She was fired for Christmas. He’s the Duke who signed the pink slip. And now, he’s her only ride to a Highland winter wonderland.

Sophia Reynolds is a master of the “imposter” act. She’s spent five years in London building a life out of paper-thin pennies and Jane Austen fantasies, all to forget the alcoholic father and the abusive ex she left behind in Denver. But her carefully curated world collapses on a Friday morning when she’s fired from her marketing job, just days before Christmas.

When her old clunker dies in a London snowstorm, her “guardian angel” arrives in a silver Aston Martin. Harris Kellison, the Duke of Finnes, is everything Sophia fears: rich, arrogant, and the secret owner of the company that just let her go.

Harris isn’t just looking for a new manager; he’s looking for a lifetime. From helping Sophia’s sister escape a nightmare back home to importing a private winter wonderland of snow to his eleventh-century castle, Harris is determined to melt the fence around Sophia’s heart.

As they navigate mistletoe traditions and steamy encounters in ancient sitting rooms, Sophia must decide: is she just a “meal ticket” for a man who has everything, or can a girl from nowhere finally find her home in the arms of a Scottish Duke?.

A sizzling, holiday romance featuring a protective billionaire, a 500-year-old castle, and a New Year’s vow that changes everything.

Sophia

I breathed in the scent of fresh snow, which reminded me of Christmas. As I walked down the London street, I passed the aroma of cinnamon rolls. Pedestrians stared at me like I was strange, because I grinned like an American, without a care about my crooked teeth.

Soon I would see my friends and celebrate the holidays, and no one should be miserable at Christmastime—at least in my world. Life was better somehow when a fresh pine tree smell filled the air, including the lobby of the marketing building where I worked.

For a moment, I could have sworn I saw Harris, my friend Charlotte’s neighbor in Scotland, whom I’d met weeks ago and who starred in my fantasy life, get on an elevator across the hall. But I blinked, and he was gone. Clearly, my brain was playing a bit of a trick on me as I waited for my elevator.

I had a bounce in my step as I slid into my office on that Friday morning.

No one was in their offices as I passed, though, so I must have been early. I reached my office and took my seat.

Soon I would be in Bath with my friends at Jane Austen’s tearoom, and we would have our annual holiday tradition.

The utter silence that filled the office was as distracting as a hurricane. I had no idea where anyone was or if I’d missed a memo about a day off. I jumped up to get myself a morning tea, took my cup to the electric kettle, and opened the cabinet for one of the tea bags.

The sound of someone clearing their throat came from behind me, and I turned to face my boss at the door. His face was completely white. I tilted my head and started to say hello, but he asked, “What are you doing here, Sophia?”

I narrowed my gaze as the water boiled behind me. “I work here.”

His face turned bright red when he said, “You should have read your email last night or this morning.”

Maybe the staff was all supposed to be somewhere else. My skin prickled. I’d spent half the night sewing my Jane Austen reenactment dress for the tea.

I nodded and said, “Right…”

Without another word, he stormed away. The halls were cold, and the lack of white noise was eerie. I took my teacup and returned to my office.

I opened my work email, and when I read my new messages, I almost spilled my tea. My hands started to shake as I reread the words. “We no longer require your services. Please report to human resources for your severance.”

I covered my lips and said, “Are you serious? Christmas is coming.” I gulped the last tea I would ever have there and grabbed my bag. At the last second, I decided to pack my teacup and rummage through my desk for my personal effects.

Being fired at Christmas was one of those movie scenes that always seemed unbelievable.

My entire body was cold and trembling as I left the office and headed downstairs.