Cowboys 08 - Luke by Leigh Greenwood Read Free Book Online

and valued her way of life. She would be comfortable.
    A woman could feel safe with a man like Luke Attmore, but not comfortable. The possibility of an even closer relationship didn't bear thinking about. Apparently American women agreed with her. She hadn't askedthere was no reason she should-but she was certain he wasn't married. He didn't wear a ring.
    When had she noticed that? She couldn't remember, but there was nothing domesticated about Luke Attmore. Despite that, she was certain he got everything he wanted from women. It would be so easy for a woman, wrapped in the sensual pleasure of his company, to forget that he was far more dangerous to her than anyone he might be expected to protect her from.
    Valeria muttered a curse that would have brought a rebuke from her uncle. She was tired of thinking about Luke Attmore. The sooner she reached Rudolf's ranch, the sooner she could turn her back on him.
    Hans returned alone.
    "Where is Mr. Attmore?" Valeria asked.
    "Gone to bed," Hans replied. "He said he wanted to leave at dawn. He said you were to go to bed, too."
    Go to bed before eight o'clock! Leave at dawn! The man had to be crazy. She hadn't even had dinner. It would be impossible for her chef to prepare and serve breakfast before eight o'clock. She would have to talk to Mr. Attmore. She was willing to make some compromises, but this was preposterous.
    Chapter Four
     
    Valeria fought the call to wake up. It was winter, snow piled deep outside her window, and she was warm and cozy in her bed. She didn't want to get up and dress in a cold room. She didn't want to eat breakfast with her governess telling her not to gobble and to chew every mouthful thirty-two times.
    "Go away," she mumbled. "I don't want to do my lessons."
    She liked history and art, but she had math and natural science today. Her tutor made her seek nature where it could be found. That usually meant woods and swamps. She always came home wet and dirty.
    Valeria felt her covers being stripped away. She opened her eyes to see Luke Attmore standing next to her bed.
    "You've got exactly ten seconds to get out of bed and one minute to get dressed," he said, his eyes glinting hard as blue steel, his jaw rigid enough to support an entire building. "If you can't manage it in that time, I'll do it for you."
    Valeria looked wildly about the room before she remembered she was in the tiny town of Bonner in the Arizona Territory and there were no footmen or armed soldiers to come to her aid, just her maid who was now cowering in the corner and looking frightened out of her wits.
    "What are you doing in my room?" Valeria demanded. She reached automatically for something to cover herself, but Like had thrown all the bedding onto the floor.
    "It'll soon be time to leave," Luke said.
    Except for a solitary lamp, the room was in virtual darkness. Not a single ray of light entered through the windows. "It's still dark outside. Nobody travels in the middle of the night."
    Luke reached out, took hold of her hand, and dragged her to the edge of the bed. "You do if you want me to take you to Rudolf. What do you want to wear? I'll find it."
    "Don't touch my clothes!" she cried.
    Luke paid no attention. He pulled one dress after another from the wardrobe and tossed each aside.
    "Dozens of dresses and not a single sensible one. Stand up.
    When shock prevented her from moving, he pulled her to her feet. "You're about five feet, four inches tall."
    "Five-five," she corrected.
    He put his hands around her waist. Before she could recover from the shock of having him touch her, he moved his hands up to her breasts. She froze, paralyzed, unable to move. No man had ever dared touch her. He would have died before the firing squad.
    "Not bad," Luke said half to himself before his hands
    moved down to run over her hips and buttocks. Valeria managed to recover herself enough to fling his hands away.
    "I'll have you shot for this," she declared.
    "Relax. I'm not trying to take advantage of