Read Midnight Under the Mistletoe Online
Authors: Sara Orwig
Midnight Under the Mistletoe
She didn’t look like any secretary he’d ever met
Billionaire Zach Delaney needs a live-in assistant while he
recuperates from an injury. But when Emma Hillman arrives at his Texas ranch
with her suitcase, he knows he’ll have to work hard to resist her. She’s sexy
and efficient, but way too family-oriented for a risk-taking globe-trotter like
him.
Emma is supposed to type, file and sort through centuries-old
Delaney family letters—not be seduced by her gorgeous boss into a can’t-last
affair. But as she tries to transform Zach into a man who values family, she
ends up expecting a Delaney of her own. Will Zach head for his jet…or welcome
his Christmas heir?
“Common Sense Tells Me To Walk Away Now,” Emma Whispered. “You
Have A Reputation For Never Going Out With An Employee.”
“I never have,” Zach answered. “That doesn’t mean I
can’t.”
“That wasn’t what I wanted to hear. I want this job.”
“Don’t quit on me,” he replied, his voice raspy and quiet. A
muscle worked in his jaw. “I’ll double your salary.”
“Double my salary?” she repeated, shaking her head.
“You don’t need to pack and go. Don’t walk out over a few
casual kisses.”
Exasperated and stung over his dismissal of kisses that had
shaken her, she stared at him. “Those kisses weren’t casual to my way of
thinking,” she whispered.
She stepped close, put her arm around his neck and placed her
mouth on his, kissing him with all the heat and fury she felt over his
dismissive attitude. In seconds, she broke off the kiss and looked up with
satisfaction.
“I’d say your body’s reaction isn’t
casual,
either,” she said, catching her breath.
Dear Reader,
Depending on circumstances, holidays can be painful or
joyous, and
Midnight Under the Mistletoe
is about
those opposing feelings.
For some, Christmas is a family celebration. It is a
kaleidoscope of events and people, funny moments, happy ones, touching
occasions, unpredictable occurrences and as the years go by, the holiday is
laced with memories of loved ones and good times. This story, as well as one of
the characters, reflects that view of Christmas. Also, the story is about the
breaking away of the hardened shell of someone’s hurt and loneliness acquired
through too many disappointing childhood Christmases.
Watch handsome billionaire Texan Zach Delaney’s life
transform when Emma Hillman pours her love of Christmas into his life. His
stunning secretary, who is a total opposite in personality and completely
off-limits to him, becomes the biggest temptation of his life. What happens when
a man who has always skipped Christmas falls in love with a woman who is the
embodiment of the December celebration?
Thank you for selecting
Midnight Under
the Mistletoe.
Happy holidays to all!
Sara Orwig
Sara Orwig
Midnight Under the Mistletoe
Books by Sara Orwig
Harlequin Desire
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Texas-Sized Temptation
#2086
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A Lone Star Love Affair
#2098
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Wild
Western Nights
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Relentless Pursuit
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The Reluctant Heiress
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Midnight Under the
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Silhouette Desire
Falcon’s Lair
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The Bride’s Choice
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A Baby for
Mommy
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Babes in
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Her Torrid
Temporary Marriage
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The Consummate Cowboy
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The Cowboy’s
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#1192
World’s Most Eligible Texan
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Cowboy’s Secret
Child
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The
Playboy Meets His Match
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Cowboy’s Special Woman
#1449
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Do You Take This Enemy?
#1476
††
The Rancher, the Baby & the Nanny
#1486
Entangled with
a Texan
#1547
*
Shut Up and Kiss Me
#1581
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Standing Outside the Fire
#1594
Estate Affair
#1657
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Pregnant with the First
Heir
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Revenge of the Second
Son
#1757
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Scandals from the Third
Bride
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Seduced by
the Wealthy Playboy
#1813
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Pregnant
at the Wedding
#1864
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Seduced by the
Enemy
#1875
‡
Wed to the Texan
#1887
**
Dakota Daddy
#1936
**
Montana Mistress
#1941
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Wyoming Wedding
#1947
Tempting the Texas Tycoon
#1989
Marrying the Lone Star Maverick
#1997
**
Texas Tycoon’s
Christmas Fiancée
#2049
††
Stallion
Pass
*
Stallion Pass: Texas
Knights
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The Wealthy
Ransomes
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Platinum
Grooms
**
Stetsons &
CEOs
§Lone Star Legacy
Other titles by this author
available in ebook format
SARA ORWIG
lives in Oklahoma. She has a patient husband who will take
her on research trips anywhere from big cities to old forts. She is an avid
collector of Western history books. With a master’s degree in English, Sara has
written historical romance, mainstream fiction and contemporary romance. Books
are beloved treasures that take Sara to magical worlds, and she loves both
reading and writing them.
With special thanks to Stacy Boyd, Shana Smith and Maureen
Walters. May you have a blessed and joyous holiday.
One
A
nother secretary to interview.
Zach Delaney stood at the window of his west Texas ranch and
watched the approaching car. This candidate was prompt. He had heard this one
lived in Dallas, was single, only twenty-four, a homebody who insisted on
weekends free to go home. She wanted a week off before Christmas and two days
after Christmas. If she could do the work, it was all right with him. He didn’t
know her, but she had worked more than two years at his Dallas office, which
held the corporate offices of his demolition company, his trucking company and
the architectural firm he owned. She’d risen fast and was highly
recommended.
As Zach watched the car approach the house, he thought about
the other secretaries he’d interviewed and the conversation he’d had with his
brother Will, who had stopped by an hour ago.
He remembered Will laughing. “I know you—you’re probably about
to go up in smoke from boredom.”
“You’ve got that right. I feel as if I’m a prisoner and time
seems to have stopped,” Zach replied, raking his fingers through his thick,
brown curls.
Will nodded. “Don’t forget—you’re supposed to stay off your
feet and keep your foot elevated.”
“I’m doing that most of the time. Believe me, I want my foot to
get well.”
Will smiled. “You should have just stayed in Dallas after
Garrett’s wedding earlier this month. You haven’t been cooped up like this since
you were five and had the mumps.”
“Don’t remind me.”
“That was twenty-seven years ago. I don’t know how you’ve made
it this long in demolition without getting hurt.”
“I’ve been lucky and careful, I guess.”
“If you don’t end up hiring today’s interviewee, I’ll send
someone out to work for you. If I had known the difficulty you’re having finding
a competent secretary, I would have sent one before now.”
“Thanks. One secretary lasted a few days before deciding the
ranch was too isolated. Another talked incessantly,” Zach grumbled, causing Will
to laugh. His brother’s brown eyes sparkled with amusement.
“One of those women hovered over me and told me what to do to
take care of myself. Actually, Will, instead of hiring a secretary to help go
through Dad’s stuff, maybe we should just trash it all. Dad’s been gone almost a
year now and this stuff hasn’t been touched. It’s not important. The only value
that stuff can have is sentimental. That makes it worthless as time passes.”
“We don’t know for sure there isn’t something of value in those
boxes,” Will argued.
Zach nodded. “Knowing our father, he could have put some vital
papers, money or something priceless in these boxes, just so someone
would
have to wade through them.”
“You volunteered to go through his papers while you recuperate
from your fall. You don’t have to.”
“I’ll do it. The secretary will help go through all the letters
and memorabilia while I also keep up with work. You became guardian for Caroline
and you handled a lot of the dealings to bring our half sister into the family.
Ryan’s knee-deep in getting his new barn built while commuting back and forth to
his business in Houston. Besides, I’m the one incapacitated with time on my
hands. I’m it, for now. I don’t know what got into Dad, keeping all this
memorabilia. He would never have actually written a family history.”
“Our father was not one you could figure. His actions were
unfathomable except for making money. He probably intended to write a family
history. In his old age I think he became nostalgic.” Will headed toward the
door and then paused. “You sure you don’t want to join us for Thanksgiving? I’ll
send someone to get you,” he added, and Zach was touched by Will’s concern.
“Thanks, but no thanks. You enjoy Ava’s family. Ryan leaves
soon to spend Thanksgiving with the latest woman in his life—I can’t keep up
with which one this is. I’ll be fine and enjoy myself all by myself.”
“If you change your mind, let me know. Also, it’s less than six
weeks until Christmas. We’re going to Colorado for the holiday. Do you want to
come along? We’ll be happy to have you join us.”
“Thank you.” Zach grinned. “I think I’ll go to the house in
Italy. It’ll be beautiful there and you know I don’t do Christmas.”
“So who is the beautiful Italian lady? I’m sure there is
one.”
“Might be more than one.” Zach smiled. “You hadn’t been into
Christmas much yourself until you got Caroline. Now you have to celebrate.”
“Truthfully, with Caroline, it’s been fun. Come with us and
you’ll see.”
“I love little Caroline, but you go ahead. Doc told me to stay
put and this is a better place than snowy mountains in Colorado.”
“That’s true, but we’d take care of you.”
Zach shook his head. “Thanks, Will, for coming out.”
“Let me know about the secretary. I’ll get you one who’s
excellent.”
“With Margo on maternity leave, I may have to find a new one
permanently. I don’t want to think about that.”
Now, Zach shifted his foot and glared at it, recalling the
moment the pile of rubble had given way and he had fallen, breaking an ankle,
plus small bones, causing a sprain and getting one deep gash. Staying off his
foot most of the time was hell. He didn’t like working daily in an office, and
the doctor told him he couldn’t go back to working on site or travel much, but
he could do some work at the ranch and stay off his foot as best he could.
Zach sighed as the car slowed in front of the house. Emma
Hillman. She climbed out of her car and came up the walk.
Startled, he momentarily forgot her mission. A tall,
wind-blown, leggy redhead, who would turn heads everywhere, was striding toward
his front door. With looks like hers, she belonged on a model’s catwalk or doing
a commercial or in a bar, not striding purposefully toward his house in the
hopes of doing secretarial chores. Even though she wore a tailored, dark green
suit with an open black coat over it, she had a wild, attention-getting
appearance.
The west Texas wind swept over her, catching more tendrils of
long red hair and blowing them around her face. Immobilized, Zach stared. She
didn’t look like any secretary on his staff in any office he had. Nor did she
resemble the homebody type to his way of thinking. All those recommendations she
had—they must have been based on her looks. His spirits sank. He would have to
ask Will to find him somebody else. He needed someone who would stay on the
ranch during the week. This one was a declared homebody. Add that to her looks
and he couldn’t imagine it working out. He also couldn’t imagine her being an
efficient secretary, either. He would give Emma Hillman a lot of work and in
less than two days, she would probably fold and run as her predecessor had.
When the bell rang, he could hear Nigel get the door. Zach
hobbled back to the middle of the room to wait to meet her. Before he sent her
packing, he might get her home phone number. Actually, even if she did work out
here, when the temporary job ended she’d go back to the corporate office, so
getting her phone number was only wishful thinking. She’d still be an employee.
Even so, eagerness to meet her took the boredom out of the morning. This
promised to be his most enjoyable moment since he arrived at the ranch.
* * *
Emma Hillman pushed a button and heard chimes. Her gaze
swept over the large porch. The ranch was not at all what she had pictured in
her mind. She had expected a rustic, sprawling house, not a mansion that
bordered on palatial. When the door swung open, she faced a slender gray-haired
man.
“Welcome, Miss Hillman?”
“Yes,” she said, entering as he stepped back.
“I’m Nigel Smith. If you’ll come with me, Mr. Delaney is
waiting.”
Following him, she glanced around the enormous entrance. Wood
floors had a dark appearance with a treatment that gave them an antiqued quality
and probably would not show boot marks or much of anything else.
She tried to finger-comb her hair and tuck tendrils back into
the clips that held her hair on either side of her head. She had been warned
about Zach Delaney—that he was difficult to please, curt, all business.
Actually, he had conflicting descriptions—a charismatic hunk by some; others
pronounced him a demanding ogre. She had been told too many times about her
three predecessors who hadn’t lasted more than a day or two.
She didn’t care—it was a fabulous opportunity for another
promotion in the company and the pay was terrific right at Christmastime. Even
though she was going to miss being in Dallas with her family, she was determined
to cooperate with Zach Delaney and be the secretary who got to stay.
Nigel led her through an open door into a large room with
shelves of books on two walls, a huge fireplace on another and all glass on the
fourth. In a hasty glance she barely saw any of her surroundings because her
attention was ensnared by the tall man standing in the center of the room.
His prominent cheekbones and a firm jaw were transformed by a
mass of dark brown curls and riveting blue eyes. A black knit shirt and tight
jeans revealed muscles and a fit physique. Even standing quietly, he appeared
commanding.
Dimly, she heard Nigel present her and she thanked him as he
left, but her gaze was locked with the head of her company, Zach Delaney. Her
breathing altered, her heart raced and her palms became damp. She felt
flustered, drawn to him, unable to look away. For heartbeats, they gazed at each
other while silence stretched.
With an effort she offered her hand. “I’m glad to meet you, Mr.
Delaney,” she said. Her voice was soft in her ears.
He stepped forward, his hand closing around hers, his warm
fingers breaking the spell she had been temporarily enveloped in. “Welcome to
the Delaney ranch. I’m happy to meet you, and it’s Zach. We’re going to work
closely together. No ‘Mr. Delaney.’ And please have a seat.” His voice was deep,
warm and sexy, an entertainer’s voice.
Feeling foolish, yet unable to control the physical reaction
she was having to him, she sat in a leather chair. Another chair was close and
he turned it to face her, sitting near her. “I’ve read your recommendations,
which are excellent. If you want this job, you’re to move here for the duration
of the time you work for me—five, possibly six weeks total. Your weekends are
free from one on Friday afternoon until Monday morning at nine o’clock.”
“That’s fine with me,” she replied, thinking someone should
have warned her about his appeal. He rarely was in the Dallas office and
executive offices were on the top floor. She had never seen him or crossed paths
with him before. She had no idea she would have such an intense reaction to
meeting him.
“I expect this job to end around Christmas, when my foot heals.
You can return to the Dallas office and I will be on my way back to the
field.”
“Fine,” she replied, barely able to concentrate on what he was
saying for getting lost in vivid blue eyes. His conversation might have been
practical, all business, but the look in his eyes was not. Blue depths probed,
examined and conveyed a sensual appraisal that shimmied warmly over her nerves.
“As I mentioned in our phone call, I’d like to take that week before Christmas
and two days afterward if the job hasn’t ended.”
“That’s fine. As far as your duties, you’re here to help with
any correspondence or business matters I have and to help me sort through some
family papers. My father intended to write a family history. He had old letters
and family memorabilia that have been passed through generations, that sort of
thing. I volunteered to go through all of it while I’m supposed to stay off my
feet,” Zach said, waving his hand toward the boxes of papers nearby.
“The memorabilia should be fascinating,” she remarked. “If your
ancestors wrote these letters and sent them, how did they get possession of them
again?”
“Good question. They wrote other relatives, sisters, brothers,
and as far as I can see, everybody saved every word that was put on paper. There
are letters in those boxes that aren’t from Delaneys, but are written to a
Delaney who saved it. You’d think one person would have tossed them. If the
letter isn’t from a Delaney, there is no reason to keep it.”
“I imagine some were tossed. There were probably more since you
had such prolific writers in your family.”
“If I were the only Delaney of my generation, I would simply
shred the papers this week because I think they’re junk. Some of the letters
date back to the 1800s.”
Horrified at the thought of shredding old letters, she stared
at him. “The 1800s? It should be spellbinding to read about your relatives,” she
blurted before she thought about how it might sound critical of her boss’s
attitude.
He smiled. “I suppose it’s a good thing you feel that way
because you’ll be reading some of this stuff for me. Anyway, that in general is
what I hired you to do. Does this sound acceptable?”
“Certainly. I’m looking forward to it.”
“Great. Feel free to ask questions at any time. I’ll have Nigel
see about getting you moved in. You were asked to come prepared to move in. Is
this what you did?”
“Yes. I was told to pack for the job because you might hire me
and want me to stay.”
“I’m getting desperate for a secretary. The salary should make
up for some of the demands,” he said and she merely nodded.
“Nigel is sort of jack-of-all-trades around the house. He acts
as butler, assistant and a financial manager. You’ll meet more of our staff, who
have homes on the ranch.”
“I wonder if I’ll ever find my way around,” she said as she
glanced beyond him toward the hall.
“Nigel will give you a map of the house. We have an indoor pool
and one outside. Feel free to swim after or before work hours. We have a gym,
too.”
“This is a modernized ranch home.”
“This house has been remodeled many times. The family room was
the actual original house, built in the 1800s. Anyway, my grandfather had an
elevator installed, so I’m taking it temporarily. You’re welcome to if you
want.”