A Highlander for Christmas by Debbie Macomber, Christina Skye Read Free Book Online

perfect.”
    “Nothing’s perfect.” The words came out more harshly than he’d intended. It was suddenly difficult to stand close and not touch her. Or maybe it was because he was fighting an urge to slide his lips over that silver mark at her shoulder, then work his way slowly upward.
    Jared forced away the thought.
    But he could sense the imagination and the passion she held for her work. They fascinated him. She fascinated him.
    And the way she filled out that silk dress should have been illegal.
    Her eyes narrowed. “If you actually believe that, you must be very bored.”
    “I’m not bored now.”
    She tilted her head. “No?”
    The stillness was there again, but now Jared sensed it came only through great force of will. She was measuring him now, making checks on an invisible list.
    She gave a little shrug and turned away. “I thought Karen was out here.”
    “She went looking for something in the back.” Jared studied the platinum hoops at her neck and the black pearls nestled between her breasts. She looked very cool in all that jewelry. He hardly qualified as an expert, but he was certain the pearls alone were worth a small fortune. “Your necklace is lovely.”
    “Thank you.” Her hand slid restlessly along the chain, and Jared saw that her fingers weren’t entirely steady.
    So his first assessment had been off. Maggie Kincade only appeared to be cool, he realized. At close quarters he couldn’t miss the wistfulness that had crept into her eyes when she’d touched the necklace. He had the sudden impression of a restless flame trapped beneath glass, and he wondered what it would take for a man to slip beneath that careful, guarded surface of hers.
    She would be as complex as her designs, he suspected. Sharp edges and hidden warmth, with nothing quite what it appeared. Revealed slowly, piece by piece and layer by layer, she would be a puzzle a man could spend years trying to solve.
    And touching that wonderful mouth of hers would be like tasting sunlight on sweet, ripe fruit.
    “Here you are, sir. This should fit any size.”
    Jared blinked at the saleswoman holding out a silk shawl filled with delicate floral designs.
    “That one’s Chinese. The embroidery squares date back to the mid-nineteenth century.”
    It took Jared several ragged heartbeats to assimilate what Maggie was saying. “Silk.” He tried to nod astutely. “Chinese.” He didn’t take his gaze from her face. There was a deep watchfulness about her now as she stared back at him.
    “Did you want to look at something else?”
    At you. For about twenty years. Preferably without silk or anything else on that amazing body. He cleared his throat. “No, this will be fine. Could I have it wrapped?”
    “Certainly. Karen will help you with that.” She smoothed back her hair and took a deep breath, as if preparing for a difficult encounter. “I’d better go. I hope you find something perfect after all.” Her lips curved. “It would serve you right.”
    “Maybe I have.”
    Turning in a swirl of black satin as a voice called loudly from the next room, she didn’t hear his soft answer. “Is the necklace for sale?” Jared blurted, driven to speak to her again so he could watch emotions spin and dance over that vibrant face.
    Her hand brushed her neck. “I’m sorry, but it’s just been sold.”
    “A pity. It’s simple, but very powerful. I suppose the greatest beauty usually is, “he said.
    His gaze shifted, brushing her shoulders. He saw a faint wave of color fill her cheeks. Jared was glad for that. It meant he wasn’t the only one feeling uncomfortable in the encounter.
    She raised her chin. “You’re staring.”
    “Most men would.”
    More color washed her face. She wasn’t accustomed to male attention, Jared realized. For some obscure reason the thought pleased him deeply.
    “Do you make a practice of buying gifts for one woman while you stare at another one?”
    “The gifts are for a friend. Just a friend.”
    Her