrowing, I’m supposed to be staying at your place. By myself.

She rushed to reassure him. Don’t worry. It’s still all yours. Kendall fell in love and decided to spend the holidays with her boyfriend, and Devon’s mother had to be rushed to the hospital last week so she’s in the Bay Area. She shrugged, making her oversized pajama top slip over her shoulder. She unconsciously pulled it back up, but his gaze followed her movement, making her very much aware that she sat in his bed braless while he kneeled on the wooden floor. Naked. Yep. It’s just me here for Christmas.

His gaze stayed on her no-longer-bare shoulder. That’ll be lonely, won’t it?

Her smile strained a little before brightening. Maybe. But I’ve been saving for this vacation for years, and my flight was non-refundable. So I’m going to have the best damn Christmas of my life.

Suddenly looking uncomfortable, he cleared