Christmas Holiday Husband by Kris Pearson Read Free Book Online

lightning flickered and died. Tony hoped she’d have her doors open to the balcony. He’d pushed his own wide to capture some of the cooler evening air before going down to dinner. Surely Ellie would have done the same?
    The attraction between them was still white hot, however much she tried to ignore it. Her reaction to him at breakfast had been extreme. She’d lost her composure completely for the first few seconds, burying her face in her hands as though to deny he even existed. She’d spent the next several minutes sneaking quick glances at him and then averting her eyes whenever he caught her looking. She’d jumped like a nervous cat when the toast sprang up.
    But had she any idea she’d sought his tongue with her own as he kissed her? That instead of attempting to push him away, she’d grabbed the front of his shirt and held him close? He suspected not—for she’d reverted to her ice-maiden persona the instant he’d released her. She’d been a rather flushed ice-maiden though. If he applied a little heat, might she melt?
    He slipped his shirt buttons undone as he pictured her curled up on her bed, perhaps studying a textbook on first-level reading. She’d liked his body once; hopefully he could tempt her again.
    He leaned outside to check if her door was open.
    Not only were the soft voile curtains billowing in the slight breeze, but she’d dragged one of the outdoor chairs into the pool of light on the big balcony. As he’d imagined, she was immersed in a book.
    He stepped out, quickly hefting a low timber table across to where she sat. He set it in front of her, straddled it and then trapped her legs between his own as he sank down.
    “Privacy at last,” he said.
    xxx
    Ellie drew a sharp breath—half fright, half anticipation. Some sort of showdown had been in the air all day. At least he had the sense to make sure they were unobserved and unheard; she was grateful for that.
    She met his eyes, imploring him to leave her alone but knowing there was little chance of it, then dropped her gaze to his shadowy warm chest. The light from her room spilled across him, casting him into bronze. She longed to reach over and push the loose shirt back off his shoulders so she could once again see the body that had given her so much pleasure. How had he changed? He was obviously still lean and muscular—although it was now a much more mature body, and honed to perfection by ten more years of hard physical work.
    Her fingers itched to touch and stroke and slide over his skin. She dug her nails into her palms, balling her hands into tight fists to resist the temptation.
    Their eyes locked again. “What’s wrong, Ellie?”
    She shook her head. “Nothing at all.”
    “Pull the other one. You’re pushing me away as though I’m poison. Why?”
    “There’s nothing wrong,” she insisted, trying to keep her voice calm, even though her heart lurched along unevenly. “It’s wonderful to see you—such a surprise. But it puts me in a strange position, being here to work for you. That’s all.”
    She tried to pull away, but he had her ankles firmly trapped between his iron-strong legs.
    “We’re going to sit here until you stop shying away from me,” he said. “What are you scared of?”
    “Not you.”
    “Us?”
    “There’s no ‘us’ to even consider.” Ellie knew her face had flooded with heat, and was grateful the light was behind her so Tony saw nothing of the blush.
    But then he shrugged his shirt off and tossed it onto one of the other chairs. “Hot, isn’t it...” he murmured.
    Ellie’s gaze fastened on his broad shoulders and strong hair-hazed chest.
    He took a deep breath and stretched a little. The light glanced off his smooth abdomen and trim waist.
    He was more of a man in every way now. The high spirited young man had gone, leaving a virile masculine predator in a potently attractive package. If her fingers had not been so tightly clenched they’d now be exploring his delicious