I am a Master. You must know this fact to understand my story. I capture women. I break them down. And I rebuild them. If they are lucky, they are sold into the professional hands of another Master. If they are less fortunate, they are buried beneath the ground, never to be thought of again. I lust for the control, I demand absolute submission and my body yearns to warp the minds of those I train. Power is the only thing I’ll ever need and I am addicted to the feeling of ultimate control. I am wealthy, good-looking, educated and charming. And I am - in no way - a good man. I do not want love. I do not want kindness. She thought she could change me by giving me the two things I knew I never wanted. She was wrong.

She caught my attention the first day I was seated in her class. Her dark red hair fell in waves down her back and her alabaster skin appeared to sparkle under the lights of the lecture hall. I'd admired her from a distance, never speaking or doing anything to draw attention to myself. Each day that I spent watching her in this room, I noticed how her eyes would flick up to me. She was wary of me - frightened - and she had reason to be. Allow me to introduce myself… My name is Holland Strong and at 21 years old, I'm the youngest Master within a society of wealthy and influential men. Claire Elliot is my psychology professor in college - that is, at least, until I make her my first courtesan. She believes she knows everything about how the mind works… …and I believe I can prove her wrong. Disclaimer: This book is intended for mature audiences only (18+) due to language and sexual situations. This book contains explicit descriptions of violence.

I am a Master. You must know this fact to understand my story. I’m not here to offer you a delightful or cheerful holiday story. It is not my job to fill up your heart with the festive spirit of the season. It doesn’t make sense for me to subscribe to the spirit of the season when it’s one of the things I work so hard to extinguish in the courtesans I train. Rebecca thought she could seduce me into celebrating a holiday she loves. I don’t want lights and pretty baubles. I don’t want trees, or wreaths or garlands. I don’t want presents or the fantasy of a day where nothing bad exists. She thought she could manipulate me until my heart warmed just enough to allow some festive cheer to sink into the depths of cold, bleak darkness. I’ve said this once, and I’ll say it again… She was wrong. \\Her Master's Christmas is a holiday novella of the Masters Series. It follows Her Master's Courtesan and Her Master's Teacher. This book deals with sensitive subject matter and should be approached with caution by those sensitive to triggers.\\

\\THIS BOOK IS A STANDALONE WITHIN THE SERIES. READING THE OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES IS NOT NECESSARY BEFORE READING THIS NOVEL.\\ I was a Master. To understand me, you must understand my past. My father was a Master. My mother his Courtesan. I was raised in a business that trained women to become whores for the men that owned them. I was taught to train with a strict hand...but to seduce with a kind heart. Although my mother was one of those golden whores, the women broken and rebuilt to become everything their owner could desire, my mother - in her wisdom and beauty - trapped the heart of her Master. Through her perseverance, she never let the man go. Naturally, I followed in his footsteps, not once finding love, but almost gaining a son. My heart was destroyed on a clear summer day when my child was stripped from my hands. Redemption for my crimes was lost, and loneliness like a man should never know was gained. Until I found Seraphina... She thought she could deny me. She thought she could choose her fate or determine the course her life would run. She thought she would never love another because she couldn't love herself. With a shattered heart and rebellious mind, she believed her life was broken. She chose death as an avenue to escape the life she was given, and she believed there was nobody who could stand in her way. As her Master, it was my duty to show her... ...that all her beliefs were wrong.

I was a Courtesan. It was in an art gallery where I first met the man who would steal me away. Ours was not a healthy relationship. People would claim to be a Courtesan makes me weak. I would tell them that to be Aiden's Courtesan, you must be strong. That is what it means to live my life. That is what it means to submit fully. That is what it means to be a Courtesan. Aiden believed I wasn't strong enough to overpower him. He believed I wasn't smart enough to play his game. It's finally my turn to take control. It's my change to prove to Aiden that all his beliefs are... ...WRONG.