Christmas at the Lake
(Great Escapes, #2)
(Great Escapes, #2)
by Charlotte Blake
Publication date: September 12th 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publication date: September 12th 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
BLURB
Sometimes love gets forgotten …
Hugely successful Lexi Stuart is
used to guys pursuing her, but for all the wrong reasons. Sure, she’s beautiful
and rich, but the men in her life never seem to want anything more serious than
just sex. It’s a stark reality she’s become used to.
As a code writer in Silicon
Vally, Adam Hunt doesn’t have to worry about money. And as a heartthrob in
general, he doesn’t need to worry about attracting women, either. But when he
meets Lexi during a Christmas holiday in Lake Tahoe, he’s floored that she
won’t give him the time of day after one wild night together.
Now, this sports bum is about to
take Lexi on the ride of her life. All she needs to do is hang on!
18+
NOTE: This STAND-ALONE romance contains very steamy love scenes. All of the books in the Great Escapes series can be read in any order.
NOTE: This STAND-ALONE romance contains very steamy love scenes. All of the books in the Great Escapes series can be read in any order.
Buy Link: Amazon
—
EXCERPT:
She
knew she should have waited to drive over the pass to Lake Tahoe, but she just
didn’t have that sort of patience. The snow was practically a blizzard now, and
she pulled off to the side of the road where men waited to put on chains for
motorists. She rolled down the window of her Tesla SUV, the crack just wide
enough to slip the man a couple of bills.
“Chains
are in the back.”
She
rolled the window up again, wiping the snowflakes off her leather seats.
She
was so ready for a break that she’d ignored the weather warnings and driven up
on her own, purposely leaving her laptop at home. Now, if she didn’t get over
the pass soon, she’d be sleeping in the car.
The
hatch opened, and two men took out the boxes of chains she had stashed there.
It was illegal to travel up this road without them; her brother, Jack, had
reminded her of this, and she’d sent her assistant out to purchase a pair for
the trip.
A
frigid breeze blew through the car as the men closed the hatch, making her
shiver a little. She pulled out a scarf from her bag and, wrapping it around
herself, cranked up the heat.
The
men finished quickly with the chains, but the rest of the drive was not quick
at all. She had been listening to Christmas music, trying to get into the mood
of the holiday. But as the storm increased in intensity, she switched over to
the channel broadcasting road conditions.
“Highway 50 is open for the time being, but is expected to close
within the hour. Blizzard conditions are expected to worsen for the next
twenty-four hours. Motorists are advised to exit off the pass as soon as safely
possible to allow snow clearing crews to plow the roads.”
Her
wheels had more traction with the chains, but the going was slow, and the whole
car vibrated from the rough mountain road.
She
tapped her fingernails against the steering wheel, a nervous habit she had when
she was stressed. Now she could only see a few feet in front of her. She knew
that just off to her right was a deadly drop-off. She squinted at the
windshield, trying desperately to keep her eyes on the tire tracks and red
lights of the cars ahead.
She
drove like this for over an hour. Shoulders hunched. Neck tight. The radio
silent now.
Finally,
the road started to descend from the mountain, and, just visible below, the
lights of South Lake Tahoe came into view.
She
drove through the town, signs for ski and snowmobile rentals winking down at
her. Finally, the sign she’d been looking for popped out.
Black Bear Lodge
She
held her breath as she turned down the uncleared lane, hoping that the SUV
would be able to make it to the other side of the narrow drive.
The
chains were what saved her. The car plowed through the snow, which accumulated
along the front bumper and blew across the windshield. But the chains held
traction all the way to the lodge. She pulled the car into the small parking
lot, where just four others were parked, each made nearly unrecognizable by the
snow piled on the roofs.
She
parked, but left the car, and the heat, running. She pulled off her knee-high
boots and replaced them with the snow boots she had bought at the last minute.
Then came a puffy, silver jacket, which she zipped all the way to the top.
She
looked around. No bellhop.
Sighing,
she shut off the car and opened the door. The snow was so deep that it went
above her protective boots. She trudged along to the back and retrieved her two
large suitcases. Trying to roll the bags through the snow was nearly
impossible, so she resorted to simply dragging them along. She was lucky; they
were both light, one with clothing, one with gifts for her family. Gift cards
and candles could only weigh so much.
As
she passed through the lot, she saw that none of the cars were those of her
family. They must have not made it over the mountain yet. They wouldn’t have
unless they’d been right behind her on the drive. The news had told her that
the pass was closed now.
She
struggled with the suitcases up the steps to the main entrance of the building,
spitting out the snowflakes that landed on her lips. By the time she got up the
small flight of stairs, she was covered head to foot in heavy white flakes.
Even
though she hurried to get inside, it was impossible not to notice that the
lodge was spectacular. Long wood beams jutted upward, supporting the great
vaulted ceiling. It was a large home, really, run by an older couple as a bed
and breakfast. There were only a few rooms, and it was this privacy her dad had
wanted when he’d had her book the vacation for everyone. In a day or two, when
the storm ebbed, she would be joined by him, her two brothers, their wives, and
one niece.
Secretly,
she was happy to have a little time on her own before family descended upon
her. They always had more questions than she felt like answering.
When
was she going to settle down?
Has
she been dating?
Work
wasn’t everything, you know …
She
sighed, her breath blowing out of her mouth like smoke from a cigarette.
Every
light in the place was lit, casting a warm glow over the snowy landscape. She
didn’t knock, and instead walked right in. Immediately, a gust of warm air
washed over her.
“Hello?”
she called.
She
hadn’t seen them, but two men sat in front of a huge fireplace at the far end
of the room. They turned at her voice.
“Hi,”
one of them said, getting up and walking toward her.
“Hi,”
she said. “Am I in the right place? Black Bear, right?”
“This
is it.” He opened his arms.
The
front room was huge, even bigger than it looked from outside. A staircase
descended from the second floor, curving down toward a ten-foot-tall Christmas
tree, its star soaring high above. It was decorated with what looked like
family heirloom ornaments. Her own mother had built a collection over the
years, and it looked like the owners here had done the same. The tree was a
sparkling wonder that seemed to never end. Its scent filled the room, and she
took a deep breath in.
“It’s
wonderful, isn’t it?” the man said.
“Mmm.
How do I check in?” she asked, stomping the snow off her boots onto the mat.
“That’ll
be Mary and Edward. They’re the ones who run this place. But I think they might’ve
gone to bed already. It’s pretty late.”
She
hadn’t noticed the time. It was already past ten.
“Mary
left a note for you on the table. Can I help you with your bags?”
“Sure,”
she said, leaving them where they stood.
She
walked over to the entry table and picked up the note.
Ms. Stewart-
Sorry we haven’t been able to stay up to meet you. Your family’s rooms are in the east wing of the house. Please feel free to choose from the four of them. If you’d like wine or hot cocoa, there is a table close to the fire. Breakfast starts at seven and runs until ten. If you’re an early riser, you’ll also find coffee available at six.
Your father called to let us know that they have been unable to make it over the pass into Lake Tahoe. The roads have been closed, and it may be a couple of days before they reopen.
We look forward to meeting you in the morning.
Mary and Edward Holden
Sorry we haven’t been able to stay up to meet you. Your family’s rooms are in the east wing of the house. Please feel free to choose from the four of them. If you’d like wine or hot cocoa, there is a table close to the fire. Breakfast starts at seven and runs until ten. If you’re an early riser, you’ll also find coffee available at six.
Your father called to let us know that they have been unable to make it over the pass into Lake Tahoe. The roads have been closed, and it may be a couple of days before they reopen.
We look forward to meeting you in the morning.
Mary and Edward Holden
She
sighed. “Can you help me upstairs, too?”
“Sure.”
He outstretched one hand. “My name’s Adam. Over there is my brother Jake.”
Jake
sent a wave in her direction.
She
took Adam’s hand. “Lexi. Thanks for your help.”
“Anytime.”
For
the first time, she got a good look at him. He was tall and broad, his brown
hair cut short. Green eyes, too; her favorite. To her, he looked like he might
be good for a fun night. Or maybe a few fun
nights.
Yum.
Buy Link: Amazon
Author Info
I am happy to call the San
Francisco Bay Area home, where I lives with my husband, two kids, one dog and
three cats. I started writing at an early age, but have only been writing
novels for the past five years. I love the idea of love conquering all, and
that is what drove me to begin the Great Escapes series, where the reader
follows couples meeting up in exotic locations around the world. In this
series, each book is a stand-alone, and each can be read in any order.
But readers, be forewarned, there
is a healthy amount of steam in these books!
Thank you for stopping by, and I
hope you enjoy Great Escapes!
Author Links:
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