His Lips for Christmas
(2024)(The third book in the Love is Back in Mistwood Hollow series)
A Story by Ivy Noir
This holiday season, Caleb, a rugged ex-soldier with a fiercely possessive edge, finds himself pulled to Riley, his best friend’s widow. She’s no longer just a promise he made—she’s a temptation he can’t resist, forcing Caleb to either claim her as his own or risk the ache of losing her forever.
Riley
Caleb’s presence draws me in, stirring feelings I thought were long buried.
Every glance, every touch chips away at the walls I’ve built since Matt’s passing.
I want Caleb, but guilt creeps in—can I truly love again, especially with Matt’s best friend?
Yet he makes me feel alive, like I’m more than just my grief, like maybe I deserve happiness.
He’s steady, grounding, as if he was always meant to be here, with me, with Lily.
Am I selfish for wanting this? For wanting him?
Maybe, just maybe, it’s okay to open my heart again, to let him in.
Caleb
Seeing Riley again jolts me, reigniting everything I tried to bury.
I promised Matt I’d look after her, but wanting her feels like crossing a line.
She’s not just my best friend’s wife—she’s a strong, beautiful woman who deserves happiness.
Each smile is a knife; I want to erase her sadness, yet guilt weighs heavy.
Am I betraying him?
But Riley needs someone who truly sees her, not just Matt’s widow.
If I take this slow, maybe it’s what Matt would have wanted.
I’ve loved her quietly for years, and now, I want to be the man who makes her whole.
This is the third in the “Love is Back in Mistwood Hollow” series, where each book features a fierce, rugged hero falling hard for the woman who steals his heart. Standalone/HEA
Genre: Romance
Riley
Caleb’s presence draws me in, stirring feelings I thought were long buried.
Every glance, every touch chips away at the walls I’ve built since Matt’s passing.
I want Caleb, but guilt creeps in—can I truly love again, especially with Matt’s best friend?
Yet he makes me feel alive, like I’m more than just my grief, like maybe I deserve happiness.
He’s steady, grounding, as if he was always meant to be here, with me, with Lily.
Am I selfish for wanting this? For wanting him?
Maybe, just maybe, it’s okay to open my heart again, to let him in.
Caleb
Seeing Riley again jolts me, reigniting everything I tried to bury.
I promised Matt I’d look after her, but wanting her feels like crossing a line.
She’s not just my best friend’s wife—she’s a strong, beautiful woman who deserves happiness.
Each smile is a knife; I want to erase her sadness, yet guilt weighs heavy.
Am I betraying him?
But Riley needs someone who truly sees her, not just Matt’s widow.
If I take this slow, maybe it’s what Matt would have wanted.
I’ve loved her quietly for years, and now, I want to be the man who makes her whole.
This is the third in the “Love is Back in Mistwood Hollow” series, where each book features a fierce, rugged hero falling hard for the woman who steals his heart. Standalone/HEA
Genre: Romance
Used availability for Ivy Noir's His Lips for Christmas