Page 38 of Her Elusive Cowboy Billionaire

The room was incredible.A king sized bed on a raised platform dominated the space.The posts on each corner had to be six feet tall.Each was worked on a lathe until perfectly rounded and formed into three segments.The top and bottom segments were cut lengthwise, and the cuts rounded so they weren’t sharp.The middle was left perfectly smooth.It was as though the bed was straight out of a fairy tale.

On either side was a nightstand with four drawers.And on them stood tall, matching lamps with dark green shades.The bedspread-comforter was pale gray-green with pinch pleats in a series across the top and bottom.A pattern of delicate flowers covered the main part of the spread, and it seemed to be silk with a slight sheen.The pillow shams matched the flowered part of the bedspread, and a large square pillow had pleats that matched those on the comforter.The bed was high, with a thick mattress that looked like she could sink into its depths.She thought she might need a ladder to get into it.

The rest of the room had minimal furniture.The nightstands matched the dark wood of the bureau, which had an attached mirror and was on the wall across from the end of the bed.Open double doors on the wall across from the entry door showed a large walk-in closet.

Meri walked over to the closet and peeked inside.A chest of drawers was under the window, which allowed the room to be flooded with sunlight.The vertical blinds on the window were pulled to one side.

She turned to Chase.“This room is incredible.Where is your room?”

“Right across the hall.It’s a little larger than this one, but the setup is the same.”

“I’ll be living like a queen while I’m here.I might never want to go home.”She chuckled.

Chase stepped forward and took her in his arms.“That’s all right with me.”Then he leaned down and kissed her.

After a moment of enjoying herself, she broke the kiss, but kept her good arm around his waist.“We shouldn’t be doing this, but I can’t seem to resist you.”Then she lifted on her tiptoes and kissed him.When she broke the kiss, she was breathless.

He seemed as affected as she was, but he didn’t release her.“Right, we shouldn’t do this.I shouldn’t want to kiss you, but I can hardly think of anything else.”His eyes were dark, the pupils huge.He lifted a hand and cupped the back of her head while he lowered his lips to hers.Then he kissed her, drank from her like he was a dying man and she was the last water on Earth.

Meri responded.The last couple of weeks had been the best she ever had, getting shot notwithstanding.But even the incident at the ice show had brought her here, and she enjoyed being this close to Chase.She wanted to be closer, but as much as he liked or cared for her, he’d never consider marrying a nobody like her.Still, she would enjoy his kisses for as long as she could.

When she no longer felt his lips, she followed him, not ready for the kiss to end.

He chuckled.

She stopped, realizing what she was doing, and looked down, her cheeks flaming hot.

“I’m sorry.I’m not usually so…so?—”

“Forward?I’m glad you know what you want.It’s refreshing to find someone who is as passionate about…everything.And I’ve never seen anyone who is as good at what they do as you are.Besides the mural, I’d like to commission paintings for my office and some others in the building.”

She swung her gaze to his.“Really?”She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Yes, really.”

Meri pulled away.

This time, he let her go.

“That would be amazing.I’m too tired to think about it right now, but I’d like to do something different in each room.Would you make a list of themes you want me to use?”

“I haven’t given it much thought.Now, I might like something that would tie into the mural you’ll create.”

“I can do that.Since the mural will be of the Rockies, I think a mountain scene in each office would work.Hundreds of mountain views are available to use as inspiration.”

“Well, first, let’s get you settled.Do you need my help to unpack?”

She shook her head.“I just need the suitcase on the bed, if you wouldn’t mind.”

“Not at all.”He left to retrieve the bag from the foyer where he’d set it when they came in.Returning quickly, he placed the piece of luggage on the bed.“Here you go.”

She opened the suitcase.“Thanks.I’ll put this stuff away and be out in a minute.Then you can show me the kitchen and the rest of the apartment.”

“Deal.”He leaned down and kissed her forehead before pulling her close, careful of her injury, and kissing her lips.

She pulled her head back and gazed up into his eyes, which were dark as the sky at midnight.“What was that for?”

Smiling, he gave her a quick kiss on the lips.“Just a reminder that I’m waiting with bated breath for you to return to the living room.”