Page 9 of Her Elusive Cowboy Billionaire

Chapter3

Meri cleaned her loft and wondered why Chase Harper invited her to dinner.She wasn’t blonde or built like the women he usually dated.She’d done a second Google search and found out he was thirty-seven, and made his first billion by the time he was thirty.Every recent picture had him with a different woman.

The older photos showed him with a single woman.A petite blonde who was very beautiful and curvy.She saw pictures of them at various events over several years, then, about three years ago, she was gone and the revolving door of women began.

He’d said his fiancée was murdered.She looked for stories about it but found little.Someone found her shot to death in a part of the city she shouldn’t have been in.The police had put it down to a drug deal gone bad, but she got the feeling that Chase didn’t agree with that finding.His emotions seemed to fluctuate between anger and grief, or perhaps anger had completely taken over now.

She decided not to worry about it and just enjoy the evening with a hot man.And boy, was he hot.She fanned herself and then laughed.

Meri decided on a turquoise top with a few sequins around the bodice.She tucked that into a pair of skinny black pants with black suede ankle boots.Looking in the mirror, she applied soft lavender eyeshadow, several coats of mascara and a pale peach lip gloss.

At seven on the dot, the doorbell rang.

She opened it, and Chase stood there looking good enough to eat.He wore dark gray pants and a white dress shirt, open at the neck, showing off his tanned skin.

“Would you like to come in?”I’m glad I spent the day cleaning.I love my loft.It might not be what he’s used to, but I’m proud of it.

“Not now, but I’ll take a raincheck.We have a seven-thirty reservation at The Capital Grille steakhouse.”

“I’ve wanted to try that place.Let me get my coat.”She grabbed a thin leather jacket off the sofa, along with her purse.

Chase exited before her.

She closed the door and locked it, shoving her keys in her small handbag.

“It’s near to here, just a few blocks.Do you want to walk?”

Meri put on her jacket.“Sure.My boots don’t have high heels, so I’m good with walking.”

After they exited her building, Chase held out his arm.

Meri was almost at a loss what to do with it.Almost.She’d never been out with a proper gentleman before.She placed her hand through the crook in his elbow.Walking so close together was nice.

By the time they arrived at the restaurant, Meri’s jacket seemed like overkill.The weather was too warm for even the light coat.They walked into the restaurant and the male greeter showed them to a booth in the corner.He wore a white button-down shirt and black pants.The lighting was low and romantic.

Meri looked around her at the décor.It exuded a modern, club-like ambiance.If it had been loud with a dance floor in the middle of the room, she would have thought they were in a club.She hadn’t been to a club in years, but she thought this would make a good one.

Instead, they’d gone for the style of a club with a lot of open area between tables for easy access and the ambiance of a small romantic restaurant.She liked the place very much.

The server, a thin woman with short blonde hair that was shaved on the left side and to the bottom of her ear on the right.She had heavy eye makeup, black lipstick, and a single tattoo of a long stemmed rose on the back of her right hand.She wore the same attire as the greeter - black pants and a white shirt.Carrying a small computer, she took their drink orders.

Chase ordered a draft beer.

Meri remembered this was a steakhouse and ordered a glass of Malbec wine.

“So, Chase, tell me more about you.How did you get into the security business?”She thought that was a safe-enough topic, especially since their breakfast that morning had included her history, but not his.

“After my tech company took off, I found I wanted something else to take up my time.Don’t misunderstand, I still like to design programs and games for my company, but I needed more than that to occupy me.”

“I can understand that.”He’s so easy to talk to.I’m surprised he’s not constantly on his phone like Jared was.He always told me it was business, but now I think he was probably talking to Angela while he was on a date with me.

The server returned and dropped off their drinks and a basket of freshly baked dinner rolls and butter.She also brought two appetizer-size plates.

Chase picked up his beer and held it out toward her.“To new friends.”

Meri lifted her glass and clinked it with his.“To new friends.”

She sipped her wine, then picked up a roll, buttered it, and took a bite.The roll was wonderful, yeasty and light.The butter melted into the soft insides and squirted on her fingers at the first bite.She set her bread down and licked her fingers before picking up her napkin and wiping them off.