Finally. I have a few minutes to go check the mail. As I get up and stretch, I realize just how long I’ve been sitting in one position, pouring over line after line of code, error message after error message... ugh, this problem is seriously giving me a headache. Still, one of the perks of being a computer engineer is that I get to work from home most of the time; a perk which would be even better if it wasn’t for that yappy little monster my neighbor calls a pet.

Don’t get me wrong, I love dogs – even had a couple growing up. They were big lumbering brutes, which to me is what a dog should be, not some little fluffy. . . yapper.

It’s bright and cold as I step out, squinting from the light after being indoors for too long. I can already hear the yips and barks from next door. I shake my head as I walk to the mailbox, catching a glimpse of my neighbor through her window as she fusses with her boxes of decorations.

I pause and sigh, lost in thought for a moment. Joy’s sweet as spun sugar; I mean hell, I’d be lying to myself if I said she wasn’t on my mind constantly. Fuck, even my work is starting to suffer because I think of her every spare moment I have.

She’s everything I could ever want in a woman: long dark hair that is always in a messy bun or flying around her face as she flits around doing one thing or another, sweet pink lips I could consume for the rest of my life and fuck, those curves she packs into those cute and flirty dresses she loves to wear.

I have kept myself away from her for two long and incredibly frustrating years. As much as I would love to be with her, helping her out of those cute little dresses and making that bun even messier, I can’t shake the memory of that first meeting.

I mean fucking hell, the first time I saw her on my door step I acted like a moody asshole. Given the time of year, I probably made Scrooge look like Mr. Rogers.

I moved here for the quiet, suburban life – figured the serenity and the lack of distractions would be good for my work, so I was pretty pissed at fate when I opened my door to the sexiest, jaw-droppingly gorgeous woman I had ever laid eyes on.

I knew after that encounter that she was mine, even if I could never act on it. She was far too sweet and light for someone as dark and dominant as me. But I’ll sure as fuck make sure every man for miles knows that she is mine, even if I must brand it on her ass.

We couldn’t be more different, and nothing shows that more than this time of year. Joy loves Christmas and her house is draped in God only knows how many decorations every year, where I don’t even bother to put up a tree. Since it’s just me in this house I never fool around with decorating; I usually spend most of Christmas working anyway, eating a sandwich meal for one before calling my parents at their new home in England.

I shake my head as I think of all the uproar it caused in our family when my mom and dad sold their general store to retire and move to England. Mom’s idea of course, she always swore she was born in the wrong era. My dad swears it’s all the historical romances she’s always reading.

My parent’s owned and ran that store for thirty years, I believe they were due for a break. So, every year, I’ll do like I have since my parents relocated, I’ll call and listen to Dad fuss about Mom wanting to rearrange the furniture again, while Mom attempts to take the phone from him, so she can fuss over me.

Mom fusses over everyone.

I’m so busy thinking about my parents as I step through the gate of my fence that I don’t see the mess waiting for me until I feel the squish between my toes. I didn’t bother to slip on my shoes before I came out, even though it’s hardly warm. Now, I fucking wish I had, because I’ve just stepped in a lovely little present courtesy of Joy’s yapping nightmare.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake....” I hiss, frantically trying to scrape the worst of the mess off in the grass. That little spawn of Satan is the reason I had a fence installed on my property but of course, the little demon isn’t deterred by the fence. Oh, no sir, now the little shit has taken to leaving his parcels by my mailbox!

No! You know what, that is it, enough is enough. Joy and I need to have serious words this time. I’ve put up with that dog for the last two years because he makes Joy happy and bites every guy that comes sniffing around her. But a man can only take so much before he snaps, and I just hit my breaking point.

Hobbling back to the house, I try my best to not only look dignified but also to ignore the horrendous smell coming from my foot and my need to gag. Good Lord, what does that creature eat? Heading for the shower, I quickly turn on the water and crank it up to its hottest setting before jumping in and scrubbing thoroughly from head to toe, after all, can’t go see the woman of my dreams reeking of her precious little monster’s freshest parcels, now can I? Once I’m finished, I throw on some clothes and shoes this time before storming out of the house and around to hers, the shower having done nothing to deter my irritation with the dog.

When I get to Joy’s house, I pound loud and hard on the front door. “Come in, it’s open,” comes the muffled reply.

I shake my head at her not even checking to see who is at the door; see it’s shit like this that makes me want to tan her ass. Quiet neighborhood mentality I guess, or maybe it's just me being overeager to put some color on those cheeks. I open the door, fired up and ready to read her the riot act.

Joy’s got her back to me, tottering on top of a dining room chair, clearly too short to reach as high as she’s trying to, I watch for just a second as she attempts to hang... oh, for the love of... MISTLETOE! Seriously?!

She’s so completely focused on her task that she hasn’t even checked to make sure I’m not some crazed axe murderer, so I clear my throat to get her attention. She looks over to me, taking her attention from the mistletoe, the shift of her body causing the chair to rock slightly.

“Oh hi, Kris, what brings you by?” She calls out cheerily, her smile lighting up her beautiful face. She acts like she doesn’t know I’m here about her little angel, something I find so hard to believe seeing as it’s the only reason I ever come over.

I sigh in frustration, taking a deep breath before launching into my usual style of rant. “Your damn dog crapped on my property again, Joy, right by my goddamn mailbox! How many times in the past two years have I asked you to keep him off my yard?!”

Sure enough, as if he knows we are talking about him, the little hellion chooses that moment to run through the room, barking and fussing over my raised tone.

It takes only seconds for Joy to lose her footing. Before she can blink, I lurch forward, instinct kicking in and she lands in my arms. My cock hardens at the feel of her in my arms as our eyes lock and for a moment I forget what I was yelling about.

Her eyes are the most astonishing shade of blue; deep and dark like drowning pools, her face is flushed with both shock and arousal and I can’t help but let a little groan slip from me as she darts her little pink tongue out to wet her bottom lip. Before she can protest, I turn my head and swing her up against me, burying my face in her dark locks. Fuck. She smells of gingerbread and coffee; of all the things I’ve craved and denied myself, and all I can think is that I want nothing more than to just eat her up....