Her Christmas Protector by Terri Reed Read Free Book Online

on the bed then sat on the edge and rubbed her hands.
    She stirred, her eyelids fluttered, then slowly opened.
    Unexpected tenderness grabbed a hold of him. He tucked a lock of blond hair behind her ear, his fingers brushed across her cheek, the skin satin smooth and warm to his touch. Her eyes widened slightly and he withdrew his hand. “How are you feeling?”
    “Wh—what happened?”
    “You fainted.”
    Her teeth pulled at her bottom lip. “I guess I’m more tired than I thought.” She smiled, weakly.
    It was from more than fatigue.
    He studied her face, liking the way her dark blond brows arched high over eyes that slanted ever so slightly upward at the corners, the way her little nose wrinkled up when she didn’t like something, and especially the shape of her mouth.
    Full and lush. Kissable.
    Faith sat up, her body barely inches from his.
    “Luke?”
    Her voice held a question or an invitation, he didn’t know which.
    He swallowed but made no move.
    She was beautiful and sensitive, strong and yet, so vulnerable. She was defenseless, exhausted, and in need of his protection, not his kisses. Plus, this was exactly what he’d been trying to avoid.
    He didn’t want an entanglement.
    He jumped to his feet. One second longer and his resolve would have weakened. A man could only withstand so much.
    “I’ll—I’ll just let—you get some sleep,” he stammered and tried to back out of the room gracefully, but bumped against the doorjamb. “I’ll—see you in the morning.” He exited quickly, pulling the door closed behind him.
    Smooth, Campbell. Real smooth.

     
    Disgusted with herself, Faith flopped back onto the pillows. What was the matter with her? She’d never felt like this before. And the last thing she needed was to kiss Luke. Yet, she’d wanted to.
    More than she could have ever imagined.
    Uh-oh.
    She must fight this attraction to him. He was her employer. She couldn’t allow him to turn into anything more. Not only would her job be on the line, but her safety.
    And Dottie.
    Faith wouldn’t want to be forced to leave her if something went…wrong.
    Though her mind agreed, the rapid beat of her heart contradicted the logic.
    She couldn’t let her heart rule. Not in this situation.
    Too much was at stake.

     
    Morning found Luke sitting at his desk, staring out the window. The Three Sisters Mountains rose high in the distance, their snow-covered peaks creating a breathtaking view.
    But the beauty of nature offered him no peace. He hadn’t slept much the night before. His mind wandered during his nightly devotions. He’d finally shut his Bible and dropped to his knees. Praying had always been a time of restoration and peace, a way to calm his mind before going to sleep.
    But sleep proved to be elusive.
    Images of Faith, her mouth inches from his, had haunted his dreams. He’d gotten up early, intent on getting some work done. After giving his foreman, Leo, permission to go into town to hire some hands, Luke meant to take advantage of this dry cold spell and start calling some roofing companies to come out and give him a bid, but so far he’d only managed to drink a pot of coffee.
    The jingle of the phone pulled his gaze from the mountains to the phone on his desk. Picking up the receiver, he heard voices coming over the line.
    “What do you need, Ethel?” Reva asked impatiently, having answered the phone in the kitchen.
    “Just tell Luke I’m on the phone.” Ethel’s annoyance was clear in her tone. Ever since Reva had made Ethel’s daughter, Molly, cry at their high-school graduation, Ethel had little tolerance for the woman.
    “He’s busy working. I’ll take a message,” Reva insisted.
    Luke spoke up. “I’ve got it, Reva. You can hang up.”
    “But, Luke, honey, you said you didn’t want to be disturbed.” The whiny quality of her voice grated across his already tightly strung nerves.
    “It’s okay, Reva, just hang up.” He waited until he heard a click. “Sorry, Ethel.