Page 28 of Bachelor CEO

“No, but Miranda’s good people. Has herpriorities straight. Did you know she’s putting her sister through college?”

“She mentioned that when wehad lunch Tuesday.”

So Chase was playing this one close to thechest. “Her dedication to her family was one of the things that most impressedme about her. She puts everyone else before herself.”

“She’s a saint,” Chase agreed, rolling hiseyes.

“You’ve done a lot worse,” Leroy pointed out.

“What do you mean by that?”

Oh, boy. He’d backed himself into a corner.For a shrewd businessman, Leroy had really botched this. “Nothing. Just theramblings of an old man. Forget it.”

“Grandpa…”

Leroy began shuffling off to his bedroom. Ateighty, his legs didn’t move as fast as they used to. “Gotta turn in. It’slate. See you in the morning.”

With a wave over his shoulder, he left Chasealone, standing in the great room.

CHASE WATCHED his grandfather go, and hopedthat turning eighty hadn’t made the old man senile. For Leroy to insinuate thathe should date Miranda…That certainly wasn’t the Leroy Chase knew.

He busied himself turning off lights. Thegreat room became pitch-black, and it took awhile for his eyes to becomeaccustomed enough to see the outlines of furniture. He made it through the roomby habit more than sight, and soon was up in his bedroom.

Two hours later he was still wide-awake, withMiranda dominating his thoughts. He’d wanted to kiss her when they’d stopped toenjoy the solitude of Balsam Lake. He’d sensed she might be willing. But he’donly be in Chenille for a few more days, and she wasn’t the one-night-standtype. Chase threw off the covers and went to the window.

Movement caught his eye, and he sucked in abreath. He couldn’t believe it.

There Miranda was, out on the dock, just likelast weekend.

He didn’t hesitate. He grabbed his shoes andleft, sleep forgotten.

Chapter Seven

“It’s a wicked full moon, isn’t it,” Chasesaid as he walked down to the dock. Unlike last weekend, Miranda didn’t jump.She’d heard him coming.

Part of her had thought to flee, but that ideaflickered out quickly. Deep down, she’d hoped he would come. Her intuition andher desire had wished for him, and here he was, as if she’d conjured him up.

He dropped to the planking beside her andkicked off his leather shoes before dangling his feet over the water. “Nowonder we couldn’t sleep. It’s gorgeous out here. Even better than earlier.”

The full moon illuminated the sky and thewater, creating a river of light.

“We should take the boat out,” Chasesuggested.

When he said that, Miranda’s pulse quickened.She hadn’t really thought this plan through. Heck, she hadn’t been thinking atall, but acting more on impulse, which was why she was out here wearing shortsand a T-shirt. “Sitting on the dock is fine.”

“No, come on. Indulge me.” He reached into hisshort pockets and withdrew a key fob. “This is one of my favorite things andnot something I share with most people.”

That swayed her and shedecided to take a risk. “Okay.”

This time they headed south, toward the middleof the lake and the big island. She could see the lights of the resort’sboathouse in the distance.

“The big island creates a wonderful illusion,”Chase told her. “It looks as if it’s a shoreline in itself, making the lakeappear smaller than it really is. Most of the lake is behind the island.”

“I feel miles from anywhere,” she commented,glancing around. The runabout didn’t have headlights, only the bow and sternsafety lights. Far off, near the eastern shore, another boat had droppedanchor.

“They’re probably fishing,” Chase said. Hekilled the motor and let their craft drift.

“You aren’t going to lower the anchor?”

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