Damien Morton is in love with the lovely Lady Danvers (Celia), who used to be married to Damien’s best friend. The basic plot is that Damien has carried a torch for Celia for years, but doesn’t feel he’s good enough for her. Celia’s husband Lawrence, whom she loved dearly, has been dead for two years, and Celia is raising her young son Theodore alone. Damien has decided that if he can’t be with Celia, that he needs to get as far away from her as possible, even going so far as to accept a position on the continent.
Damien plans to depart for the continent after the Christmas holidays, but everything changes when Damien and Celia are caught standing under the mistletoe (yeah, pretty cliché’) at a holiday party and are encouraged by family and friends to share a kiss. Over the next few days sparks fly between the two friends who quickly become lovers. But will Damien decide he’s worthy of the prize he’s won?
There are no obstacles for the couple to overcome, other than Damien’s own insecurities. Everybody else in the story approves of his suit, including the young Theodore, who wants Damien to be his new Daddy. So the whole thing is a wee bit of a stretch for me, and as a reader, you’re left with the feeling that Damien is a bit of an idiot. However, Erickson does manage to pack a lot of passion into 67 pages, so if you are looking for a hot short story, go for it!
