Cassandra Black: **New Multicultural Romance Novel Release** Merry Christmas To Me

Merry Christmas To Me

New Multicultural Romance Novel Release: Merry Christmas To Me. See http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R3NTPO4 for the Kindle version. Find the NOOK Book at http://tinyurl.com/nookmerryxmastome. Read the introduction and an excerpt below. Read a FREE sample on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R3NTPO4 (Kindle)

http://tinyurl.com/nookmerryxmastome (NOOK)

Introduction

It was the holiday season, and divorcee Sandy Ross was at her in-laws’ estate home in Philadelphia.

Sitting around the table, another Christmas, listening to her ex-husband Charles take little stabs at her, she wondered why she put herself through the ridicule, year after year.

But Sandy looked over at her son and daughter and was quickly reminded. She endured the torture of the holiday dinners for the sake of her children; so they could have some sense of normalcy after the divorce.

But she never did fit into the big Ross family and all of their snobbery and wealth -- not then and not now.

Since the divorce five years ago, Sandy had stepped back into a career long-abandoned. She’d made great strides starting her own investment firm. At 45, she earned a six figure salary, had a solid business, owned a beautiful home in an elite suburb of the city, and she was healthy and fit. But for some reason, every time she stepped back into the Ross world, she felt like that insecure young woman Charles had married all those years ago.

But she was finding her bootstraps this year, and she feared one more sip of eggnog would have her giving Charles and his snooty mother a piece of her mind before storming off in search of her own Merry Christmas -- which would have little to do with turkey and cranberry sauce, and more to do with Holden, Charles’ younger brother, who she’d wanted for years.

***

But little did Sandy know, Holden Ross had craved more than her body all those years she was married to his brother; he’d fallen in love with her. And if he has his way this Christmas, her idea of a one night stand could turn into forever.

Book Excerpt

They wanted each other, but they’d never crossed the line -- not really.

Cigarettes were their main connection, as they often flitted outside together to sneak a smoke at family gatherings, almost always within ear and eyeshot of others.

Their talks, sometimes hushed, as if they were good friends discussing a private matter, often centered on why she was still with his big brother. The conversations were always in a light-hearted, playful manner, with a knowing undertone that neither of them dared admit to the other out loud.

Many times, Holden questioned her about issues he was having with his latest fling, much in the same way he might have questioned an older sister.

Their interaction over the years had been platonic, with a mutual, unspoken attraction always hovering just below the surface.

“You relax me,” he used to say to Sandy, staring at her with those mesmerizing gray eyes; eyes that she always believed were looking right through her, reading her unhappiness, seeing her need.

But she would deflect those heavy moments and comment with a playful chuckle, “You know, I think I married the wrong brother.”

“I know,” he’d say, flashing that sexy smile at her.

It was a long-running, harmless comment between them -- at least that’s what they’d tell themselves.

But one time at a wedding, they crossed the line, just a bit -- but enough to matter.

Sandy had been slightly tipsy and Charles had been skillfully ignoring her, as he’d gotten in the habit of doing over the past several years.

But Holden’s full attention that particular evening made her feel special.

They were both tucked away in a quiet enclave of the backyard at the reception of a colleague’s wedding. Sandy remembered laughing out loud at some comment Holden had made. “Ha! Charles doesn’t even smoke. I should have married you.”

Holden cupped her face and turned it to meet his gaze. “You still can, you know.”

“Still can what?” Sandy asked, not realizing what he meant.

“Marry me,” he said, taking a pull from their last, shared cigarette.

He had a seriousness to his tone that made her nervous.

They were both quiet for a long few seconds.

Holden took a final drag of the cigarette and dipped his head so his lips were close to hers, almost touching. He began slowly blowing smoke into her mouth. Their lips grazed slightly, before she pulled away.

Sandy would never forget the feel of his lips, or the look in his eyes as he said those words … marry me.

Within seconds, she made her way back to the guests, escaping the unmistakable love growing in her heart for her husband’s brother.

End of Book Excerpt