Risky Christmas by Jill Sorenson Read Free Book Online Page A

him off. “I’m never going surfing.”
    Laughing, he said, “But you’ll try swimming?”
    After a short pause, she nodded. “Okay.”
    He grinned, delighted to have talked her into it. “You’ll be fine.”
    â€œI might freak out.”
    â€œDon’t worry about it. We can take as many breaks as you need.”
    They made arrangements to leave before noon the next day, and she promised to pack a picnic lunch. Brian knew it wasn’t a date, but he couldn’t squelch the feeling of excitement and anticipation in his belly.
    If he wasn’t concerned about scaring her off again, he might have tried to kiss her good-night.
    Â 
    Leah locked the door behind Brian and set the alarm, her heart sinking.
    Why had she agreed to go swimming?
    After the afternoon she’d had, the last thing she wanted to do was stress out or make a fool of herself. She knew she couldn’t tolerate being submerged in water. Tomorrow she was going to thrash and sputter like a wet cat.
    She also felt conflicted about encouraging him. He looked at her in an appreciative, manly way and she liked it. She might have avoided eye contact with him this week but she hadn’t been able to suppress her fantasies.
    Late at night, in her bed, she thought about him.
    Although he was very attractive, it wasn’t just his looks that drew her in. His personality was irresistible. He seemed so…resilient. He’d had a hard life but he wasn’t broken. In his presence, she felt safe.
    Brian could help her overcome her fears.
    If she learned to swim, she’d be taking a step forward, managing her anxiety. She felt like she had no control over her current situation. The program told her where to live, where to work. The lack of freedom, along with her frequent nightmares and constant worry about Mariano Felix, was crippling her.
    Had she really seen him earlier? Or had he been a figment of her imagination, an apparition from a nightmare?
    After checking in on the girls, who were sleeping soundly, she turned off the lights and crawled into bed. If she was being honest with herself, she’d admit that hooking up with Brian had some advantages. He wasn’t the kind of man she would normally date, with his troubled past and iffy finances. But he was tall and intimidating-looking. He had hard muscles and strong hands.
    Although all evidence showed that he was gentle with women and children, and sensitive to other people’s feelings, she’d bet he could raise those hands to defend himself if push came to shove.
    He could defend her, too.
    She’d never considered getting a boyfriend for security purposes. Since John’s death, she hadn’t felt a flicker of interest in a man. Her children came first. Besides, it wasn’t fair to get involved with someone under these circumstances. She was living under a false name, and could be relocated at the drop of a hat.
    Now that she’d seen Felix—maybe—her outlook had shifted. She could use the extra protection. She needed to be proactive.
    Hugging a pillow to her chest, she closed her eyes, imagining Brian in her bed.

Chapter 5
    L eah spent half the night tossing and turning, torn between terrifying memories of Mariano Felix and sexy fantasies starring Brian Cosgrove.
    Maybe she should cancel their swimming plans.
    She couldn’t believe she’d told him the truth about John. When he’d asked if her husband had been a good father, she should have said yes. Portraying John as an ideal partner would have discouraged Brian from entertaining romantic thoughts.
    But she’d looked into his dark, earnest eyes and was unable to tell the lie. Now she felt overexposed, almost desperate. She might as well have complained about John’s performance in their bedroom, which had become increasingly perfunctory.
    They’d never been a perfect couple, just a pretty facade. And his secrets had weighed her down for so