“I don’t know what’s happening.”
And he realized he meant it. One moment, it all seemed so clear to him, that he should keep his hands off her, that getting intimate with Lizzie was the kind of uncharted territory he had no right to explore.
And then the next moment, he found himself thinking that he’d go nuts if he couldn’t touch her, if he couldn’t find out what it would feel like to kiss her.
“So … what should we do?” Her eyes were so green right then. So wide. And her mouth was soft, perfect for kissing.
“Ethan?” Her eyes searched his face. “I—”
“Shh. Don’t talk. Not right now.”
“Ethan …”
He took her mouth again. He simply could not resist.
Dear Reader,
Lizzie Landry has a dream. She wants to reopen her family’s lost bakery in her hometown of Midland, Texas.
Hunky Texas oilman Ethan Traub has other plans for Lizzie. And they do not include her leaving him to start her own business. His life has been pretty near perfect for the past five years, ever since Lizzie became his assistant—both at work and at home. She’s also his best friend. And did I mention she takes such good care of all his high-maintenance girlfriends?
Ethan will do just about anything to keep Lizzie as his trusty right-hand woman. He’s moving to Thunder Canyon, Montana, to open his own branch of Traub Oil Industries. And no matter what, he plans to see to it that Lizzie comes with him.
She’s set on resisting him. But when Ethan turns on the Texas charm, well, even down-to-earth Lizzie can’t help but start seeing her best friend and boss in a whole new light.
Happy reading, everyone!
Yours always,
Christine Rimmer
About the Author
CHRISTINE RIMMER came to her profession the long way around. Before settling down to write about the magic of romance, she’d been everything from an actress to a salesclerk to a waitress. Now that she’s finally found work that suits her perfectly, she insists she never had a problem keeping a job—she was merely gaining “life experience” for her future as a novelist. Christine is grateful not only for the joy she finds in writing, but for what waits when the day’s work is through: a man she loves, who loves her right back, and the privilege of watching their children grow and change day to day. She lives with her family in Oklahoma. Visit Christine at www.christinerimmer.com.
Resisting
Mr. Tall, Dark
& Texan
Christine Rimmer
For Marcia Book Adirim.
Intrepid. Fun. Flexible.
And of course, so creative!
Chapter One
“Lizzie, don’t do this to me. You know I can’t live without you.”
Instantly, Lizzie Landry felt her determination weakening. How does he do that? she wondered. At the same time, she found herself thinking that he really would be lost without her, and she did worry that he …
She caught herself.
Oh, come on. What was her problem here? After five years with Ethan Traub, she ought to be immune to his considerable charm and shameless flattery. And she was. Pretty much. It was only that she did hate to leave him when he needed her. Which was constantly.
But no. She had to be strong. The break had to be made.
She put on her sternest, most unwavering expression. “Ethan, you’ve been putting me off for months, and it’s not going to work this time. We have to talk about this.”
The melting look in those dark velvet eyes of his faded as he scowled. She watched as his perfect, manly lips assumed a downward curve. “There’s nothing to talk about,” he grumbled. “You’re coming to Montana with me. Eventually, if you’re still unhappy with—”
Lizzie put up a hand. “I’m not unhappy, Ethan. It’s been wonderful working for you. If I still had to work for someone, I would want it to be you.”
“Great, then. We have no problem. You can keep working for me.”
“No, I’m not going to do that. I want to be my own boss. That was always my goal—a goal it’s time I reached. And you know that I’m ready to move on because I have told you so. Over and over and over again. Two weeks’ notice. I think that’s fair.”
“Two weeks!” he blustered, rising from behind his desk. Bracing his knuckles on the desk pad, he loomed toward her, six-foot-four of killer-handsome, seriously imposing Texas male. “It’s impossible. It’s not going to happen. You’ll need more than two weeks to find your replacement—not that you’re going to be finding one right now. We’re leaving on Thursday.”
“Ethan, I told you. I’m not going to—”
“Oh, yeah.” He cut her off before she could finish her sentence. “You are. For so many reasons.”
Lizzie tried not to groan. “Please don’t start on the reasons. I’ve heard them all.”
“And now you’re going to hear them again.”
“Do I have a choice?”
“None.” And he proceeded to tell her everything she already knew. How he couldn’t get along without her, how it just wasn’t reasonable for her to be talking about cutting out on him now. “You know I need time, Lizzie. It’s not going to be easy finding another assistant as good as you are. Someone flexible as to living arrangements. Someone smart. Someone calm and capable. But also fun to be around. Someone who can manage the office, the house—and have my back on the personal front …”
There was more in the same vein. Okay, yes. She’d been flattered the first time she heard it. But after months of trying to tell him she was ready to move on, listening to how she couldn’t go was getting old.
She waited for him to wind down before reminding him, yet again, “Montana doesn’t work for me. I’m a Texan, born and bred right here in Midland. And I’m staying here in Midland and opening my bakery as planned. You need to get used to that idea because you are not changing my mind. Not this time.”
“Traub Oil needs you.”
“Traub Oil managed fine without me for over thirty years.”
“All right, then.” He straightened to his full height. “I need you.” He towered over her now because she remained in the chair on the far side of his desk. She considered rising to face him. Upright, after all, she was only a few inches shorter than he was and could almost stand head-to-head with him.
But no. She stayed in her seat. And concentrated on projecting calm determination. “You don’t need me, Ethan. Not really. You’re going to be fine.”
He shook his head. “Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie …” And then, with a heavy sigh, he folded his long, hard frame back into his fat leather swivel chair. “How about a bonus? A … severance bonus. Stick with me a little longer, you walk away with more cash.”
Do not ask, her sternest inner voice instructed. But money was money. She’d been flat-broke once. She never, ever wanted to go there again. “How big of a bonus?”
He named an eye-widening figure.