Page 22 of Bachelor CEO

He leaned forward in his seat and placed hiselbows on the table. She found herself waiting for his words. They came quicklyand with force. “I’ve wanted you from the first moment I saw you.”

CHASE WATCHED MIRANDA’S reaction to hiswords. Her eyes widened and her mouth formed a silent O. Her face flushed, therosy color only making her more beautiful. He swallowed.Damn, but he wanted to make love to her. He wanted to cut through the pretensebetween them and get down to the basics, where there would be nothing but thetruth. Sex between them would be phenomenal.

“Okay, you’re right, I’m ungrateful. But whyshouldn’t I be? The most fascinating woman I’ve met in a long time comes intomy life right when I have to leave. Fate’s timing sucks.”

“You can’t mean that,” she said, and Chasecould almost see the walls she constantly surrounded herself with rising as sheregrouped.

He found himself wanting to shake some emotionout of her, make her admit the physical connection between them. “I don’t haveany reason to mince words. I’m not some jerk who needs a thrill. I’m attractedto you. I thought we’d established that.”

“I thought we’d also agreed that this pastweekend wasn’t to be brought up,” she countered. “It was a mistake.”

To hell with dumb declarations. He didn’t havetime for silliness. “First of all, I’m not playing that game. None of it was amistake. I kissed you because I wanted to. Both times. And believe me, Ienjoyed every minute.”

Her face reddened further. “You gave me yourword that we would pretend nothing happened, and start over.”

He shook his head. They were way past thatpoint. They were also adults, not teenagers. “I think I said I’d try. Whoknows? I don’t really remember what I said. What I do recall is how themoonlight reflected off your hair and how your lips felt on mine. Exquisite.”

She gasped at his compliment, but Chase tookno comfort in the fact that he’d shocked her. That hadn’tbeen his intent. Mostly, he’d wanted to clear the air. End the farce.

He glanced up to see the waitress approaching.Maybe it was a good thing she was arriving to check on their meals. He’d neverbeen this blatant before. He was acting out of character. No woman had evergotten the best of Chase McDaniel. No woman had ever gotten under his skin, notsince those first crushes in high school that turned all boys into useless,gibbering mush.

This was different. He was no longer afloundering teenager, but a man who knew what he wanted.

And he wanted Miranda Craig.

Chapter Six

Miranda wasn’t certain how she made itthrough the rest of lunch, much less the next few days. Being around Chase waslike walking a tightrope.

Not that he mentioned anything about wantingher again. Once he’d stated his feelings, he’d withdrawn. The business facadehad dropped into place, and Chase continued as if nothing had happened.

They’d finished lunch in an odd silencepunctuated only by meaningless small talk. In their subsequent work meetingshe’d glanced at her, but more as if looking through her than really seeing her.The sense that she’d lost something she hadn’t known she wanted was profound.

By Thursday afternoon, she was wired sotightly that when he popped into her office at three o’clock she practicallyjumped out of her skin.

“Have you checked your e-mails?” he askedwithout preamble.

“Not since one.” She’d been preparing reportssince then.

“Didn’t think so.” He stood in her doorway,with his white shirtsleeves pushed up so that golden-blond hair wasvisible on his tan forearms. “My grandfather e-mailed an hour and a half ago.”

“Oh.” Miranda double-clicked an icon on hercomputer. Normally she checked e-mails at the top of every hour, but sinceshe’d been trying to focus on her reports, she’d kept the program closed.

“Whatever this is, I guess it’s important ifyou walked down here to tell me about it.”

He folded his arms. “No. I figured you hadn’tread it, or you’d have already found me.”

“Okay,” Miranda said slowly, opening herin-box. She had thirteen new messages. The one from Leroy McDaniel was near thetop. She opened it and found it wasn’t even addressed to her, but rather toChase and copied to her.

She scanned the contents. It seemed that Leroywanted Chase to bring Miranda with him when he drove up to the lake Fridaynight. Leroy also intended to take them to dinner Saturday, so they should planto head back on Sunday once they’d formalized final details of the transition.

“So we’re going to the lake,” she said.

He watched her closely. “Yes. You’ll get yourfirst experience bringing up the paperwork. It’s usually my job. Each Friday Itake Leroy what he’s missed.”

No one had told her about this. It figured.She’d hoped to try to relax this weekend. “You do this every week?”

“It’s part of my job.”

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