Page 21 of Her Elusive Cowboy Billionaire

“Thank you.”

She stood and made her way to the bathroom.By the time she returned, Chase was off the phone and eating his dinner again.“How’d your phone call go?”

“Fine, just a deal with a Japanese company I’ve been trying to do business with.They finally agreed to my terms.”

She sat and picked up her fork.“That’s great.So we’re celebrating tonight.”

He grinned.“Yes, I don’t see why not.”

“I had an interview with the police this morning.How about you?”

He nodded.“I had an interview this morning, too.How did yours go?”

“They had me go over everything that happened.”She took a forkful of the mashed potatoes and moaned.“These are so good.Whoever first put garlic in mashed potatoes was a genius.Sorry, you were saying?”

He laughed and then sobered.“I told them the same thing.Exactly what we’d done.What we were doing in the parking lot.That kind of stuff.”

She nodded.“Me, too.Did they say anything about the victim?Did he make it?”

He shook his head.“Unfortunately, he died on the operating table.”

Meri let out a long breath.“That’s too bad.I wish we could have done something to help him.”

“I don’t think there was anything we could have done.”

“Probably not.”

Her appetite had left her, but they ordered coffee and lingered for a bit.She tried to get the poor man from her mind and get it back on their date.When they’d drunk the last drop of coffee, she thought she was back to concentrating on Chase and not on their previous date and the poor murdered man.

Chase paid the bill and then escorted her out to his car.He held the door while she buckled herself in.Then he closed the door and walked around to his side and got in.

The sun had set and even with all the lights here, she still saw more stars than she did in Denver.

He got back on I-70 and headed west toward Idaho Springs.Then he exited the highway just prior to the town and steered right to the road for Virginia Gulch.The road wound up the hillside in tight switchbacks.When the car reached the top, he pulled off the road and stopped.Then he lowered the top so they could see the stars.

Devoid of any lights, she gazed skyward to witness a dazzling explosion of countless stars.She saw the Milky Way, Big Dipper, Little Dipper, Orion’s Belt, the Seven Sisters, and so many other constellations she couldn’t identify them all.

“It’s so beautiful.”She turned toward Chase and found him watching her.Meri laid a hand on his arm.“Thank you.This is wonderful.”

He stared at her like he couldn’t take his gaze away.“You’re welcome.I thought you might enjoy this.You’re the only one I’ve brought to this place.You should see it in the daytime.We’re surrounded by aspens and pine trees.The aspens sound like they are whispering on the breeze.I’d like to bring you back here for a picnic.”

Is this wrong?Am I falling for Chase after knowing him for only a few days?Why are his kisses like a drug that I need to live?Stop it.I need to remember he’s my boss.He’s my boss.He’s my boss.But she heard herself saying, “I’d like that.”

He leaned over, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and then held her while he lowered his head, taking her lips with his.The kiss started soft with gentle butterfly kisses that were barely there, and when she moaned, she accepted the invasion of his tongue, tasting the smoothness of the Malbec.He tasted like prime rib, horseradish and man.

She leaned into him and put her arms around his neck.Meri kissed him back the way she’d wanted to with their last kiss.

He finally broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers.“I can’t seem to get enough of you.I’ve been trying to keep my distance, but it seems to be impossible.”

She loved the way he smelled.Sandalwood and the scent that was him…was Chase.“You don’t need to keep your distance.I like you, Chase.”

“I like you, too.”He furrowed his brows and his lips formed a small pout.“Perhaps too much.”

“I know what you mean.We don’t know each other very well…yet.I’ve discovered you are more than they say on Google, which isn’t much.It’s as if they have erased most of your personal information from the internet.As a matter-of-fact from what little I know, you’re way more interesting than they know, ”

He smiled and drew a finger along her cheek.“And I know there is more to you than it says on your website.Because it doesn’t say you’re a beautiful woman with big green eyes.I believe you have a kind heart and a good soul.I wouldn’t be so attracted to you otherwise.Why don’t you have a picture of yourself on your website?”

Heat flushed her cheeks.Fortunately, the darkness concealed her blush from his sight.“That’s a very nice thing to say.As for my picture, I want my art to speak for itself, so no picture of me.Besides, I don’t want some stalker coming after me because of what I look like.”