Hot Holiday Love: an Interracial romance Read online

  Hot Holiday Love

  Germaine Solomon

  Jessica Watkins Presents

  Contents

  Copyright

  Book Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Synopsis

  Prologue

  1.

  Natalie Zyeshia Taylor

  2.

  Hayden ‘Viper’ Drachenberg Ellis

  3.

  Natalie

  4.

  Hayden

  5.

  Natalie

  6.

  Hayden

  7.

  Natalie

  8.

  Hayden

  9.

  Natalie

  10.

  Natalie

  11.

  Hayden

  12.

  Hayden

  13.

  Natalie

  14.

  Hayden

  15.

  Natalie

  16.

  Hayden

  17.

  Natalie

  18.

  Hayden

  19.

  Natalie

  20.

  Hayden

  21.

  Hayden

  22.

  Natalie

  23.

  Natalie

  24.

  Hayden

  25.

  Natalie

  26.

  Natalie

  27.

  Hayden

  28.

  Natalie

  29.

  Hayden

  Epilogue

  The End

  Contact Germaine

  Copyright © 2017 by Germaine Solomon

  Published by Jessica Watkins Presents

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Without limiting the right under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form by means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Book Dedication

  This book is dedicated to my one and only son, Solomon III and my parents, Billy and Lauretta. You three are the wind beneath my wings. I love you so much.

  Acknowledgments

  First, I give all honor, praise, and glory to God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon me. Without You, Lord, I would be nothing. Thank You for giving me the gifts of writing and storytelling. Thank you, Solomon III for being such a trooper while Mommy writes, edits, and promotes all the time. You are my greatest inspiration. My constant grind is all for you. I love you more than I love myself. A special thanks to my parents for believing in me and always supporting my endeavors. You are the world’s greatest parents hands down. Thank you, Solomon Junior for being a supportive husband even though my work often frustrates the hell out of you. I appreciate the way you hold me down and make it possible for me to do what I love every day. I love you from the bottom of my heart. To my siblings, Dawn, Lance, Shirley, and Nikki, I tip my hat and blow kisses. We are the Fabulous 5 for life. I love y’all. Extra props to Dawn and Nikki for being an active part of my writing career. I consider you two my co-authors. Thank you every member of the Randall, Fults, and Berewa families. I’m proud to be a part of such amazing people. I have the baddest screen team/beta readers on the planet. Thanks, Dawn Nikki, Ashley, Deborah Anne, Katanga, Christan, Cherell, Linda, and Valentia. Y’all chicks rock!!! I ain’t got nothing but love for you ladies. To my sistahs in ink, Perri Forrest, Xuri Foxx, Jasmine Williams, Allyson Deese, Michaune Hagan, and Cachet Andres, I say thanks for your unwavering support. You ladies are very talented authors and y’all know the struggle is real. All hail, the book trailer queen, Sabrina ‘Diamond’ Lewis, and Diamond Life Productions and Voiceovers. You’re the best who’s ever done it, boo. I rocks with you for life. Last but not least, thank you fans of Germaine Solomon and IR BWWM readers across the board. I appreciate your support. I’m sure you enjoyed Natalie and Hayden’s story, so please go to Amazon and leave a review. Thanks, God bless, and Merry Christmas!

  About the Author

  Germaine Solomon is a native of Macon, Georgia who now resides in McDonough, just south of Atlanta with her husband of 13 years and their 12-year-old son. Germaine writes and edits fulltime. When she is not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, singing, and traveling.

  Synopsis

  Only holiday magic could bring superstar R&B and pop singing sensation, Zyeshia, and multi-champion soccer phenom, Viper Drachenberg, together. Heartbroken, she flees her home in Atlanta, Georgia and retreats to the Blue Ridge Mountains three days before Christmas to escape the humiliation of a cheating ex-boyfriend and the blood-sucking media. He seeks solace at his cabin in the mountains of Georgia, thousands of miles away from his home in Munich, Germany while his career hangs in the balance after being suspended from the league for testing positive for illegal substances.

  From two totally different worlds, Zyeshia and Viper are strangers to each other, but the moment they meet, an instant mutual attraction ignites, connecting them and the sexual chemistry they share is beyond explosive. Yielding to the primitive call of nature, the ancient intimacy originated by Adam and Eve, the songstress and pro baller fall under each other’s spell in the hottest holiday romance ever. And soon, love consumes them. But just before they’re able to fully explore their newfound union of the hearts, Viper is summoned back to Germany to learn his fate in the world of soccer, forcing Zyeshia to return home longing for his touch.

  Their secret identities and hectic career schedules make it impossible for the soul mates to reunite. But destiny has a way of aligning the stars perfectly in the sky to bring yearning hearts back together again even after unforeseen interruptions, a scandalous plot, and unexpected misfortune. Hot Holiday Love is a delicious Christmastime treat, featuring a raw alpha male and a sexy singing sistah who steals his heart and keeps it for life.

  Prologue

  Three days ago…

  “Are you fucking kidding me right now, Tobias?! That bitch is pregnant with your baby?! Oh my God! Why didn’t you tell me before now?!” I collapsed to my knees in the middle of my spacious great room. Totally heartbroken, I covered my face with both hands and cried from my soul. “How could you do this to me?!”

  “I’m sorry, Eesh. I was scared to tell you. I didn’t wanna lose you, girl.”

  I didn’t want to hear that shit! I had forgiven his dumb ass against my better judgment when I caught him cheating on me with that video-vixen slut back in April. But now, my stupidity had circled back around and bit me in my ass. Apparently, their secret fling had resulted in a surprise pregnancy, and the sleazy trick was due to deliver their little love child any day now, according to Tobias’ sorry ass. This was going to be my worst Christmas ever!

  I didn’t deserve this bullshit. I had been nothing but a good woman to Tobias throughout our entire relationship. Hell, I had been carrying his trifling ass for the past two years because his rap career was on life support while I stayed on top of the hip-hop, R&B, and pop music charts. Plus I was constantly cast in supporting roles in TV movies as well as occasional big screen gigs. Zyeshia stayed getting money. And with my cash flow, I had been floating Tobias financially a
nd keeping him socially relevant for a minute, but this Negro had had the nerve to creep on me behind my back.

  “Eesh, we can get through this, bae,” Tobias had the balls to say as he kneeled next to me and wrapped an arm round my shoulders. “That bitch don’t mean shit to me. I’ll take care of my lil’ shawty, but I ain’t got nothin’ for Jian. It’s all about you and me, girl.”

  I shoved him away from me as hard as I could and pinned him in place with tear-filled eyes. “How the hell are you going to take care of her baby when I take care of your broke ass, huh? You ain’t got shit! I dress you, feed you, and keep a roof over your head. Hell, I even throw away money on studio time and producers’ hours although I know you can’t crank out another hit single if your life depended on it.”

  Tobias nodded his head as his jaw clenched tightly with anger, but I didn’t give a damn. He was super sensitive about his comatose, one-hit rap career, which was basically non-existent at this point. But he had the audacity to roll around Atlanta in the luxury whip I had bought him, fronting as if he were balling out like the relevant hip-hop artists in the city. Man, how the hell did I get mixed up with this loser? I deserved so much better.

  I stood abruptly. “I’m done with you, Tobias. Give me the key to my crib and the key to the Aston Martin. Then pack up only the shit you brought here with you when you moved in and get your lowdown, good-for-nothing, cheating ass the hell out of my house! You’ve got five minutes.”

  He hopped up, breathing all hard and shit. “Hold up now. I— ”

  “I’m counting! If you’re not gone in five minutes, I’m going to call your probation officer and the police!”

  “How the hell am I supposed to pack all my clothes, shoes, and game consoles in five minutes, Eesh? You know I need more time than that. And how do you expect me to travel without my ride?”

  “The clothes, shoes, and game boxes belong to me because I paid for all of it. The veterans at The Stripes House are going to have a Merry Christmas this year, buddy.” I attempted to laugh even as tears continued to fall from my eyes. “And you can request an Uber right before you give me back that expensive phone I bought you.” I folded my arms across my braless breasts and hit him with a neck roll. “Chop-Chop, Negro! Time is ticking. Grab some garbage bags and stuff them with the same shit you moved in here with and be a ghost. Don’t you call, text, email, DM, hit me up on Facebook, write, or even think about me ever again because we are done.”

  “Eesh, baby, you don’t mean that shit. I love you, girl. Let’s work it out. Don’t let my one mistake tear us apart, bae.”

  “You have three minutes and twenty-seven seconds, Tobias,” I announced after checking my watch.

  I sat down on the leather sectional and massaged my temples while he stomped upstairs to pack the few things he had moved from his loft in Midtown to my mansion in Buckhead two years ago after he got evicted. My parents and my cousin had warned me about Tobias. Mom had said on day one that he was nothing but trouble, and my dad had sworn on everything sacred that I was just too damn good for him. Arrayvia, my most trusted cousin slash best friend slash personal assistant, simply didn’t like Tobias and she never had even before he and I hooked up. His reputation in the hip-hop world was less than favorable and he had a criminal record long before I’d met him. Plus he used to change women like he changed drawers. Damn! Why hadn’t I listened to my family?

  I got up and walked over to my display case, still crying silently. It hurt like hell to have been fucked over and deceived by a man who I had committed my life to after my loved ones had warned me to beware. I wiped my nose with the long sleeve of my tangerine tee as my eyes floated slowly over my prized possessions…my treasures…the symbols of my success. One, two, three Grammys…I could recall vividly each of those individual moments I’d heard a presenter call my name as the winner and how wonderful it had felt. I closed my eyes, allowing those memories to flash through my mind like a slideshow.

  Oh my God! They were three incredible nights that I will forever carry in my heart and I would always cherish my Grammys. I felt the same way about my two NAACP Image awards, one American Music award, and my Soul Train award. I reached up and carefully lifted the gold-plated, handmade gramophone trophy I’d won for best new R&B artist at the age of nineteen. It seemed like that unforgettable moment five years ago had only happened yesterday. The thrill was still fresh. I pressed my first Grammy award against my chest and closed my eyes over my tears, trying to remember my acceptance speech.

  “Humph, maybe if your ass had been huggin’ and lovin’ on me regularly like you do them goddamn trophies and kept your ass at home more instead of doin’ all of them fuckin’ concerts and campin’ out in the studio weeks at a time, I wouldn’t have turned to another bitch to get my needs met.”

  The fine hairs on the back of my neck bristled at the sound of Tobias’ raspy voice trying to throw shade at me. He had definitely gone for the jugular with those nasty words, placing blame on me for his disloyalty. A dirty motherfucker!

  I replaced my Grammy on the display shelf and spun around slowly just in time to see him toss the keys and cell phone on the coffee table with a thud. I had been crying so much that my eyes felt itchy and swollen, but my vision wasn’t the least bit impaired. I took a few steps toward the coffee table and picked up the phone. Then, on pure instinct and rage, I threw it with all my might over the short distance and struck him dead in the face.

  “Damn, Eesh!” He covered his nose and mouth with one hand and wiped away blood. “What the hell you do that for?!”

  I charged his ass and kneed him in the balls hard, using all my strength.

  “Ah shit!” He doubled over, grabbing his junk before he dropped to his knees and then fell flat on his face. “Arggghhh! Arggghhh! Shit!”

  I quickly grabbed the two bulky garbage bags and dragged them to my front door. After I opened it, I threw the bags out on my immaculately manicured lawn. Then, leaving the door open, I ran back to the great room, snatched Tobias by his ankles, and started dragging his ass across the carpet. I cringed when I noticed droplets of blood from his face staining the plush, imported, ecru wool blend. But I kept it moving because Stanley Steamer was just a phone call away.

  “Stop, Eesh! Stop! You’re hurting me! Stop, girl!”

  I ignored Tobias’ punk-ass screaming. He wasn’t about to get an ounce of sympathy from me. When I reached the front door, I was tired as hell. Dragging a six-foot, two-hundred-pound Negro several feet was no joke. Shit, I was only five-foot-five and on a good day, I topped the scale at a few pennies over a buck and a quarter. I took a few deep breaths to get my second wind before I gave Tobias two swift kicks in the ass and a sharp one in his right side.

  “Aaahhh! Damn you, Eesh! Damn you! Aaahhh!”

  A few ankle snatches later, Tobias’ shady ass lay face down in my front yard, kicking, cursing, and screaming. I strutted back inside my house, slammed the door shut, and locked it. Then, after I set the alarm, I called Big Quad, my bodyguard, and told him to rush over just in case Tobias recovered from his injuries and tried to trip before the Uber arrived.

  After I ended the call, I couldn’t resist the temptation. So, I ran to the formal living room at the front of the house and looked out the huge picture window. I cracked the hell up when I saw Tobias rolling around in my grass, holding his crotch, and crying like a little bitch. He looked like a damn fool.

  “Humph, that’s what you get, you dirty, evil bastard.”

  Chapter One

  Natalie Zyeshia Taylor

  “I hate to tell you, but Granny ain’t too happy about you not going to Charleston for Christmas with the rest of the family. You know how she likes to show you off to Aunt Lula Mae and Uncle Will because all of their grandkids turned out to be losers.”

  I shook my head at my cousin, Arrayvia, and peeped at the cars behind me through my rearview mirror. “Stop it, Ravie. Our cousins are not losers . There ain’t nothing wrong with managing a dollar store or o
wning a food truck. And I, for one, am very proud of Claude for enlisting in the National Guard to serve his country.”

  “What about Ronelle? Are you proud of her too?”

  “I sure am. It takes lots of guts and mental stability for a female to drive a Mack truck all across the country, hauling frozen chicken parts.”

  “Yeah, you’re right,” Ravie said, laughing her ass off.

  Just then, I noticed a little static on the phone line. My silver Mercedes G-Class SUV had a state-of-the-art dashboard communication system because I had refused to rely on that crappy factory model that came with it off the line. My daddy and I had done our homework and found the best system that money could buy and had it installed even before I ever drove my new truck. So, if the phone line was beginning to crackle and buzz, it meant I was losing bars as I drove up the Blue Ridge Mountains toward the cabin Ravie had rented for my private holiday getaway slash mental health retreat.

  “Aye, cuz, let me hit you back when I make it up to the cabin. The line is breaking up and I need to concentrate on driving over these narrow, winding roads before I lose control.”

  “Okay, Eesh, I’ll let you go. But you better call me from the landline as soon as you walk in the cabin.”

  “Damn, girl! Can a sistah at least unpack her truck first? Big Quad put two coolers full of food in my hatch along with my luggage, digital piano, and other music equipment. How much damn food did you buy? I only asked for the basics.”