How the Grump Saved Christmas

by Claire Kingsley

The lobby coffee shop looked like the bastard love child of a Hallmark movie and an ugly Christmas sweater.

I was about to ask what he was doing when he turned and something about the way he moved reminded me why my friends and I had all agreed that a man in gray sweats was a thing.

Love a man in gray sweats. 🥵

But kissing her had brought back my sense of control. It had also awakened something in me. A deep desire I’d been denying. I wanted her. And I wasn’t sure how much longer I’d be able to fight it.

I took a bite of my gravy-slathered turkey and had to stop myself from moaning with pleasure. The meat was tender and juicy, the gravy full of flavor. I’d forgotten how intensely satisfying comfort food could be.

“I guess that was dessert but if you want, I have more hot cocoa. I even bought whipped cream.”

But knowing this could be a mistake wasn’t enough to make me stop.

“Probably. But you also said I wasn’t happy. And you were right. I didn’t even realize how unhappy I was. But I was miserable. It wasn’t just because I’d let greed drive me for so long, although that was part of it. I was miserable because I didn’t have you.”