Avalon for Christmas

By Kate Richards

Pete hopes the magic of the holiday season will help him to mend the friendship one night of teenage indiscretion tore apart. A successful software designer, he is bringing his girlfriend, Gina, to Avalon to meet his oldest friend, and first love, Andy. A dozen years have passed and it will take all the Christmas spirit in Avalon to mend the rift and maybe, just maybe, bring the three of them together for a night of explosive sex that will catapult them into a happy ever after beyond any of their wildest dreams. If it can happen anywhere, it can happen on Catalina Island!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Decadent Publishing
• Release date: Nov 23, 2011
• ISBN: 9781613331088

Kate Richards

Kate Richards is a SoCal dweller with a beach-loving family. She spends as much time as she can in the Pacific waves, but when surf’s not up she enjoys writing, reading, and growing vegetables in the only warehouse garden in Los Angeles – that she is aware of.

Book preview

Avalon for Christmas

Kate Richards

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2011 by Kate Richards

ISBN: 978-1-61333-108-8

Cover art by Fantasia Frog Designs

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Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC

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~DEDICATION~

For the friends who spent all those New Year’s Eves in Avalon, eating, drinking and having the best time ever!

Chapter One

See why I wanted to take the slow boat? Peter smiled as Gina leaned over the rail, crooning at a pod of sleek dolphins scooting along in the ship’s wake. The fast one doesn’t take the time to stop and play with the marine mammals. Maybe on the way back we’ll see some whales.

I’m so amazed. You grew up here? She straightened and faced him, her red curls flying around her face, green eyes dancing with delight. The loose ivory sweater and khakis, paired with a vintage aviator jacket and low boots made her look like a modern day Amelia Earhart off on a great adventure instead of just taking a twenty-six mile boat ride to a small island off the Southern California coast.

I grew up in Long Beach. I just summered at my grandmother’s cottage in Avalon. He joined her to watch the dolphins shoot off into the distance to follow a fishing boat, leaping in the late afternoon sunlight. "Then I went into the military. Typical kid, like the recruiting posters said, Join the Navy and see the world. And I saw a lot of it."

But out of all those exotic locales, you want to settle on Catalina Island. I can’t wait to see it. How long since you were last there?

Long time.

She shivered in the cool, sea breeze, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, drawing her close and dipping his head to take possession of her lips. Welcoming as always, their kiss soon turned passionate and he became aware of the stares of the few passengers willing to be outside the comfortable cabin on this chilly Christmas Eve. After a long moment, she pressed a hand to his chest and pulled back.

You okay? I’ve never really understood why it’s been this long. I mean, you seemed happy in Norfolk, but you never shared much about the early part of your life. She leaned against him again, snuggling into his arms.

He drew strength from her, but at the same time knew he’d used all the time he had. They would arrive on the island in less than half an hour and he had a story to tell. Tucking her under his arm, he escorted