She buttoned her shirt. “Well, maybe I don’t want to marry you. You ever think of that?”
“Not really.”
“Well, you should have, because I don’t! I don’t ever want to get married.”
She was trying to act tough, but he could see she was conflicted. He wasn’t sure why she was fighting this so hard, but he had a feeling he was about to find out. “So, all this time you’ve just been using me for sex?”
“Pretty much, yeah. I thought we established that a couple of weeks ago, when I told you I don’t do relationships.” She spun around and stomped toward the door, tucking her shirt into her jeans.
Connor followed her. “You’re outta luck, Nita. Because I don’t want this to end, and I don’t think you do, either.”
“No, you’re outta luck, cowboy. I do want this to end.” She shoved her way out the door into the bright sunshine.
He was right behind her. He’d never physically chased a woman before, but he supposed there was a first for everything. “Is it because you don’t love me?”
She stopped and turned to him. “No.”
Jimmy stood outside the stable with Nita’s father and two of the hands. They all turned to look at him and Nita. He preferred not to do this with an audience, but if she wanted it that way, fine.
“So you do love me,” Connor said.
She frowned and the tough facade slipped just a little. “I didn’t say that.”
“So which is it? You love me or you don’t.”
She glanced over at the men, then back at Connor. “It doesn’t matter either way, because I would make a lousy wife.”
“How do you figure?”
“You’ve lived here a month, what do you think? I can’t cook, I hate to clean. I can’t even run a damned washing machine!”
“Yeah? What’s your point?”
She looked at him as if he was nuts. “That is my point. I’m just not wife material.”
“By whose standards?”
That one gave her pause. She didn’t seem to know how to answer.
“What did you think? That once we were married I would expect you to throw on an apron and turn into Jane? I fell in love with you, Nita, just the way you are. I don’t want to change a thing.”
She didn’t look convinced. “You say that now, but things change.”
“That’s one thing that won’t. Ever. You have my word.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “Now, I’m going to ask you again, do you love me or not?”
“Yeah, Nita. Do you love him or not,” one of the hands called.
Jimmy whacked him hard on the back of the head and said, “Let the lovebirds talk.”
Nita shot Jimmy a nasty look. “We are not lovebirds.”
“So you don’t love him?” her father asked.
“Of course I do!” she huffed out.
Connor had known in his heart, but it was a relief to hear her admit it out loud. He pulled her against his chest and wrapped his arms around her and they were encouraged with a round of applause.
“I love you, Connor,” she said softly. “And I want to be with you, but I can’t.”
He held her tight, knowing without a doubt, this is exactly where she belonged. “Give me one good reason.”
“This farm, my family—it’s my life. I can’t leave. I don’t want to.”
“And I would never ask you to. If it’s what you want, and it’s okay with your father, we could live right here.”
“I told you before,” Will said. “This is your home now, Connor. You two stay as long as you like.”
“What will you do?” Nita asked Connor.
“Exactly what I’ve been doing for the past month. Working on the farm.”
She shook her head, looked up at him. “That’s not fair to you. You need to do what you want to do or you’ll regret it the rest of your life.”
“Nita, this is what I want to do.”
“Really?”
“But I don’t want to be your employee forever. I’d like to be your partner.”
“Partner?”
“With capital, I think you could expand your business. And I have lots of money just waiting to be spent. I can’t think of a better way.”
“Sure would be nice to see this place back on it’s feet again,” Jimmy said, and Will nodded his agreement.
“And suppose you get tired of it?” Nita asked. “What then?”
“There’s no law saying that I can’t change my mind later and do something else. Become a silent partner. Whatever you and you father are comfortable with.”
She gazed up at him, an almost dreamy look in her eyes. “There are so many things I’ve wanted to do with the farm but we just haven’t had the money….”
“Now you’ll have it. We’ll make this the most successful horse farm in West Texas.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “What about babies?”
“No more than seven or eight,” he teased.
“That’s not funny.”
“How about one or two—three tops.”
“If I marry you, people in town will think I’m a sellout,” she said. “They’ll think I compromised my beliefs and caved to their influence.”
Connor grinned. “Well, there’s a really dumb reason not to get married.”
She smiled, too. “Yeah, I guess it is. You promise you won’t ever expect me to learn to cook.”
“Yeah, I promise. I value my life too much.”
She gave him a playful poke. “You won’t make me have a big wedding will you?”
“Not if you don’t want one. We could do what your father and Jane did and drive to Vegas, or we could find a judge. Whatever you want.”
She shook her head. “You’re serious about this? You really want to marry me?”
Connor laughed. “Yes Nita, I really want to marry you. I’ll say it a thousand times if that’ll convince you.”
“I’m convinced,” Will said, but Nita didn’t seem to hear him.
Her eyes were fixed skeptically on Connor, as though she still didn’t think it could be true. “You want all of it. The marriage, the partnership—everything?”
“In my whole life, this is the first thing I am one hundred percent sure about. I want it all, and I want it with you.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, and a wide grin curled her mouth. “Then, cowboy, I am all yours.”
Special thanks and acknowledgement are given to Michelle Celmer for her contribution to the TEXAS CATTLEMAN’S CLUB: THE SECRET DIARY series.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-7405-5
ROUND-THE-CLOCK TEMPTATION
Copyright © 2005 by Harlequin Books S.A.
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