A Christmas Kiss by Roxy Wilson just minimally rewritten for you Samcedes fans; it was bonus story in one that I was reading from the author, and it was short, crazy, and cute enough to add to share with you guys as my Gift to you since it was the name of Cedes and Sam's Christmas song. In my AU world of Make My Wish Come True the following story isn't really Sam and Mercedes in real life but this is their first movie, a Christmas movie with Samcedes would be in high demand, and they are playing the parts of the characters, but I am not going to write it as that but that is how I imagine it. Their song Christmas Kiss is of course the theme song to the movie and plays at parts of the movie along with their version of All I Want for Christmas and Sleigh Bells.
Chapter One
Mercy Jones didn't like surprises. In her line of work as the CEO of Elite Events, the event management company that she owned along with her two sisters, an untimely twist and turn could ruin a well-planned occasion. And that is why she always managed to tie every loose end, leaving nothing to chance. Every event organized by the three sisters was fabulous and beautiful, and this particular wedding would meet the strict standards she adhered to.
As she strode forward on her three-inch stiletto heels, Mercy monitored the activity. The guests were in place, the tables were set for the reception in the garden, her sister Sheila's mouthwatering food was ready to be served as soon the ceremony was over, and all she needed to do was enjoy the rest of the day.
Mercy scanned the area where the ceremony was to take place. It was Christmas Day, but she was pleased when the bride, Charlie, had agreed to move away from using the traditional Christmas colors and instead chose bronze, blue, and forest-green the color of the groom's eyes. Mercy's eyes followed the trail of glitter stars and hearts that were placed on the floor to line the aisles. The pillar candles, enshrouded in clear glass cylinders, were placed strategically among the stars and hearts. Mercy beamed at the way the multicolored glitter on the stars caught the candlelight and helped to highlight the Christmas ambience.
There might be problems later in the evening, but there was little that Mercy hadn't troubleshooted before. Stopping at the mirror to check the exquisite floral arrangement, she removed a dead leaf that marred its beauty. There. All perfect now!
Mercy gazed into the mirror and adjusted the bodice to her jumpsuit. With its halter neckline and finely pleated empire waist the bronze one piece accentuated her curves and brought a glow to her brown eyes. Her braids were in a top knot on top of her head. She looked professional, yet elegant and feminine for the wedding.
If everything went well tonight, she could expect many more new clients from this lot. Her eyes scanned the guests, and she noticed a senator, a well-known businessman, and a TV personality in the crowd. Either the bride or the groom was well connected, and it wouldn't be a waste of time to wow them with the flawless preparations of Elite Events.
The earpiece she wore crackled. "Mercy!" hissed the youngest of the Jones sisters, Jane. "We've got a problem."
Mercy sighed with exasperation. "Please don't tell me that the seating arrangement is messed up."
"No! The seating arrangement is good."
So, what else could it be? "Is there a problem with the food? I saw Sheila an hour ago, and she assured me that everything was ready at her end."
"It's not the food," said Jane, who took care of the company's finance and accounting department and also pitched in as an extra pair of helping hands on actual events.
Mercy's mind raced. What the heck is wrong then? "Just tell me what's the matter, Jane."
Jane let out a deep breath. "I think we have a runaway bride."
The silence that followed Jane's words was so deafening that Mercy actually heard her heart pound. "Did you just say that the bride has run away?"
"Yep, she's not in her room. Her mother and sister have no idea where she could be. And I've looked everywhere and…"
"You've got to be joking." Mercy interrupted. It wasn't possible to conduct a wedding without a bride. How was she going to troubleshoot this? "Tell me you're joking, Jane. Maybe she stepped out for a smoke or something."
"She's not a smoker. She probably drinks alcohol; I've smelled some fumes coming off her before, but she is the type that believes smoking ages you. Also, the guard at the gate assured me that he saw her getting into an Uber car thirty minutes ago."
"What…Why didn't anybody stop her?"
"He didn't have the authority to do so. Plus, he figured it wasn't his business since she's just a client of the hotel."
"Oh hell to the no!" Mercy nearly stomped her feet, something she never did. Maintaining a dignified and controlled persona at all times was critical, but just this once, she wished she could throw a fit.
"Do you want me to announce to the guests that the wedding's off?"
"No!" Her thoughts scattered in all directions. She needed to get a handle on this situation. Mercy drew in three deep, controlled breaths and released the air very slowly. This was what she had been taught to help her deal with her anxiety and bring back her equilibrium. "Let me tell the groom first. He's the one paying for this wedding. What did he say when you told him?"
"He doesn't know yet."
Mercy frowned. This wasn't news that she wanted to deliver to anyone, even to her worst enemy. But he was her client, and as such he deserved her support at this difficult time. Mercy straightened her shoulders. "I'll going to tell him right now."
"Do you want me to go with you?" said Jane in a voice that suggested she would rather be anywhere else than with her big sister for this part of the job.
Mercy didn't think he would appreciate an audience. "No, I'll manage it. Until I give you the heads up, don't utter a word to anyone."
"Yes, of course."
Mercy marched off towards the gate to interview the guard. She didn't want to tell the groom anything until she was a hundred percent sure her sister wasn't wrong. Not that Jane ever was, but these particular circumstances called for special measures, and she didn't want to leave anything to chance. Mercy took her time to check every nook and corner of the hotel. Of course, she couldn't peek into each room, but short of that, she made her staff search for the bride in every place they could think of. Once she was sure of the facts, she headed off towards the room where the groom was waiting with his best man. When she put her hand on the handle, Mercy took a deep breath and ordered herself to calm down. She knocked and entered after being asked to come in.
The bride must have been crazy, thought Mercy as she cast her eyes on the groom. Sam Evans took her breath away from the first moment she'd seen him when he came with his bride-to-be—now the runaway bride—several months earlier for their first consultation. His sandy streaked caramel-colored hair was cut short, his green eyes were startlingly bright, and his face was movie-star handsome. A retired Navy Seal and now an author of best-selling graphic novels that were like comic books but contained the content of thrillers and mysteries, he was now a millionaire with his own publishing company since no established company wanted to take a chance on him. He self-published his first graphic novel, and now he was a five times New York Times bestselling author. This was all Mercy knew about him. And now, she'd find out soon enough if he deserved the medal that his fiancée—ex-fiancée—told her he earned because of his heroics in the war against terrorism.
And from what Mercy had seen, based on her interactions with him as they prepared for the wedding, he seemed to be a really decent, especially humble guy, the opposite of his photographer bride to be.
Yep, Charlie was crazy to walk away from Sam Evans. In fact, there was something about her that Mercy couldn't quite put her finger on, but it always left her uneasy in Charlie's presence. Sure, she seemed a bit selfish, pretentious, and spoiled, which was probably expected since she was born and raised in the lap of luxury. But there was something not quite stable about her. Whenever Charlie visited her office to discuss the wedding preparations, Mercy always got the impression that she was just going through the motions.
From Mercy's experience, as the wedding day drew nearer, the brides-to-be were usually gushing with enthusiasm or panicking or a combination of both extremes. But Charlie was different. Eerily so. Oftentimes, Mercy mentally shrugged her shoulders and reasoned that she was perhaps too critical of Charlie; but judging by Charlie's stunt today, it seemed as if Mercy wasn't far off base. Now, she had to concentrate on the task at hand: breaking the news to Mr. Evans about his runaway bride.
"Mr. Evans?"
When Sam's gaze settled on her, Mercy resisted the urge to run away herself. Nothing in her line of work prepared her to handle this kind of situation. She needed help. But there was no one who could bail her out. And in any case, Mercy Jones wasn't a coward.
"Yes?"
"I'd like to talk to you privately please."
He frowned. "Isn't it almost time for the ceremony to start? Don't tell me my beautiful bride isn't ready yet."
"Charlie has never been ready on time." The best man laughed. "Your military precision is going to suffer a lot now, Sam. You'll always be late for every event, including your own wedding."
Mercy folded her arms and tapped her foot against the tiled floor. She didn't have time for this. She directed a cool stare at the best man. "Excuse me, sir. I'd really like to talk to Mr. Evans alone."
The best man stared at her for a moment, as if trying to weigh the seriousness of her words. Then he shrugged, exchanged a quick glance with the groom, and left them alone. When Mercy was sure the door was closed, she strode forward until she was standing directly in front of the groom. If he fainted, she'd make every attempt to catch him, but it wouldn't be an easy feat.
He was about one inch above six feet, and she knew from seeing him in more casual clothes that his shoulders were broad and his limbs were muscular, though not overly so. With his military background, even though he was no longer in active duty, she knew that Mr. Evans not only looked strong, he was strong. She figured she might not be able to hold him upright, but she might be able to save him from banging his head if he fainted.
Mercy cleared her throat. "Umm…Mr. Evans, I've got some very bad news."
Sam cocked his head to the side. "Is there a problem with the payment?"
Mercy felt terrible. He'd already cleared the bill. What was she supposed to do in this particular, disastrous situation? Should she return his money even though she was sure there was a clause in the contract that would only give them a percentage back since the food, location, decorations, and flowers were paid for?
First things first.
Mercy took a deep breath. "It's not about the money. Unfortunately, we can't find your bride."
For one minute, he simply stared at her. "Can't find her? What do you mean?"
"She left the hotel over thirty minutes ago."
"But the wedding is about to start. Where could she have gone?"
Mercy put a hand on his arm. "I don't know."
"What the hell are you talking about. How can you not know?"
She gulped. He clearly wasn't able to comprehend the gravity of her words. Mercy chose her next sentence with care. "I'm afraid that she may have decided to not marry you."
"Have you lost your mind?" Sam dragged his fingers through his hair. "We're about to get married in five minutes. She is the one who wanted to get married. She asked me. She picked out the ring. She picked this place. She picked this date. Why would she decide to walk away? This must be a mistake." He began to pace the length of the room.
Mercy's eyes tracked his movements. "I've searched the entire hotel, Mr. Evans. Why don't you call her to see if she answers her phone?"
He stopped in his tracks and did what she suggested. Thrusting his hand inside his pocket, he took out his cell phone and made the call. Mercy wrung her hands together, silently pleading with the crazy woman to pick up the phone. She mentally made the sign of the cross when she saw a smile lit Mr. Evans's face.
"Charlie, baby, where are you?"
When the smile slipped, Mercy wished she was far away. At least the woman had the decency to talk to him, even if it was over the phone. She shivered when the groom began pacing the room again. "I don't understand any of this. Why?"
When he put the phone back in his pocket and just stood there, Mercy didn't know what to do. The clock in the room ticked. Still, he didn't move.
"Mr. Evans? Guests are already waiting in the chapel. What would you like me to do?"
"She doesn't want to marry me anymore," he said as if he didn't hear her question.
Mercy didn't think this was a good time to ask him if the bride had chosen another groom. Some women got cold feet at the altar, as did some men, but she'd never attended a wedding where one of them deserted the other. "Mr. Evans? Is there anything I can do for you?"
"What?"
"Is there anything I can do for you?" she repeated.
He ran his hands through his hair. "Oh dear Lord! The guests!"
"If you like I could announce that…the wedding has been delayed until a future date."
"Future date?" He stared at Mercy as if she'd lost her mind. "I don't have a future with her. My fiancée decided to leave me rather than marry me. I don't know why. She wouldn't give me a reason."
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Evans." Mercy wrung her hands together. What the hell was she supposed to do? Luckily, he didn't faint. "Would you like some time to be by yourself?"
He focused on her. "Damn."
Once again, she was rendered speechless. Mercy wasn't sure if she should leave him alone. If she were in his shoes, she'd want someone by her side, even if that person was an impersonal employee, or well, sort of. Maybe she needed to call the best man back and let him deal with the groom. After all, that should be part of his job, not hers. But seeing the anguished look in Sam's eyes, she didn't think she could leave him right now. He certainly wouldn't want someone to see him like this, even if that person was his best friend. Perhaps being with a stranger would ease his pain a bit.
Mercy rubbed his arm. She almost pulled away from him when she felt the shiver of awareness of his as a man at this inappropriate time. But his arms were perfect.
Come on, Mercy, you've got to focus. Yes, he's hot but he is hurting and a client. Keep it professional lusting after him will not help him or you now. She told herself.
"Mr. Evans. I'll do whatever I can to ease this situation. If you want, you could leave the venue, and we'll take care of this for you. The food is ready, the guests can be served, and we can just tell them that there was an emergency."
Much to her shock and dismay, he gripped her arm, drew her forward, and claimed her lips. Her first thought was to kick him in the nuts and get away. But then, compassion welled in her heart. He was jilted at the altar. Anyone would lose their mind after such a terrible shock. But it wasn't sympathy or pity that made her open her mouth when he attempted to thrust his tongue inside. It was desire, hot, hard, and sizzling. Despite her unwillingness to enjoy the moment, a strange ripple of lust made her panties wet for the first time in her life over one kiss on Christmas by a jilted groom. His breath was hot on her mouth, and his scent was tantalizingly sexy.
The man sure knew what to do with his tongue.
Mercy actually swayed on her feet when he let go of her. "I don't care what the hell you decide to tell the guests, but don't tell them lies. She jilted me. Tell them that and yes, feed them. It's, after all, a party!"
Saying that, he strode out of the room and Mercy was left standing by herself. She touched her lips with the tip of her finger. Damn! The man was a master at getting the most out of those large soft lips of his. She'd never been kissed senseless before, but now Mercy could understand the actual meaning of that statement. Finally, she turned and marched out of the room to deal with the mess that had fallen in her lap.
The kiss meant nothing. A man could be expected to act insane when he was left on his wedding day by a thoughtless and uncaring woman. She would probably never see Sam Evans again, and just as well. She didn't have anything to say to him.
Nine months later…
Sam tapped his credit card to pay for the packages he'd purchased over the past hour. It was going to be a costly birthday celebration, but he was in the mood to splurge. Ever since the fiasco at his almost wedding, he'd acted like the Grinch who stole Christmas, and perhaps it was time to make things up to his twin siblings and mother, who shared the same birthday and had stood by him like a rock.
The day that was supposed to be his wedding day was a nightmare he wanted to put behind him. While any little reminder of it might have triggered pain early on, he was past the point of hurting and now only wished to forget the humiliation he suffered at the hands of the woman he'd been convinced loved him and wanted to share her life with his forever. How could he have been so blind? Such a poor judge of character? Sam shook his head to rid himself of his depressing thoughts. It was time to look ahead and focus on the future.
"Thank you." He smiled at the sales assistant as he accepted the receipt and put it in his wallet. He could head home and spend a few hours earning back the money he'd just spent.
Picking up his packages, he turned. Sam halted as the thick and curvy, sharply-dressed woman darted out of the home appliances store and strode towards the elevator. He'd imagined this moment a million times, but never in a mall. This might not be the best time or opportunity, but since this moment landed in his lap, he wasn't about to squander it.
"Ms. Jones!" he yelled as he marched after her. A few people stared in his direction, but she didn't spare him a backward glance as she rode the escalator. He caught up with her just as she stepped on to the first floor. "Hey."
Her expressive face showed a myriad of emotions. Sympathy? Fear? Doubt? Anger? Embarrassment? He wasn't sure. "Mr. Evans. How nice to see you again." Her voice was as smooth and cultured as he remembered, and she had the same serene expression that she wore while he'd been devastated by Charlie's rejection and abandonment.
He couldn't help the laugh that escaped his lips. "You don't really mean it."
"I…I most certainly do," she sputtered, seemingly taken aback by his honest reply.
Sam enjoyed the confusion that spiraled in her eyes. She probably thought he was still half deranged. Perhaps he really was. But this was an interesting opportunity to prove otherwise.
"Oh no, you don't. Not after the way I treated you. I'm really, really sorry by the way. I shouldn't have kissed you. It was just…" As she began to walk, he fell into step beside her. "I'm not sure what it was. A fit of insanity, perhaps? Whatever it was, I apologize from the bottom of my heart."
"It's all right." She entered a fashion boutique, looked around while he shadowed her, and exited. "It's fine, really. I totally understood, and I didn't take offense or felt attacked."
Sam squirmed as he recalled his despicable behavior. She hadn't deserved to be at the receiving end of his ungentlemanly behavior. It was against everything he was taught and if someone treated his sister that way he would want to punch them in the mouth. "No, it's not. You were merely the messenger, and I took my emotions out on you. It was uncalled for and unacceptable on many levels, and there is absolutely no way that I can make up for my reprehensible behavior. It's been a long time, but better late than never, right?" He joked. "At least, that's what my mom always says."
"Yeah." Her eyes darted every which way but at him.
She was just as beautiful as he remembered. In fact, his clearest memory of that day was the panicked look in her eyes just before he drew her in for a kiss, the sweet scent that clung to her, the way her lips felt under his, and the stunned expression on her face when he stepped away and strode out.
He'd never forgotten her. And although there was no way he could ever make up for his uncouth and rash behavior, at least he had the opportunity to apologize now. Many times in the past months, Sam thought about visiting her office and talking to her, but his nerves fled him each time he decided to do so. It was difficult to put his feelings into words. But now she was right here, and there couldn't be a better time to right the wrong. No matter how he felt he should have never touched her and stolen that kiss it was wrong on every level, and he regretted it.
She stopped in front of another store. "Mr. Evans. It's been a long time. I'd forgotten about that unfortunate incident, and I suggest that you do the same." There was a note of exasperation in her voice. "Besides I could understand why ou did it. You were going through a rough time."
"That is still no excuse. I wish I could take it back, but I can't. All I can do is promise you that I would never do that again." Sam winced as the memory hit him. His ex-fiancée really did a number on him. But he was glad that he was past all that pain and hurt. "But I am glad that you think that being dumped at the altar excused my temporary insanity."
Her dark hair escaped her hood as she nodded. "Thanks and really you don't need to apologize anymore. Now, if you'll excuse me, I still have some more shopping to do."
He could read the frustration in her eyes and the causal dismissal. She didn't want to talk to him anymore. "Sure, I understand. Please go ahead."
When she entered the shop, he counted his own packages. He'd finished everything he set out to accomplish. And since he was done for the day, Sam took a few moments to enjoy the frantic activity as people hustled from one store to another, ticking off the items on their lists.
When Mercy came out of the shop, he was still at the same spot. She saw him, sighed, and walked over. "Mr. Evans? Why are you still here?"
He smiled. "Waiting for you. Are you finished?"
"Yes, actually, I am."
"Seems like shopping is one of your favorite things to do."
"Yes, it is." She nodded, looked away, and then met his gaze. "It was nice seeing you."
Since she was about to walk away, he blocked her path with a slight tilt of his body. He didn't want her to leave just yet. Maybe he should let it go. After all, he'd already apologized. There was nothing more to say. But the memory of that kiss haunted him. "Would you like to grab a cup of coffee with me?"
Looking surprised, she shook her head. "Im sorry; I''ve got to be somewhere else."
Sam was disappointed. What had he expected? He'd thought they could have a good laugh about it, but seeing the panicked expression in her eyes, he thought she wasn't even thinking along those lines. "I hope you are not afraid of me or think that you would be unsafe with me."
After a long time of self-exploration, he finally had been honest with himself after reliving the kiss over and over again. He had been attracted to the events planner, but at the time, he was enthralled with Charlie and didn't pay his appreciation of her curvy body and pretty face any special attention. However when he kissed her, he may have been thinking that it was an opportunity to get back at the woman who dared to leave him as he was undesirable and unwanted, but halfway through the kiss, he'd forgotten the reason why he was kissing her. She was simply the woman he wanted to kiss, and it felt bloody fantastic. The realization that he was enjoying it stopped him more than anything else. Because he felt guilty for castigating Charlie when not five minutes later he was wanting to rip his wedding planner's clothes off and put his mouth all over her body.
"No worries, Mr. Evans. I accepted your apology. Let's just move on."
"Can I just state that I appreciated the manner in which you took care of everything. My mother told me that you handled the entire situation with a grace and dignity that she admired. And that's some praise from a woman who's not easily satisfied. I wish that I could have helped you take care of things, but I'm afraid, I was in no state of mind to think about others," he added. Somehow he didn't want her to leave at that moment.
He wanted to talk to her some more. Why wasn't she giving him a chance to do that? Sam glanced at her hand, but there was no ring in sight. Not that it meant anything, but he recalled that she wasn't married.
What the hell was he thinking?
"You were hurting." The simple statement took his breath away. How right she was! And yet while someone else might have said the same thing and made it seem sympathetic, he found compassion in her words. "I understand. And in any case, it was part of my job. You did hire us and it was part of the job."
"I don't think either one of us had that particular job requirement in mind when we signed the contract." He smiled. It was nice that she didn't pity him. He detested pity. Whatever happened was probably for the best. He'd escaped being saddled with a woman who couldn't make up her mind. Being dumped was the best thing that happened to him in a long time. Too bad, it took him a few months to understand that. What a waste of time. But now that he'd regained his senses and perspective, he was determined to let it go and move forward. And Mercy a part of that decision. "But while I fell apart, you held it together. And I really appreciate that."
"It's all right." She glanced at the exit. "I really need to go."
For some strange reason, he couldn't say bye. Knowing that she was trying her best to get rid of him, Sam fell into step beside her. "It looks like it's raining," he stated when they neared the door. "There was a prediction for a winter storm this week. Looks like it came a little bit early."
"Oh hell to the freaking naw!"
Amused by the first display of temper that he witnessed, he glanced at her. "Is there a problem?"
"I didn't drive my car."
"Neither did I. But even if your car was out there, I don't think you could have driven just now." He pointed at the sign that the guards were putting up on the exit. "Storm warning. No one can leave now."
She stomped her foot in petulance. "They can't expect us to remain here indefinitely."
Amused, he pointed at the café on the first floor. "How about we go an enjoy a cup of coffee now?"
Maybe he shouldn't have been so pleased that they were stranded together, but Sam was having a hard time hiding a grin as he walked with her to the café. She wasn't about to make good on her escape. And it looked as if they had a lot of time on their hands to talk to each other.