Read Online A Cinderella Christmas Carol (Suddenly Cinderella) by Hope Tarr - Free Book Online

Cindy?” He grinned wickedly.
    “Let’s just stick to Starr, okay? You don’t mind…about the age difference, I mean?” She bit her lower lip, belatedly remembering she wore lipstick—oops!
    He looked at her incredulously. “If anything, it makes you even sexier to me.”
    “You think I’m…sexy?” It might sound like she was fishing for compliments, but she wasn’t. She’d thought of herself as cute, mildly attractive even, but sexy? Really, this was news.
    His gaze turned steamy, the irises huge and black. “Oh, yeah, I do. Not just sexy—hot. I’ll show you sometime soon, but for right now, take a step back.”
    “Step back?” Wondering what he had in mind, she let him back them to the doorway.
    He smiled. “Great, stop. Perfect. Now look up.”
    Starr did—and suddenly she got it. Lowering her gaze to his face, melting in the heat burning from his eyes, she asked, “Is that what I think it is?”
    “If you’re thinking mistletoe, then yes.”
    She laughed. “Who hangs mistletoe at a Matzo Ball supper?”
    “New York’s a melting pot, so deal with it.” Leaning closer, he reached out and lifted her chin on the edge of his hand. “For now, just kiss me.”
    He lowered his head and matched his mouth to hers. Starr sighed and sank against him. He tasted of butter cream and peppermint schnapps—the perfect Christmas confection. The touch of his tongue to hers shot an arrow of warmth straight down her spine. Inside her Cinderella slippers, her toes tingled.
    He broke the kiss and drew back to look at her, his eyes twinkling like the stars she and the spirit had sped past in her “dream.” “Merry Christmas Birthday, Starr.”
    “Merry Christmas, Matt.”
    He leaned in and Starr tipped her face up to meet him. This time when his mouth met hers, his kiss held the promise of all the many merry Christmas birthdays yet to come.

Acknowledgments
    My heartfelt thanks and warm holiday wishes to my editors, Stacy Abrams and Alycia Tornetta, to my agent Louise Fury, and to Danielle, Jessica, Barbara, Sara, and everyone on my Entangled publicity team who’ve contributed their tremendous time, talent, and energy to making my Suddenly Cinderella Series such a success.
    Last but never least, to the real Molly Jane AKA Jane for filling my days with braying meows, drooling kitty kisses and unconditional love for these past twelve years—and counting. Thanks for letting me “rescue” you, sweetie!

Find out where the Suddenly Cinderella series started with Macie’s story!
    Read on for a sneak peek at Hope Tarr’s Operation Cinderella:
    Manhattan magazine editor Macie Graham always gets her story—and she’ll do anything to uncover the dirt on famous conservative radio personality Ross Mannon. After he smears her article on his show, nearly costing Macie her job, she devises a plan to masquerade as a modern-day Cinderella and get her revenge on the infuriating Texan.
    All Ross wants is a woman with old-fashioned values to be his housekeeper and role model for his troubled teenage daughter. When the perfect woman shows up, Ross is relieved—until he finds himself drawn to his gorgeous, red-stiletto-wearing new employee. “Martha Jane” is opinionated and sexy, and Ross is intrigued…and more than a little turned on.
    Macie thought Operation Cinderella was foolproof, but Ross, with his rugged good looks and southern charm, proves to be as perfect behind-the-scenes as he does in public. But when she finally uncovers a secret that could destroy Ross’s reputation, she faces losing her job or losing the fairy-tale ending she didn’t even know she wanted.

Prologue
    East Village, Manhattan
    October

    “Keep your jock strap on, I’m coming.”
    Macie Graham stepped out of the shower to her apartment buzzer blaring. Fuck, that was fast. She’d been ordering from All Thai’d Up for two years now, at first because the edgy whimsy of the name appealed to her and later because they screwed up her standard