Betrayal: Christmas Romance Short Story (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781977622372)

The crackling of the fire in the fireplace, the scent of cinnamon in the air, Jayne was thrilled to be in the holiday season again. Christmas was a time of tradition for Jayne, of wonderful memories and the chance to believe in magic once more. She looked forward every year to reuniting with her family and enjoying the holidays.

Lately though Jayne is feeling as if she is living through everyone else's joy. Her parents loving marriage only reminds her of the one true love that she has yet to find. Jayne has always believed in the magic of romance. She has been determined to never settle for less than love at first sight. The kind of romance that made her tear up at the end of a romantic movie.

As each Christmas passes by however Jayne was becoming more and more aware of how long she has been waiting. Her only distraction was her passion for baking, and her secret desire to make herself successful with her talent. It keeps her busy and fills her home with the scent of the holidays. Still in the back of her mind, she knows it would be so much better if she had someone there to share it with. Jayne dreams of a loving husband, and a home full of children.

This year in particular Jayne feels like the last sister standing, as her older sister is married with two children, and her younger sister is bringing a new boyfriend to Christmas dinner! Jayne tries not to let the loneliness get to her, and to be happy for her sisters. However when she arrives at her childhood home to share in the joy of the day, she discovers a shocking surprise.

For so long she had been dreaming of that special moment when the accidental brush of a hand or the longing locking of eyes from across a crowded room would finally prove that all of her waiting had been worth it. However when she finally does feel the magic, she instantly wishes she never had.

Unfortunately, she feels it with her youngest sister's new boyfriend! Jayne is determined to ignore the sensations, but when he makes it clear that he feels it to, she finds it impossible to resist. After going so long through life completely alone Jayne wants nothing more than to give in to the dreamy flutter of her heart when he is near, but the idea of betraying her little sister leaves her absolutely appalled. To make matters even more confusing, this is no ordinary man. He is young, handsome, and nearly famous. Jayne finds it very hard to believe that he would ever be genuinely interested in her, despite his determined attempts to make his desire known. He is nothing like the men Jayne had imagined in her mind. She expected the man of her dreams to be mild mannered and accepting. This man had an edgy temper and a will that would not be ignored.

Will Jayne's loyalty to her family and tradition keep her from taking a chance on what may be her one true love? Will believing in the magic of love mean that she has to risk losing the love of her sister?