In the picturesque town of Winter Grove, the tenacious Alicia Whittaker faces off against her best friend's snobbish brother, Zeke Brighton, when his disapproval of his sister's boyfriend threatens to upend their Christmas.
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Tenacious college stud...
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Zeke
Zeke was taking a long drink from his hot chocolate when Nancy returned, pushing through the crowd. She worked her hips as she walked, her tight black dress hugging every curve. Almost every guy in the room turned to watch her as she passed, though her eyes were fixed only on him. Her perfectly painted lips curled into a seductive smile.
He had to admit that she looked good. It stirred something in him. Memories, mostly. Seeing her walk towards him, focused only on him, like he was the only guy in the room, reminded him of all the good times they had. And they had lots of those—expensive dinners in five-star restaurants, fancy drinks in exclusive bars, long vacations in exotic locales. They were always out, always doing something.
Life with Nancy had been wild, exciting, and fun. It had all been new to him, too. He had never been much of a partier until he'd met her. But when his company made it big, and she came into his life, it was like she opened a whole new world for him...
"Zeke," she said as she reached the table's edge. She leaned forward, hovering over him, her voice velvet soft. "I'm ready to head back to the hotel..."
Zeke's breath hitched, making him take a big gulp of hot chocolate. It scalded his throat and made him cough.
"Already?" his mom chimed in. "But the drinks just arrived."
"Y-Yeah," Zeke sputtered, trying to recover. "Let's have a drink first."
In truth, Zeke suddenly regretted suggesting the hotel for their talk. In such an intimate setting, he suspected that Nancy would do everything in her power to avoid any actual talking... And though he didn't like to admit it, she knew how to push his buttons—good and bad.
"I'm not in the mood for a drink," Nancy said, pouting her lips just so. "I think I need to go lay down..."
Zeke swallowed hard.
"Get away from him!"
Nancy went stiff, then whipped around. Everyone else in the vicinity did, too.
Alicia was back. She stood there, staring at them both, her hands balled into fists at her side. Her eyes no longer shone with emotion—they burned, filled with fury, and her thick hair seemed to bristle around her face.
"Excuse me?" Nancy replied. "Who are you to tell me that? He's my boyfriend—"
"No, he isn't," Alicia snapped, folding her arms across her chest. "I know for a fact that he hasn't taken you back."
Zeke could only sit there, frozen, and watch, eyes wide.
What the hell was Alicia doing?
Nancy's eyes went wide. "How did you..." She stopped and shot a look at Zeke, her eyes narrowing. "Whatever. What's it to you? You don't even know him."
