Midnight Under the Mistletoe. Sara Orwig

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.”

      “Thank you, I won’t need the elevator,” she replied with a smile. “I exercise each day, so stairs are good.”

      “Great. Do you think we can start work this morning in about an hour?”

      “Certainly.”

      As he stood, she came to her feet and followed him to the door. He offered his hand. “Welcome to the Delaney ranch, Emma,” he drawled in a mesmerizing voice that wrapped around her like a warm blanket. She shook hands again with him, an electric current flashing from the contact while she looked into the bluest eyes she had ever seen. Dark brown curly lashes framed his mesmerizing eyes.

      “I hope you find your stay here worthwhile,” he said, a dry, professional statement, but his tone of voice, with those blue eyes focused on her and her hand enveloped in his, made her think of sizzling kisses. Realizing how she was staring, she withdrew her hand and stepped back. He turned to walk into the hall to talk to Nigel, nodded at her, and in seconds she left with Nigel to see where she would stay.

      The next hour was a whirlwind of getting unpacked enough to function through the day. To her surprise she had more than a room—it was a suite with a sitting area, a dream bedroom with a four-poster and fruitwood furniture. Dazzled by the lavish quarters, she looked at a bathroom as large as her apartment. The bath held a sunken tub, potted plants, mirrors, an adjoining dressing room plus a huge walk-in closet. She took pictures on her cell phone to send to her sisters. She could imagine how they would ooh and aah over where she was staying. Her paramount concern was how would she work constantly around Zach Delaney. She had heard rumors at the office about how appealing he was, but not from anyone who had actually worked for him. She had talked to one secretary who had spent two days with him and thought he was a monster, piling on work until it was impossible to get done what he demanded. Another secretary had complained about him being silent and abrupt during the day.

      When she saw it was time to go back to meet with him, she smoothed her hair into a loose bun and left her room. Trying to familiarize herself with the mansion, she walked to the study where she had met Zach.

      He sat behind a desk and stood the minute she appeared in the doorway. Once again, she tried to avoid staring. He looked muscled and fit except for his foot that was wrapped in a bandage and in an oversize health shoe. The unruly curls were a tangle around his face, softening his rugged features.

      “Let’s go to the office,” he said, and she walked beside him down a wide hall filled with paintings, plants, side tables and chairs.

      As they entered a large room, she drew a deep breath. It was a dream office with two large desks at opposite ends of the room. Shelves lined three walls and the remaining wall was glass with a view of a small pond and well tended grounds up to a white fence. Beyond the fence were stables, a corral and pasture. Through spacious windows, daylight spilled into the room. Fax machines, shredders, computers and electronic equipment filled each end of the office.

      “That’s my desk,” he said, pointing to the larger one that was polished, ornately carved dark wood. Forming an L-shape with the desk, a table stood at one end. The table held two computers, one of which had dual oversize monitors. Another computer was centered on his desk. Two laptops and an iPad lay on the table.

      The other desk was glass, looking far newer. File cabinets were built into one wall and not noticeable at first glance.

      He sat behind his desk, motioning toward a leather chair facing him. She sat, crossing her legs, catching him looking at her legs when she glanced up. She inhaled sharply. She experienced an undercurrent of intense awareness and suspected he did as well. It was unexpected, definitely unwanted. Any hot attraction between them could put her job in jeopardy and this job was important to her. She was saving to go back to college and, ultimately, become qualified to teach. This was a temporary increase in pay she could use to achieve her dream.

      “Since you and I and my staff are the only people here, you can dress casually. Jeans are fine.”

      She nodded. “Great.”

      “The glass desk will be yours. You’ll find a stack of papers I’ve signed that need to be copied and put into the mail.” He leaned back and stretched out his long legs.

      She realized she was going to have a difficult time for a few days, focusing on what he was saying because she got lost looking at him.

      “Hopefully you’ll be able to read my handwriting. I have a document there for you to type for me to sign. Another stack holds filing. There’s an in-box on the corner of my desk. When you finish anything, if it doesn’t go in the mail or the file, place it in my in-box. If you have any questions, always feel free to ask. Take a break when you want and feel free to get what you want in the kitchen. Did Nigel show you where the kitchen is?”

      “Yes, he showed me around briefly.”

      “Did you meet my very good cook?”

      “Yes, I met Rosie.”

      “Good. You can start work each day at 8:00, quit at 4:00 or start at 9:00 and quit at 5:00. You’re stuck here for lunch so we’ll not add that to the time.”

      “I prefer 8:00,” she said and he nodded.

      “Any questions now?” he asked, giving her a direct look that made her pulse jump another notch.

      “One—where do I take the mail?”

      “There’s a box on a shelf near your desk that is marked Mail and you put everything in there. One of the hands who works on the ranch will get the mail to take it down to the road to be picked up.”

      She nodded and headed over to her desk, feeling her back prickle because she suspected Zach’s gaze was on her. She sat down and looked at the piles of work in front of her, remembering the angry statements from Brenna about Zach Delaney heaping mountains of work on her. It looked like a lot now—hopefully, by the end of the day, she would have made a big enough dent in the stacks to get to keep this job.

      Still conscious of him across the room, Emma reached for a stack. As she began to read the first letter, she tried to keep from glancing his way. She pushed the stack aside and picked up a tablet with a bold handwriting. The writing to be typed looked the most time-consuming, so she started with it. In minutes she managed to put Zach out of her thoughts.

      When she finished each task, she placed it in the proper pile. Standing, she gathered the work she had completed and put papers for Zach into his in-box. His back was turned as he worked at his computer and she looked at the thick hair curling on the back of his head.

      She