Page 1 of Bachelor CEO

Chapter One

She shouldn’t be bendingover like that.

As he gazed at the woman wearing the shortblue pinstripe skirt ahead of him, Chase McDaniel’s throat constricted and hissilk tie suddenly felt tight. She leaned over farther, continuing to study theback end of her car.

He had a perfect view of well-shaped legs thatled upward toward…

The bead of sweat that formed on Chase’sforehead had nothing to do with the late May heat wave. It might be ninety-twodegrees, but the vision in front of him was what was getting him all hot andbothered in the company parking lot this Friday morning.

She straightened, and he noticed how her crispwhite shirt clung to her breasts, outlining the white cami she wore beneath.She’d shed the suit coat, and her sunglasses were perched atop her head to keepher short black hair back.

She was hot. Both literally and physically.He’d never seen a woman quite like her, Chase decided. She had a commanding yetsexy presence. His libido heightened, and he worked to control his physicalreaction. Her car was in a visitor space, and as heapproached he could see what vexed her—a flat tire.

It was 10:00 a.m., and the official start ofthe Memorial Day weekend was hours away. Here in Chenille, Iowa, the daypromised to be a scorcher. But the unseasonably warm weather was ideal forheating lake water and making the weekend perfect for outdoor activities.

Chase’s grandfather was already at the familysummer home in Minnesota, and that’s where Chase was heading next, once hestopped and did his good deed for the day. “Hi,” he said, pausing a few feetfrom her.

She turned, and he inhaled. She had thegreenest eyes he’d ever seen.

“Hi,” she replied. Her frustration with thesituation was obvious.

“Looks like you have a flat.”

“You think?” She rubbed her forehead, and dirtfrom the tire streaked her skin. His fingers itched to wipe the smudge off, buthe kept his hands to himself. He’d liked her on sight, and being up closehadn’t done anything to change his mind.

“Do you know of a repair shop I can call?” sheasked, focusing on the matter at hand.

“Do you have a spare?” Chase countered.

She wrinkled her nose. “I hope so. I’ve neverhad to use it. Never even looked to see if it’s there.”

He moved to her trunk and noticed her Illinoislicense plates. Chenille was an hour northwest of Dubuque, which sat on theIowa-Illinois-Wisconsin border. “Where are you from?”

“Chicago,” she replied, watching as he liftedthe trunk lid. “What are you doing?”

“Changing your tire.” Chase gave her the grinthat his sister Chandy declared irresistible. “You’re inIowa. We do things like that, especially out here in Chenille.”

“I’d never even heard of this town until a fewweeks ago,” she admitted. “Couldn’t have found it on a map before then either.”

He laughed. “Not many people can unless you’relooking for us. We’re a company town owing our livelihoods to McDanielManufacturing. I assume since you’re here you’ve heard of the products.”

“Oh, I dug around a little. McDanielManufacturing makes cheeses, ice cream and other assorted dairy items. Thepopular product lines give Kraft a solid run for their money.”

He tossed her trunk mat on the ground,wondering about the purpose of her visit. She’d driven a long way. Maybe shewas in sales. A lot of vendors and suppliers did come calling. “So you did yourresearch.”

“Any smart woman would.”

“And you’re a smart woman?” He refrained fromadding that if she was, she’d have checked her trunk for a tire. Luckily, shehad one, and it was inflated.

“I like to think so.”

Chase chuckled, unscrewing the bolt that heldher tire jack and spare in place. “So where’d you go to school?”

“Northwestern University.”

“Good old Evanston,” he said, placing the boltin his pants pocket. He didn’t want to lose that.

She took his words the wrong way. “Do you havea problem with Northwestern?”

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