Author's Note: This is a pinch hit written in response to the CCOAC Christmas Fanfic Exchange. It's written especially for klcm! The prompts were: Last Christmas (by WHAM!), Christmas Memory, Fairy Lights, & Mistletoe. All of them will be used in the story.

Thank you for the reviews for last chapter! My apologies for the delay in getting this one posted; it's the second draft I wrote, and I think it flows much better with the story!

"How's my brother treating you?" Sarah asked with an amused grin later that afternoon.

Penelope had just been formally introduced to Derek and Desiree's older sister a little while ago, and like her siblings, she had a charming grin and a lively personality. Penelope tugged her bridesmaids dress up over her thighs and shoulders for her last fitting, and waited for Sarah to zip it up. "Umm…I don't really…we haven't…been in the room that much. Just last night."

"That's usually all it takes," Desiree said dryly from the little space off the fitting area.

Sarah chuckled. "Yep. One night."

Penelope frowned as she looked at Sarah. "You don't think much of your brother, do you?" she asked curiously. Penelope adored her brothers and would never 'warn' someone to stay away from them.

"Oh, we love Derek heaps," Desiree argued. "But we've also seen the trail of broken hearts he's left in his wake. We're not oblivious to his…charisma," she finished with a giggle.

"Charisma," Penelope said. "Interesting word choice."

"We could say slut, but that would just be mean," Sarah teased.

As Penelope walked over to the mirror to look at her reflection, she couldn't help but think that that would be mean. From what she'd seen of Derek, he seemed like a pretty nice guy. She'd done her best to razz him, and still he'd maintained his good-natured personality. Oh, he'd walked in last night with those women hoping to get a rise out of her, but Penelope was able to recognize that she deserved that. He was right—she'd had him sized up before she'd even met him. And the man she'd built up in her head wasn't very flattering. But he'd brought her coffee in bed, for God's sake. Anyone who brought her coffee—especially in bed-was OK in her book.

"Oh, my God!" Desiree said as she walked into the fitting area. "Penelope! You look…"

"Bloopy?" Penelope asked with a frown. The dress hugged her hips too tightly to be comfortable, and it elevated her breasts so much that her necklace had vanished somewhere in the depths of her cleavage.

Desiree laughed. "Ummm…I'm not even sure what it means, but the word 'bloopy' never came to mind. I was thinking more along the lines of 'knockout.'"

Penelope laughed. "Knockout? Are you kidding me?"

Desiree gave her a stern look. "Do I look like I'm kidding you? Penelope, I'd kill for some of those thighs—"

Some, Penelope thought. Not all.

"Or even all of them," Desiree finished. "God, I'm built like such a man. Not a curve in sight. Thank God Payton doesn't mind."

"Are you kidding me?" Penelope asked incredulously. "You're gorgeous."

"My face is gorgeous," Desiree corrected, but the statement wasn't smug; it was matter of fact. "My body is boring. I'm the kind of woman men are attracted to once they get to know me. You're the kind of woman men go out of their way to get to know. Because you're sexy."

Penelope nearly burst out laughing. "I am not sexy," she argued.

"Excuse me?" Sarah asked. "If you had any idea just how sexy you are and used it to your advantage, you'd have men knocking down your door."

"I don't—"

"You really would," Desiree agreed. "In droves."

"So you're…single?" Sarah asked.

When Penelope nodded, Sarah reached over and socked her sister on the arm. "And you put her in a room with Derek? Are you an idiot?" she asked.

"Derek's not interested in me," Penelope said quickly.

Sarah snorted. "I doubt that."

"I'm really not his type," she muttered.

"You are exactly his type," Sarah informed her. "My brother likes lush. And you've got that going on in spades." She looked at Desiree and shook her head. "What is wrong with you?"

Desiree sighed. "It's Payton's sister. Derek isn't going to sleep with Payton's sister. I warned him."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "You warned him? That's just going to make him want her even more! Do you know our brother at all?"

As the sisters argued, Penelope studied her image and tried to see what they saw, but she couldn't. Her breasts were too large, her waist non existent, and she still thought the dress was too snug on her hips. Maybe Desiree would let them take it out.

But her future sister in law sighed as she shook her head. "Knockout," she praised.

Or maybe not.

"So, we're going our separate ways tonight," Penelope commented as she hunted through her suitcase for something to wear tonight.

"We are?" Derek asked.

Penelope stood up and turned around. "Well, the bachelor/bachelorette parties are tonight," she reminded him.

"Right. But I'm hanging with the ladies," he told her with a grin.

"You are?" Penelope asked in surprise, and maybe a bit of glee. She was still deciding.

Her sexy roommate nodded. "This is the first time I've seen my sister in eight months. And as fantastic as I'm sure your brother is I want to spend time with my mother and sisters. I probably won't see them again for another eight months."

Penelope nodded in understanding. "Yes, well…if I was sure the men hadn't hired a stripper, I'd probably be hanging with them."

Derek chuckled. "They didn't. Your brother put a ban on all exotic dancing for the night."

Penelope frowned. "How boring do you think my brother and your sister are? No strippers for their send-offs into marriage, they forbid us to sleep together…" she let her voice trail off suggestively. Penelope was very well aware that she was playing with fire, but she couldn't help it. In this moment, she felt like a pyromaniac. After the exchange between Sarah and Desiree earlier, she had to know if Derek found her at all tempting. Sure, he'd made the mistletoe comment last night, but she knew men. When they were drunk enough, anyone would do. Had that been the case, or had he been genuinely attracted to her? She desperately wanted to know.

"Come on," Desiree pled with Sarah. "Just one shot. Derek's driving."

Derek practically scowled at the comment. Normally, he wouldn't mind so much being the designated driver. But tonight it meant he was more alert…and the number of men checking out the one woman in this bar that he couldn't have was wild.

He was standing back to the bar, his elbows resting on the counter as he studied the object of his desire. She was currently on the dance floor in a skirt that was much too short for his liking. Oh, it was perfect for some situations…say…a quickie, where he could push the damn thing up, shove her panties to the side, thrust inside of her and get them both off in under a minute. It was perfect for that. But not this. Not for her out on the dance floor shakin' her booty like it was nobody's business—especially his.

That thought was solidified when a man seemingly came out of nowhere and wrapped his arms around Penelope from behind.

Derek's entire body went on alert and he straightened, prepared to battle for what should be his.