The Fake Holidate
'by Amie Knight
Self-Published
Book 1 in the Sugar Mountain Series
The holidays are all merry and bright...
Until your sister decides to marry your ex—on Christmas.
Now I'm heading home to Sugar Mountain for this nightmare of a wedding.
To make matters worse, my work nemesis somehow convinced me to bring him as my date.
He's grumpy and rude—the most infuriating man on the planet. Honestly, forget decking the halls, I'd rather deck him in the face.
It doesn't help that he's unbelievably handsome. But he hates me, or so I thought.
Until one fake date changes everything.
Even my family can't help but fall for his charms.
He's blurring lines, confusing things.
Making me want to jingle his bells.
I don’t know what’s going to happen after this trip.
All I’m sure of is, faking nice has never felt this naughty.
Genre:
Triggers:
Cheating ex with family member
The Fake Holidate is another sweet and short holiday romance that will bring a smile to your face.
Funny story - this isn't the first thing I've read by Amie Knight. And I didn't even realize it until I was further into the story, when a little nugget of info reminded me of a short story I read in the the Hell Hath No Fury Anthology, and when I looked back, I saw that not only did I read Amie's work before, but I enjoyed it.
And I enjoyed this one too.
The story is simple, and not overly original, but that isn't really what I am looking for when I am reading holiday romances. I want cheesy, sweet, short, and uncomplicated. Which is what you get here - as the reader.
The best part of this book is that it's not like Christmas exploded on the pages. Christmas is there, but it's not overly important to the story as a whole. It's mostly about the time of year, and the wedding of her sister and her ex - which, ugh.
I'm not naive, I know it happens. I just think its an unforgiveable betrayal for a sibling to have an affair with your partner, so reading about her family presuring her to forgive her sister and go the wedding made me cringe, because what the hell? Sadly, all you have to do is listen to people tell their stories on tiktok and it happens a lot ... and despite being the wronged party, a lot of times they are told to forgive and forget to make their families lives easier.
And no!
Despite that, I really liked this book. An unfortunate and painful experience for Clover, but it brings her something so much better in the end.
If you like short holiday romances, in a small town setting, but with a side of sass and steam, you will love The Fake Holidate.
See? Selfish bitch.
Was I over the Ben part of it? Yep. But I wasn’t over the Holly bullshit and now they were trying to ruin my damn Christmas, too. Fuck them.
Clover: “I can say fuck them and put it all behind me from here, Aunt Jules.
Yeah, Nick was no slouch. But I was willing to bet the devil was fine, too. And I didn’t fuck with the devil. And most definitely didn’t fuck with Nick Parsons.
I felt heat crawl up my neck and hit my face. I wanted to die. He’d heard the whole thing. The entire conversation. He knew my ex was marrying my sister. He knew I didn’t want to go home. And now he was taking pity on me. He was being nice, for fuck’s sake. I wanted to crawl under a rock, but alas, I was at work, and there was nothing natural at the cubicle farm.
I was going on a fake holidate with Nick, my workplace archnemesis.
I bit my lip and shook my head.
His Clark Kent-looking ass was coming home with me.
Nick: “It’s exactly what I pictured,”
Nick murmured, still staring out the window. I felt my eyebrows raise.
Clover: “You pictured where I’m from?”
The man was full of surprises today. We hadn’t spoken much after Wilbur had scared the hell out of him. I’d cranked up the music and sang while he’d stared out the window almost the whole drive. Opening his door, he peeked his head out and up, taking in the big Sugar Mountain Resort sign hanging over the main lodge.
Nick: “I picture a lot of things about you,”
he said casually to the front of the building. I hopped out my side of the car and went around the vehicle to let Wilbur out, keeping my chill, trying to decide whether what he had said had been the sexiest thing anyone had ever said to me or completely, terrifyingly creepy.
Nick: "Will it make you feel better if I sleep on the couch?”
Sighing, I shook my head.
Clover: “There’s no way your big ass is going to fit on that loveseat.”
One side of his mouth hitched.
Nick: “I had no idea you’ve been calculating the size of my ass, Clover.”
I nodded slowly, even though I thought sleeping with Nick was a terrible idea. Even if all we did was sleep.
But I didn’t want him to think I wasn’t mature enough to handle it.
But I definitely wasn’t. In fact, the bathtub was looking like a good sleeping arrangement at this point. The door closed, probably locked—not to keep him out but to keep my horny, crazy ass in.
His hand on my knee. The kiss on my head. His thigh pressed to mine. And now his pointer finger was drawing figure eights on my shoulder through my shirt, and I felt like it was right there, on my bare skin.
Hell, I wasn’t even mature enough to sleep in the same room with him, at this point.
But piercing brown-green eyes held me in their snare. How the hell was I supposed to think under these conditions? I stupidly nodded again and chewed on my lip, willing the heat in my veins to cool.
Nick: “That’s a good girl,”
he murmured, giving my shoulder a squeeze before standing up and announcing that he was going to get ready for bed.
I was losing the battle. My pajamas, the socks, the pillow fort. They were all in vain.
All it had taken was man chest, stupid, gray sweatpants, some sweet handholding and proclamations of togetherness, and I was done for.
Nick: “You shouldn’t follow me. It’s a bad idea. I’m headed into those woods, and you could get lost.”
I heard Nick say. He was facing away from me, which wasn’t a bad view at all.
Man, he had a nice ass.
The old one-eared goat Nick was talking to bleated back at him, and I held in a laugh.
It was quite a sight, Nick and this goat having a whole-ass conversation in the snow at the top of a mountain, a giant Christmas wreath above them.
Nick: “I get it. I really do. We’re friends now because I gave you that apple. But friends don’t let friends roam in the woods alone, so you have to stay here, Billy.”
I pressed my lips together to keep from giggling. Billy Goat. He’d named his little friend. Wasn’t that just the cutest? I could have watched this scene play out all day.
Nick: “Vincent?”
he asked, his voice full of disgust. Clearly, he thought Billy was the better option. I grinned.
Clover: “Yes, Vincent Van Goat.”
He stared at me like I’d lost my mind before his head gave a slow shake, his deep laughter echoing off the mountains around us.
Nick: “Because of the ear?”
he asked through his chuckles. I placed my hand over Vincent’s one ear and gave Nick a horrified look.
Clover: “We don’t talk about the ear situation,”
Clover: “You’re touching me,”
I mumbled down at him, stating the obvious, feeling warm all over even though we were lying on the icy ground with snow falling around us. Some of that snow landed on Nick’s eyelashes and hair as he whispered,
Nick: “Is that okay?”
he asked, his hands still roaming my back.
Nick: “You can touch me, too.”
Clover: “I can?”
I asked quietly, my hands already moving between us of their own accord. They’d started out on his chest but they were making their way up to his neck and then to the day-old scruff at his jaw. I’d never once not seen him clean-shaven. I liked him like this, scruffy and raw. Not so put together. I explored that rough, prickly scruff with my fingers while he rubbed the length of my back all the way down to my hips, his hands traveling dangerously closer and closer to my behind.
Nick: “You can touch me anytime,”
he husked, his voice deep, vibrating against my chest.
Nick: “You can touch me anywhere.”
Nick: “Mmm, I keep Clover too busy at night for morning hikes. Don’t I, baby?”
My knees quivered beneath me, and my eyes fell closed. My heart kicked up a notch. I’d never been this warm in my life. I wanted to lean up just that inch that separated our lips and full-on kiss the fool.
He’d never once kept me up all night. But I could see it in my mind’s eye like I was there. And damn if it wasn’t the hottest thing that had never happened to me.
Clover: “Mmhmm,”
I managed to moan back, my eyes still closed.
I immediately grabbed Nick’s hand and removed it from my ass.
Clover: “Was the ass grab really necessary?”
He smirked at me.
Nick: “Who are you kidding? You fucking loved it.”
He wasn’t wrong. Damn him.
Nick Parsons was having a She’s All That moment á la mountain man style, and I was totally swooning my ass off.
Turned out Daisy wasn’t in much better shape than I was.
Daisy: “Oh, honey, the city really has been treating you right,”
she whispered. I turned to look at her, but she wasn’t paying me a lick of attention. Her eyes were glued to Nick.
And who the hell could blame her?
He looked like an LL Bean model.
I’d died and gone to mountain girl heaven.
Clover: “We’ll take everything he’s wearing,”
I said to the blonde behind the counter.
Woman: “I bet you will,”
she said, eyeing Nick with appreciation. I glared at her. Everywhere we went, I tell ya.
Nick: “We will?”
Clover: “Yep,”
I answered, and before I could stop myself, I continued,
Clover: “You look mountain hot.”
My damn mouth. I was terrible at lying and even more terrible at hiding the truth. I blushed at my own words but Nick only grinned big, like I’d made his whole day. Beautiful bastard.
Mom: “I’m so glad you’re home, Clover. The mountain missed you,”
she said, before leaning closer to me and whispering,
Mom: “I missed you. Desperately.”
My eyes burned with emotion.
Clover: “I missed you, too, Momma.”
Mom: “I know it’s hard for you to be here today. And I’m proud, Clove. I’m always so proud of you.”
I needed to get my shit together, and I couldn’t do that if we were traipsing through the forest together like Snow White and Prince Charming.
A bird landed at my feet and looked up at me.
Clover: “You better not start fucking talking to me,”
I muttered just as Nick caught up.
Nick: “Oh, for fuck’s sake!”
Nick yelled, and it echoed around us as he delved his fingers into my hair and slammed his mouth to mine.
Nick: “You taste like Christmas.”
Giving completely in, I let my hand slide from his chest up and around his neck, my fingers touching the feathery hair at his nape.
Clover: “What’s Christmas taste like?”
I breathed into his mouth.
Nick: “Mmm,”
he moaned, sliding his tongue along mine.
Nick: “It tastes like my favorite.”
Nick: “Okay, baby.”
His hands finally left my ass, and one of his fingers landed under my chin, tilting my face up to his.
Nick: “But let’s get a few things straight. I’m going to hold your hand. I’m going to grab your ass. And I’m definitely going to kiss that beautiful mouth. And we aren’t done here. Not by a long shot.”
His face said he wasn’t playing games.
Fuck. Me. Running.
He grabbed my hand and lifted it over my head, making me spin a slow twirl. He let out a long whistle.
Nick: “You’re making it pretty hard for me to keep my hands off that ass, Ms. Lane.”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help but smile.
Clover: “Let’s get going, Superman. Before you make me do something I regret.”
Nick: “What’s that?”
he asked, his hazel eyes dancing down at me. Fall in love with you, my mind whispered.
Nick: “No, baby. Can’t you see? You weren’t ready. I’ve been waiting for you. I’ve been waiting for this day. And no matter where we are, or what we are doing, we are never going back to that. Do you understand me?”