Chapter 5 #2
He stared at her like he couldn’t take his gaze away.
“You’re welcome. I thought you might enjoy this.
You’re the only one I’ve brought to this place.
You should see it in the daytime. We’re surrounded by aspens and pine trees.
The aspens sound like they are whispering on the breeze.
I’d like to bring you back here for a picnic. ”
Is this wrong? Am I falling for Chase after knowing him for only a few days? Why are his kisses like a drug that I need to live? Stop it. I need to remember he’s my boss. He’s my boss. He’s my boss. But she heard herself saying, “I’d like that.”
He leaned over, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and then held her while he lowered his head, taking her lips with his.
The kiss started soft with gentle butterfly kisses that were barely there, and when she moaned, she accepted the invasion of his tongue, tasting the smoothness of the Malbec.
He tasted like prime rib, horseradish and man.
She leaned into him and put her arms around his neck. Meri kissed him back the way she’d wanted to with their last kiss.
He finally broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. “I can’t seem to get enough of you. I’ve been trying to keep my distance, but it seems to be impossible.”
She loved the way he smelled. Sandalwood and the scent that was him…was Chase. “You don’t need to keep your distance. I like you, Chase.”
“I like you, too.” He furrowed his brows and his lips formed a small pout. “Perhaps too much.”
“I know what you mean. We don’t know each other very well…
yet. I’ve discovered you are more than they say on Google, which isn’t much.
It’s as if they have erased most of your personal information from the internet.
As a matter-of-fact from what little I know, you’re way more interesting than they know, ”
He smiled and drew a finger along her cheek.
“And I know there is more to you than it says on your website. Because it doesn’t say you’re a beautiful woman with big green eyes.
I believe you have a kind heart and a good soul.
I wouldn’t be so attracted to you otherwise.
Why don’t you have a picture of yourself on your website? ”
Heat flushed her cheeks. Fortunately, the darkness concealed her blush from his sight. “That’s a very nice thing to say. As for my picture, I want my art to speak for itself, so no picture of me. Besides, I don’t want some stalker coming after me because of what I look like.”
“I’d say it’s the truth…unless I’m totally off base.”
She pulled out of his embrace and turned in her seat so her back was against the door and she could see him. “You’re not. I am a good person. At least I try to be. It was how I was raised.”
“Me, too. My parents would have—well, let’s just say they believed in the adage of spare the rod and spoil the child.”
She laughed. “So did mine, but I made sure I didn’t get spanked very often.
Just once by Mom and once by Dad. Apparently, my parents had an agreement that Mom would discipline the boys and Dad would discipline me.
But Mom ended up doing most of it, me included.
They only spanked as a last resort. Mom’s ability to use words to make you feel guilty prevented you from misbehaving again. ”
“Actually, I didn’t either. One time, I’d misbehaved.
Nothing really terrible, but anyway, my grandmother was staying with us and told me to go get a switch.
I got the smallest one I could. She wasn’t pleased and got one herself.
I think she spanked me twice as long because of what I’d done with the switch.
I learned my lesson and was mostly good from then on. ” He chuckled at the memory.
She cocked an eyebrow and then laughed. “I sincerely hope so.” I wonder what a young Chase was like?
His parents clearly gave him skills to form a company and achieve his dreams. But what else might they have taught him?
Honesty, loyalty, perseverance. All good traits, but can I trust him or will he turn out to be like Jared? Why is true love so elusive?
She was so animated. Chase stared at her.
Her hair was such a contrast to the starry sky above them.
He loved her green eyes, and that she blushed at anything even mildly inappropriate.
He’d do almost anything for her or to keep her with him.
But that wouldn’t happen, because he couldn’t give her his heart.
Was he wrong to want to see her? She made him feel things he hadn’t felt in years.
He’d have to keep from getting too close.
Except, when he wasn’t with her, he missed her and wanted her close.
He wished he knew what to do. Actually, he wished he could have his cake and eat it, too.
He yearned for Meri like no one ever before, but he didn’t want to harm her.
However, he couldn’t see an alternative except for avoiding her, which proved impossible.
He could give her as much as he had to give.
That would have to be enough. And what if it isn’t?
What if she wants more than I can give? Will I stay away then? Or will I continue to hurt her?
He didn’t have the answer.
The next Saturday, Meri was driving home from a day out shopping with her mother. Eric and Avery followed closely behind her. She remembered now, while they were in her car, trapped in the weekend’s rush hour traffic, why she did most of her shopping online.
“You picked out some interesting items today,” her mother said nonchalantly. Carole Anderson was a fit woman of sixty-four. Her hair was still the same red as Meri’s, with only a few strands of gray, and her eyes were the same shade of green.
From her father, Meri got her curls. They were the reason James Anderson wore his hair cut close at the sides and not too long on top. He’d learned to manage the curls at the top of his head, so he had enough to comb. His hair was light brown and at sixty-nine he had not one gray hair.
“I’m sorry. What did you say?”
Her mother smiled indulgently. “You’re just like your father. When something bothers you, everything else has a hard time getting in. I commented on your unusual purchases today.”
“Unusual? How?”
She’d bought some sexy underwear and a form-fitting little black dress.
Now if Chase wanted to take her out to some place fancier, she would have the appropriate clothes to do it and not make a poor impression.
“I’m meeting more high-end clients and need to dress appropriately for our meetings…
wherever they are.” She thought she did pretty good coming up with an excuse for her high-end purchases.
“I suppose that’s true, but I’m disappointed. I was hoping there was a special man involved, like maybe Chase Harper. I guess that’s just an old woman’s dream.”
Meri barked out a laugh. “Since when are you an old woman? If I had said anything like that, you would have punched me in the arm. Lightly, of course.”
Her mother chuckled. “You’re right. But I’m getting to the point I wonder if I’ll ever have grandchildren.”
She pulled forward. The traffic jam was finally moving. There must be an accident up ahead. “What are you talking about? You already have six grandchildren. Each of the boys has two.”
“I meant from you. Grandchildren from you.” Her mother had the good grace to blush. “Is it against the law for a mother to want to see her daughter settled?”
“No, it’s not. But I’m not seeing anyone steady.
Chase and I’ve gone to dinner a couple of times, that’s all.
Mostly business.” Now that was a whopper.
They hardly discussed business. But her mother didn’t need to know that.
She’d make a big deal out of it, and I don’t want that to happen.
I just want to enjoy Chase’s company. I’m not looking for another relationship.
“I doubt it’s all business, not if you’re buying sexy underwear and little black dresses. Whatever you do, just stay safe.”
“Mom. I am not having the safe sex conversation with you. I have no intention of seducing Chase Harper, so drop it.”
Her mother smiled and patted Meri’s thigh. “Of course, dear.”
Fifteen minutes later, Meri finally pulled into her mother’s driveway and cut the engine.
The Yukon with Eric and Avery in it, pulled to the curb in front of the house and stopped.
Meri released her seat belt and turned toward her mother.
“Okay, I’ll level with you. I don’t want to make any more out of this than it is.
For now, it’s just two people getting to know one another.
I don’t care about Chase’s money. I’m successful in my own right.
Please don’t say anything to anyone, especially Dad.
He’s a bigger gossip than anyone I’ve ever met.
He just has to tell all the men at his firm exactly what he’s heard. ”
“I promise to keep the secret,” she motioned, locking her lips and throwing away the key. “But I don’t think you give your father enough credit. He can keep a secret.”
“No, he can’t. He told them when I started my period, for gosh sakes.”
Her mother wrinkled her nose. “That was one mistake. He has done nothing like that again.”
“Because since I found out what he’d done, I’ve never told him anything.”
“Well, there is that, too, I suppose. That would make it difficult to tell them anything. But you have told me and he still hasn’t said anything.”
Meri blew out a breath. “Oh, I’m sure he has, but I didn’t tell you until it didn’t matter anymore whether he knew. But I’m trusting you, Mom. Don’t make me regret doing so.”
Carole turned in her seat to face Meri. “Don’t worry, honey. I’ll keep my word. Are you coming in?”
“No, actually, I need to work if I’m going to be ready to start the drawing in Chase’s office.”
“Well, no matter what, enjoy this time with him. I understand he’s not the settling-down kind. I heard his fiancée was murdered. That kind of thing lingers.”
“That’s true. He told me so. But he’s trying to move forward.
That’s why I’m doing the mural. His fiancée was the one who originally decorated the office, but now he’s ready to redo it.
I hope that means he’s letting her go. Not that I’d let myself fall in love with him, anyway.
I’ll never put myself in a position to have what happened with Jared happen again. Never.”
Carole reached over and took Meri’s hand.
“Ladybug, don’t close yourself off to the possibility of love.
Don’t let Jared affect you anymore. You’ve wallowed in this self-pity for long enough.
Over two years have passed and Jared has been the one to pay.
He had to move out of the state just to get away from the fallout of what he did.
You, on the other hand, have flourished.
Everyone loves you and knows that none of what he did was your fault. Everyone but you, that is.”
“I’m aware it wasn’t my fault.” She looked away from her mother, knowing she was lying.
She questioned her own culpability. Had she done something or not done something that would have prevented him from getting involved with Angela in the first place?
Should she have not introduced him to her friends?
She couldn’t live like that. When she loved someone and they purported to love her in return, she wanted to share him with all the people important to her, especially her family and friends.
Still, she wondered why she hadn’t seen something happening between them. How did they do so well hiding it?
“You’ve got that look on your face again. Like you’re a million miles away in some other galaxy.”
“Sorry, Mom. I guess I was. Let me help you in with your bags, then I need to get home.”
“Hot date?”
“As a matter of fact, I do and I have prep to do. Chase and I are taking his niece, who is four, to the ice show tonight. Her parents have an office party to go to and since it’s celebrating his brother’s promotion, they really have to go.”
Her mother laughed. “I suppose it would be in poor taste not to show up at your own party.”
Meri laughed, too. “Just a little.”
“Give me a kiss. You don’t have to help me in. Besides, you don’t have to get grilled by your father that way.”
She leaned over and kissed her mother on the cheek. “Thanks, Mom. You’re the best.”
“I know. Now get going. You need to shower and fix your face before you go out, whether or not it’s with his niece.”
Smiling, she teased. “Are you telling me I stink?”
“Of course, not. I would never tell you, you stink. I’d say you needed a shower.”
Meri sniffed under her arms, surprised to find she had an odor. “Must have been the sun. It is hot out.”
“That’s true and I’m sure you didn’t have enough time to have one this morning since I gave you about ten minutes to be ready to go with me.”
“I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too, ladybug.”
Carole got out of the car.
Meri drove away, followed by the Yukon. All the time thinking about her night coming up with Chase and his niece. She hadn’t met the little girl yet, but at four-years-old how much trouble could she be?