Only Christmas with a Billionaire

Wanted: Forever homes for twelve adorable puppies.
Needed: A Christmas Eve miracle and maybe a kiss under the mistletoe.

Alone for the holidays, Clara finds out the animal shelter where she volunteers has twelve puppies for adoption. All she wants for Christmas is to match them with families, but it's not easy. On Christmas Eve, twelve wagging tails surround her, still in need of forever homes.

Logan doesn't care if fans call him the Grinch. He's had it with the holly, the jolly, the merriment, and the caroling. If he has to sing, "All I Want for Christmas is You," one more time, he might lose it, but he's already lost so much. He'd rather just skip the festivities altogether.

When Clara meets up with a friend for coffee to brainstorm ideas to place the dogs, she encounters a jerk with a voice that can melt snow and maybe hearts—none other than musician Logan Ryder.

Desperate, Clara asks Logan to help find homes for the dogs. Guilt and nothing about how she's cute and sweet make him agree.When they find themselves under the mistletoe, he might just change his mind and sing one more time.

This heartwarming, inspirational Christmas novella is part of the Only Us Billionaire romance series, but can be read as a standalone. You're sure to laugh, get the feels, and crave cookies (and Christmas) by the end!

Chapter 1: Clara

A woman with a pointy face and wearing a paisley scarf gave Clara a long, appraising look as she pressed through the bustling flow of people on the sidewalk. A man in a puffer coat did a double take while she waited on the corner for the walk signal. A little girl tugged on her mom's sleeve and then pointed. When Clara met her eyes, the little girl giggled. Clara winked.

The bells on the door to the Grind Coffee Shop jingled as she entered. Clara rubbed her hands together to warm up.

Her best friend, Penny, nodded apologetically at a guy with eyeglasses chatting with her over the screen of his laptop and excused herself. Penny's mouth fell open when she saw her friend's outfit as she wound through the last-minute holiday shoppers loading up on caffeine. "Clara Covington, what are you wearing?"

"Do you mean Bubbles Sugarplum?"

Penny inclined her head.

"That's my elf name. Let's see. Yours is Flirty McSprinkles. Who was that you were talking to?" Clara eyed the guy in glasses meaningfully.

Penny waved her hand dismissively. "He just got his law degree and is lonely. Too young. Not interested. Not my type." At their last coffee date, Penny had made it clear she was focusing on her career and not men. Clara felt the same, but her career really wasn't really taking off just yet.

"How do you know he's lonely?" Clara nudged her shoulder against Penny's.

"He's working on Christmas Eve."

"So am I. Well, volunteering, but still." Clara smoothed her hand along one of her long, brown braids.

"Does that explain the elf costume?"

"I have to be at Angel Ears at one." Clara smiled because working with the dogs at the shelter was one of the few things that made her feel the holly, jolly joy of the season.

The pair waited in the long line, chatting and singing along to the Christmas carols, trying to remember the words. Clara no longer let her laughter and grin make her feel bad, despite the fact that so many people hurried and scowled. Not everyone celebrated

Christmas, and some people were lonely, sad, or grieving—pain she knew all too well, but she liked to think the people she'd lost would want her to be happy, at least she hoped so.

"Oh, I love this one," Penny said, turning her ear toward the speaker in the loud coffee shop. "Have you heard L Ryder's version of All I want for Christmas is You yet? It's a definite instant classic."

Clara listened. "He has a really good voice." He crooned, the words a masterpiece in his mouth. In her imagination, she envisioned a handsome man seated at a piano while she leaned beside it, both of them singing along with their guests.

A fire blazed in the hearth and the house smelled of delicious food. She was such a romantic, even though there wasn't anyone special in her life.

"Yeah, well, it seems like he's lost the lyrics," Penny said.

Clara's brow rippled into furrows. "What do you mean?"

"He's a great musician, but have you heard about him lately? The typical good boy went bad story." She clicked on her phone and scrolled to a few social media stories about him trashing a hotel room, walking out on a concert, and the allegations that he tried to block the broadcast of his Christmas hit.

"That's too bad. I wonder what made him so upset." Especially at this time of year, she wanted to help people, especially when they were struggling.

"Clara, you always see the best in people and want to fix things. He's a rock star. I'm sure the Christmas song was just his manager trying to get him back in the good graces of his fans, and the rest is a publicity stunt." She shrugged as the line moved forward.

Penny's words hit a tender spot. They both knew why she wanted to help people, especially before it was too late. "Still, it seems like something would be going on in his life to make him throw away all of those opportunities."

As Penny scrolled through her feed, Clara had a flash of inspiration. She gripped her friend's arm, startling her.

"Take it easy, Bubbles."

"I've got it. I'll use social media to find homes for the dogs. Twelve puppies arrived at the shelter this morning. I guess another shelter didn't have room, lack of funds and staff."

Penny tapped her chin. "And you've made it your personal mission to find them homes.

That definitely explains the elf costume. But if I have to bail you out of jail for trying to sneak through people's chimneys to deliver…"

Clara laughed. "I'll post pictures and videos; I'll try to have everyone I know share the post. Surely, someone wants a dog for Christmas."

A man in line in front of them hollered for the couple ahead of him to hurry up. The teen girl, wearing a hat with a pom-pom glared at him and then ordered. "I would like a peppermint stick latte with almond milk, a splash of vanilla, whipped cream, and chocolate shavings on top."

The man tossed up his hands and stormed out.

"Sounds like he's going to get coal in his stocking," Clara muttered.