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A Word With The Bachelor
Teresa Southwick
When opposites collide…the plot thickensWhen former Special Forces agent Jack Garner opens his door to Erin Riley, he makes two things clear: he won’t sleep with her, and he writes alone. Clearly, fame and fortune have done nothing to brighten this bestselling author’s brooding manner. But his second book is long overdue, and Erin is there to jumpstart his writing…if not his heart.Bright, chatty and positive, Erin is like a sunny day to Jack’s perpetual night. And even as she struggles to contain her sizzling attraction, she knows she can help Jack have a breakthrough. When the words finally start to flow, Jack starts to wonder if ‘once upon a time’ could become ‘happily ever after.' Now, that would be something worth writing about…
When opposites collide...the plot thickens
When former Special Forces agent Jack Garner opens his door to Erin Riley, he makes two things clear: he won’t sleep with her, and he writes alone. Clearly, fame and fortune have done nothing to brighten this bestselling author’s brooding manner. But his second book is long overdue, and Erin is there to jumpstart his writing...if not his heart.
Bright, chatty and positive, Erin is like a sunny day to Jack’s perpetual night. And even as she struggles to contain her sizzling attraction, she knows she can help Jack have a breakthrough. When the words finally start to flow, Jack starts to wonder if “once upon a time” could become “happily-ever-after.” Now, that would be something worth writing about...
“I’m a private person.”
“You used to be, but not anymore. Not since your book hit the bestseller lists and stayed there.”
“Drip, drip, drip,” he said.
“What does that mean?”
“You’re like water on a rock, wearing it down.”
She lifted her chin. “I like to think that’s one of my best qualities.”
“It’s good.” Jack’s gaze dropped to her chest, and the glitter was back in his eyes. “But not your best.”
He didn’t miss much, so she was pretty sure he could tell that the pulse in her neck had just gone from normal to racing. There was only one way to interpret those words and that look. He moved closer and she held her breath, hoping that he was going to kiss her. Heat from his body warmed her skin when he stopped right in front of her.
* * *
The Bachelors of Blackwater Lake: They won’t be single for long!
Dear Reader (#ulink_77d540da-d9e4-5c66-9b64-5ce4c4d289cf),
Writing is a solitary profession, and finding the balance between work and play can sometimes be a challenge. Authors tend to lose themselves in a story and characters, and the catch-22 is getting out of that made-up world to the real one—where one experiences life, observes people and fills up the creative well. And when one doesn’t live alone, carving out the kind of space necessary for your imagination to run wild turns into a delicate dance. It requires both tact and toughness.
In A Word with the Bachelor, bestselling author Jack Garner has the toughness down to a T. It’s the tact part he needs to work on when book coach Erin Riley arrives on his isolated Blackwater Lake doorstep to jumpstart his Muse. Book number two is late, and the pretty, perky English teacher’s presence is the price he has to pay for a deadline extension. But he figures, like every other woman in his life, she’ll leave when the going gets rocky.
The only problem is Jack underestimates Erin’s determination to get the job done. She is the opposite of a pushover and her sunny disposition camouflages the steely resolve that sustained her through the loss of someone important to her. The ex-military lone wolf is not happy about sharing his space, and even more crabby when she tempts him to share his heart. And so the battle of wills is on!
The only thing more fun than writing books is creating a character who writes books. This story is close to my own heart and I hope you enjoy it.
Happy Reading!
A Word with the Bachelor
Teresa Southwick
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
TERESA SOUTHWICK lives with her husband in Las Vegas, the city that reinvents itself every day. An avid fan of romance novels, she is delighted to be living out her dream of writing for Mills & Boon.
To educators Andrea Verga Pascale and her husband, John Pascale.
The influence of a good teacher can never be erased and you guys are the best!
When I sit down to write, I’m so grateful to my former teachers for giving me the necessary tools to do what I love.
Never doubt that every student you meet is all the better for having had you in their life.
You touch the world. You teach!
Contents
Cover (#u860724fb-dbc4-5610-80a0-91c6430f47ff)
Back Cover Text (#u9c62694c-a04c-5b11-8a19-b5d6aba232c8)
Introduction (#u710ced4d-7556-5247-aeaf-adda919c6632)
Dear Reader (#ulink_65f80563-374a-5cc7-ad39-27be3e6970f8)
Title Page (#ufef48c68-7252-590a-915c-40260217b2e3)
About the Author (#ubef9e803-63cd-5b5f-b2fd-e30c531d80b9)
Dedication (#ud5e96781-05ee-5b4a-8ac3-62784e0f32ea)
Chapter One (#u2fee7c33-94f4-5619-9c09-c49a3505a561)
Chapter Two (#u36154efc-4dd6-562d-a49c-120185825d63)
Chapter Three (#u89e5a04a-d3f0-5fc3-aeec-7556256bfd44)
Chapter Four (#u1aabda12-84ac-5207-a574-70885743ef0b)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One (#ulink_56217b0c-ba7f-57ba-921e-54092c38e111)
She’d been warned that Jack Garner would be difficult but no one had prepared her for his overwhelming sex appeal.
If Erin Riley had known the author was more buff and better-looking than the guy on the cover of his action-adventure novel, she wasn’t sure she’d have taken this job as his book coach. Quite possibly she was in over her head. She’d already failed the first test by not researching the man she would be working for. He’d just answered her knock on his door and all she could do was stare.
“Are you selling something?” He glanced at her wheeled suitcase.
“No. Sorry.” She took a deep, cleansing breath. “I’m Erin Riley. Cheryl Kavanagh sent me.”
“My editor.” His dark blue eyes narrowed. “Cut the crap.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re here to babysit me.” He glanced over his shoulder and called, “Harley!”
Moments later some black-and-white creature ran outside, stopped beside Jack and looked up adoringly. Erin could respect the feeling.
Jack closed the front door and proceeded down the three steps. “Walk.”
She wasn’t sure if he meant her, but left the suitcase on the porch and hurried after him. That’s when she realized the creature was without a doubt the ugliest dog she’d ever seen. It looked like a four-legged elf, a mythical being straight out of The Hobbit. The thing was small with a hairy head that didn’t look substantial enough to hold up the ginormous ears. Stick legs had tufts of fur by the paws and some kind of garment made of camouflage material covered the skinny, hairless body.
Fascination with the dog would have to wait. She moved quickly to catch up to the man. For him and his long legs it might be considered a walk, but she nearly had to jog to keep up. He was headed toward Blackwater Lake—the body of water from which this small town in Montana took its name.
“Mr. Garner—”
“Jack.”
She assumed that meant he was giving her permission to call him by his first name. “All right. Jack.”
They passed a building on the dock that said Blackwater Lake Marina and Bait Shop. Almost all of the slips in the natural bay were full, and held small boats and some that looked more luxurious and big enough to sleep on.
The scenery was nearly as breathtaking as trying to keep up with Jack. Dark blue lake water stretched ahead of her as far as the eye could see and bumped up against some impressive mountains. Overhead, the blue of the sky was only interrupted by wispy white clouds. It was quiet and serene, a place that on the surface looked to be a perfect writing environment. But if that was the case, she wouldn’t be here.
“So, Jack—”
“Harley, stand down.”
The small dog stopped chasing and barking at the little brown birds that had been pecking in the sketchy grass beside the lake. They took off and the homely animal instantly moved into step beside his human as ordered.
“Girl or boy?” she asked.
“What?” Jack gave her a wary sideways look.
“Is the dog male or female?”
“Male.”
“That’s unexpected.”
“Meaning?”
“I would never have figured a guy like you to have a dog like this.”
“Are you insulting my dog?”
Oh, boy. How did she put into words that she’d been profiling and figured a manly man like Jack Garner would have a big, burly guy dog. Pit bull. Rottweiler. Bulldog. The problem was the ugly little animal didn’t seem compatible with a man who’d spent a good number of years in the United States Army Special Forces Operations, Ranger Battalion. She only knew that from reading his book and the short bio in the back.
Finding the words was like trying to navigate a minefield. “I just... The two of you are—” She sighed.
“What’s wrong with him?”
“Nothing.” Aside from not being very attractive. Unlike his owner, who was so attractive her toes were curling. There were a lot of things she could say. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Beauty is only skin deep. Don’t judge a book by its cover. She finally settled on a question. “Why did you pick him?”
“It’s classified.”
He could tell her, but he’d have to kill her? He looked like he wanted to do that anyway.
“Okay,” she said. “What kind of dog is he?”
“A Chinese crested.”
“I see. Sounds noble.” She knew very little about dogs.
“Don’t judge a book by its cover.”
Did she get points for not saying that? At least it was the segue she’d been waiting for. “Speaking of books—”
“Cheryl wants to know where mine is.” Anger and frustration were wrapped around the words.
“Look at it from her perspective. Your first book is incredibly successful. Even more amazing because there was no promotion.” He’d refused to do any. “Word-of-mouth has been unbelievably effective. And it’s been optioned for a movie. That’s an impressive springboard for a second book.”
“The manuscript is a little late,” he conceded.
“Nine months late. You could make a baby in that length of time.” Did she really just say that out loud? “Not judging,” she added.
The look he shot her was as black as his hair. In worn jeans and a faded olive-green T-shirt, his toned and muscular body was displayed to perfection. She’d read that it was instinctive for a woman to mate with a strong male who could protect her and any offspring she produced. Right this second her female instincts were going nuts.
“Meaning what?” His voice was low, just north of irritated, and creeping into superannoyed territory.
