Christmas with a Naughty Mountain Man
Rue
The mysterious mountain man contractor who’s helping with the building remodel had me flustered from the moment we met, when he walked in on me getting ready to go live for my followers to advertise our new plus-size lingerie collection.
The bossy mountain man demands that I cover up, even taking off his flannel shirt and stuffing me into it. Not one to cower away from a challenge, I give him a piece of my mind until suddenly I find myself being kissed senseless by the gorgeous mountain man.
Austin
I needed a break from the grind of the big city.
My younger sister convinced me to move to Temptation Ridge and invest as her silent partner in her new mail-order bride franchise.
When she partners with two other businesses and expands the office space, I offer to help, needing something to do with my hands.
Little did I know that the curvy co-owner of the bridal gown shop my sister has partnered with would be running around the office half-dressed, giving me plenty of ideas on what to do with my hands.
Chapter One – Rue
“Wow! Rue, you look stunning. You’ve got that whole sexy elf thing going on—just in time for the Christmas Market.” Aspen says, walking into the dressing room of the bridal shop I own with my three sisters, Clover, Laurel, and Fern.
Luckily, it’s Saturday night and we’re closed.
It would be a little embarrassing if anyone other than my sisters or business partners saw me like this.
But thanks to the upcoming remodeling, the empty office space connecting our bridal shop, Aspen’s mail order bride company, Junie, Autumn, and Icelyn’s bakery, and hopefully soon the flower shop—something my sister Laurel was able to arrange with a sexy mountain man willing to sell to us—we now have private access to each other’s office spaces.
Partnering with Aspen, Junie, Autumn, and Icelyn was one of the best decisions my sisters and I have ever made.
Our wedding gown shop that caters to plus-sized women, along with the bakery and mail-order bride company, is going to be a huge success.
Now, if we can convince the owners of the flower shop next door to join in, it will be a perfect collaboration.
“Thanks.” I run my hands down the sides of my latest creation, a red and green, sheer, Christmas naughty elf lingerie set.
My sister, Clover, is a master at designing and sewing wedding gowns for plus-sized women.
I wanted to try my hand at the fun part of the wedding—the wedding night.
Not that I would know anything about what actually happens on the wedding night.
“It’s my latest design. I’m going to go online in a few minutes to show our followers.
” Our shop has gone viral a few times with some of Clover’s creations.
I’m hoping to do the same with the lingerie side of the business.
I enjoy handling the social media side of our business, but my real passion is designing sexy lingerie that makes any-sized woman feel beautiful.
“You’re going to go live wearing that?” The shocked look on Aspen’s face is priceless.
“No. I just wanted to try it on and see how it looked. I’ll have it hanging up so everyone can see it.” I’ve been known to model wedding gowns and some of my more modest designs, but this piece was made to be ripped off by your groom or boyfriend before he ravishes you.
“That’s probably for the best—you don’t want any crazy internet stalkers developing weird fetishes about you in that outfit.”
“A Santa fetish. Now that’s something I might be able to get on board with.” A sexy mountain man Santa.
“Speaking of Santa, are you sure you don’t want to come with me and Wilder to the Christmas Market?”
“And be the third wheel on your date? No, thank you.”
“It’s not a date.” Her face turns a bright shade of pink, and I realize I’ve hit the mark. “He’s just helping me get all the guys in town to sign up for my mail-order bride service. Besides, Fern is working the booth for our businesses tonight, so she’ll be there too.”
“Sure.” I eye her skeptically, causing her to fidget with her fingers. “Just make sure you don’t sign up all the guys—I’d like one for myself someday." I meant it as a joke, but my heart still does a little flip at the thought of finding a man of my own.
Out of the four of us sisters, Fern and I are the only two who are still single.
Fern is all business and no play, so I can’t imagine her finding a guy anytime soon.
But me, I’d like to have someone to show off my designs to.
Someone who wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off me when he saw me in one of my outfits and would rip it to shreds the moment he laid his hands on it.
“Don’t worry. There are plenty of sexy mountain men out there for all of us.
But seriously, Rue, it’s Saturday night.
Don’t you want to be out having fun instead of in here trying to sell outfits to people online?
I mean, how are you ever going to find a man?
It’s not like one is going to fall out of the sky and into your lap when you’re hiding in here all night. ”
“I’ll be fine. But you, my friend, need to get ready for your not-a-date-date with a hot mountain man.
” I reach into the box of samples I’ve been working on and give her one from my Hot Mountain Nights collection.
“Here, wear this under your clothes, even if you don’t show it to him, it will help you have more confidence. ”
As a bigger girl, I learned long ago that self-confidence is key.
I love my body, but if a guy doesn’t or thinks I should lose weight, he’s not the right guy for me.
Since I started buying my own bras and panties, I’ve made sure they make me feel sexy and confident—something I aim to share with our customers.
Aspen holds the tiny white bra and panty set in the air as she inspects the gift. “They’re beautiful.”
“They should be, that lace is extremely expensive—expensive but worth it. Now run along and get ready for your man.” She opens her mouth to protest, but I wave her off with my hand.
“Nope, you are going to let me have some fun and live vicariously through you. I definitely want all the details tomorrow.”
“Speaking of tomorrow, the contractor who’s remodeling our joint space will be here tomorrow afternoon. I know Sundays are one of the busiest days at the shop, but he wanted to get a head start on the project.”
“You should have had him come over tonight. He could have been my cameraman.” I laugh, thinking about the contractor she’s been raving about. If I didn’t already know she has a crush on Wilder, I’d think she’s got a thing for our contractor based on how often she sings his praises.
“You know, Austin probably would have liked that," she quirks an eyebrow and nods at my outfit.
Austin.
His name makes my heart do that crazy flip again. I don’t even know the guy. I’ve never met him before—only heard about him when Aspen mentioned her plan to remodel the space.
The bakery, Mountain Morsel, and our bridal shop, Curvy by Design, partnered with Aspen a month ago, aiming to provide brides with comprehensive services for wedding gowns, cakes, and, of course, a groom.
Having a central location where all three businesses connect will be great for making this collaboration a success.
“Do you have a copy of the blueprints for the remodel? I want to make sure the architect included a build-out for the flower shop just in case.”
“They’re in my office. I can grab them really quick if you want.” Aspen says, her eyes shifting to the clock on the wall.
“No, that’s okay, I’ll change into my regular clothes and go grab them myself so you can run home and get ready for your date.
” I give her a little shove toward the front door, since she already has her purse and coat, she must not have intended to go back to her business before she left on her not-a-date-date.
“Fine, but if you change your mind, you know where to find us.” She calls over her shoulder as I make sure to stay out of the possible line of sight through the windows in case someone is walking by.
I lock the door behind her, leaning against it with a sigh.
It would be nice to be on a date of my own tonight, but instead I have a date with my phone and a set of blueprints.
Speaking of which, I should just go grab them now.
It’s not like anyone will see me if I walk through the indoor construction zone that connects all our businesses, which are all closed at this time of night.