Bachelor CEO (McDaniels #1)

Chapter Five

As if responding to the weekend’s upheaval, on Tuesday morning the heavens opened and the skies above Chenille poured sheets of hard, pelting rain.

Miranda gathered her umbrella closer, but the strong wind whipped underneath and blew it inside out, the thin metal frame no match for nature’s wrath.

She fought to tug the umbrella back into its correct shape. Despite her raincoat, by the time she’d reached the main doors of McDaniel Manufacturing, she was drenched.

A quick glance in the mirror of the lobby bathroom showed that her short black hair had frizzed. Her carefully applied makeup had washed away, and her mascara had proved exactly why it was so reasonably priced.

She quickly combed her hair. Nothing she could do about that—it would stay wet. She made a few quick repairs to her makeup, refusing to be late on the first day of work. Her instructions were to meet Chase in approximately…

Miranda quickened her pace. She had three minutes to reach the executive floor. She dug into her purse, removed the key card she’d received Friday and swiped her way through security and into the elevator that would take her to the seventh and highest floor. She’d toured the premises already, and her feet flew as she reached her office, where, leaning against the door frame, Chase waited. He glanced at his watch.

Inwardly she cursed. She’d wanted a few moments to compose herself before she went to meet him.

Instead, here he was, lounging in her doorway, looking better than any man had a right to. Gorgeous and sexy as hell. The dark blue suit showed off his broad shoulders and the red power tie drew attention to a chest with muscles too well defined to be completely hidden beneath his shirt.

She snapped her gaze upward, but not before his lips curled into an infuriating grin. He knew she’d been looking, and that she liked what she saw.

Her only hope was that she affected him, too. But he didn’t appear to be aroused so much as amused. Obviously, whatever passion they’d shared was in the past. She’d said “start over”

and Chase was clearly ready to do just that.

“Thought I’d take the stress off and meet you here,”

he said easily, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “So are you ready?”

he asked, his brisk tone all business.

She blinked. She couldn’t let physical attraction distract her. She’d been in control of her life for far too long to let something as silly as a knee-jarring kiss throw her off track.

“Let me just put this on my desk,”

she replied, hefting her leather briefcase, an expensive gift to herself upon landing the job. It had been her one indulgence.

Miranda placed her deformed umbrella in a corner and hung her raincoat on the peg behind the door. She grabbed a pad of notepaper and a pen from her desk. “I’m ready.”

“Can I get you something to drink? Tea? Coffee?”

he asked, leading the way down the hallway to his office. He rounded a corner, stopping by his secretary’s desk. “Ms. Craig would like some…”

He paused and waited expectantly, putting her on the spot.

“Some water would be nice. I’m Miranda Craig.”

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Carla,”

Chase’s executive assistant replied as she got to her feet. “Your usual?”

she asked Chase.

“Perfect.”

He nodded at Carla and motioned Miranda into his office.

“You know, I really could have gotten my own water,”

she told him once they were out of earshot and seated at a small six-seater conference table.

“It’s fine,”

he replied crisply, and she had the impression she’d made a misstep. Less than a minute later Carla entered with the beverages. She also carried two spiral-bound portfolios under her right arm, and she placed them in front of Chase. He waited until she left before sliding one of the binders toward Miranda. Miranda steeled herself. She would prove her hiring was no mistake.

He opened the front cover and she did the same. “Let’s get started.”

BY LUNCHTIME, Chase had to admit one thing: Miranda was quick on her feet and a sharp learner. During the course of the morning he’d gone over everything from his job description to the inner workings of the corporation. He’d presented flow charts and spreadsheets of the company’s holdings and financials. He’d shown her the newly approved five-year plan for future growth.

He hadn’t cut her any slack. As his replacement, she had a lot to learn in a very short time. He’d been as hard on her as he would have been on anyone else, maybe harder, all the while secretly hoping she’d fall on her face. Some part of him, obviously not his usual chivalrous side, had hoped that she might not grasp everything, which would give Chase an excuse to fight his grandfather’s decision.

Now, after seeing how bright and capable she was, he had to admit he’d been wrong. She’d already done a number on his equilibrium. Finding her his business equal was the icing on the cake. Unfortunately, he couldn’t indulge.

“Lunch,”

he told her.

She smiled at him, and he fought to keep his focus on business. He liked her green eyes. He liked her lips. He liked everything about her, which made leaving his company, and her, torturous. “You do eat lunch, right?”

“Yes,”

Miranda said.

He arched a brow, wondering why she hadn’t moved yet. “Shall we meet back here in an hour?” he asked.

“Uh, sure.”

She rose to her feet slowly. Her forehead creased as she gathered up her purse. “So we don’t have lunch plans?”

“No. Were we supposed to?”

She shook her head, a little too quickly, Chase realized, wincing. Since it was her first day, his grandfather had probably told her Chase would take her to lunch. Another thing Leroy had conveniently forgotten to mention. Chase hoped there weren’t any more surprises.

He stood. “I’ll take you to Maxine’s.”

Now she looked panicked. “It’s not necessary. I haven’t seen my office for longer than ten minutes. I have a box of stuff in my trunk that I need to bring in and unload….”

“You can do that tomorrow,”

Chase said. His chivalry had returned, and now that he’d made his decision, he could be as stubborn as Leroy. “You have to experience Maxine’s.”

“Seriously, I don’t need a pity offer.”

He held up a hand to stop her. “I don’t do anything out of pity. I’ll meet you by the elevator in five minutes. Don’t be late.”

Then, before she could protest further, Chase left the room.

CHASE’S OFFICE SEEMED a lot bigger now that he’d exited. Miranda studied the space, hoping to learn something about the man whose job she would take over for a year.

Framed artwork, diplomas and pictures decorated the walls. In one corner, near a bookcase, a saddle rested on a custom stand. She stood and went over, noticing a few ribbons and trophies. There was also a framed photo of a young man on a horse, roping a steer. She lifted it to take a closer look. Chase, she realized.

She set the picture down, noticing a recent photo of his family on a shelf nearby. Next to that was an older family portrait, of four kids and two adults. She swallowed as she realized the latter were Chase’s parents. The whole family was frozen in time, all happy and untouched by the tragedy soon to befall them.

She had a picture like that herself.

“You’re still here,”

Carla said, entering the office. “I’m going to straighten up. Chase told me he’s taking you to Maxine’s. Fantastic food. You’ll love it.”

“I hope so,”

Miranda replied. Perhaps she’d misunderstood Leroy saying that Chase would take her to lunch.

Since she’d lingered in his office, she didn’t have time to freshen up, so she headed straight for the elevator. It didn’t surprise her that he was already waiting. As soon as he saw her, he pressed the Down button.

She’d eaten lunch with Walter and other company executives dozens of times, but Chase’s waiting for her felt almost like a date. It wasn’t, though, so she’d better get herself together, and fast.

“Thank you for changing your plans. I appreciate the gesture. I’m sorry it was sprung on you.”

“It’s nothing.”

Chase entered the elevator behind her and pressed the button for the lobby. “I should have been more sensitive about welcoming you to the company properly. With anyone else I probably would have. It is your first day, and of course I should be taking you to lunch. I’ve been a bit of a cad.”

Miranda didn’t have any illusions that she and Chase would kiss, make up and be friends, but she recognized the masked apology. She acknowledged it with a slight nod of her head before changing the subject. “I noticed the saddle in your office. Do you still ride?”

“Not like that. I stopped roping about ten years ago. Couldn’t quite get rid of the saddle, though. For years it was a part of me.”

“You shouldn’t. It’s a memory. A good one, right? You enjoyed it.”

He shrugged. “I did okay. I earned a few ribbons and belt buckles.”

The elevator door opened and they stepped out and crossed the lobby to the main entrance. The rain had let up, but puddles remained. The sun was starting to break through the clouds, which was a good thing, since Miranda had left her umbrella in her office.

“I’m parked over here.”

Chase led her toward a compact SUV with a bike rack on the back. “When I leave, this will be your spot.”

Which would be good for rainy days, as it was closer to the entrance, Miranda noted.

Chase opened the front passenger door and she climbed in. The drive took under five minutes, since Maxine’s was in a storefront on Main Street. Chenille’s downtown was pristine and unspoiled by time, the buildings old-fashioned and charming.

“I like all the little shops down here. I haven’t had a chance to explore them yet.”

“They’ll have most everything you need, especially if you don’t want to drive. The nearest Wal-Mart is twenty miles west. We aren’t a big enough town to support our own, which is fine by me.”

“I found it. I went there yesterday to pick up some things.”

Chase held open the outer door. “Maxine’s has been here for about twenty years, but the building is much older. It’s on the historic registry. When you get inside take a look at the millwork. It’s all original.”

He opened the second door and they stepped inside.

“Chase,”

the hostess called. “How are you today?”

“Fantastic. Diane, this is Miranda Craig. She’s McDaniel’s new vice president. This is her first day and her first time eating here.”

“Nice to meet you, and welcome to Chenille. I hope you enjoy your meal and that you like it enough to come back often. Your usual table okay today, Chase?”

“That’ll be fine,”

he replied as she grabbed two menus. He put his hand lightly on Miranda’s back to guide her. Despite the layers of clothing, her body immediately reacted to his touch, and she bit her lip.

As she followed the hostess, Chase’s hand suddenly fell away. Miranda glanced behind and noticed he’d stopped for a second to greet someone. But he was there to pull out her chair before Diane had time to set the menus down.

“Sorry for that,” he said.

“I guess you know just about everyone in town.”

Miranda glanced around the restaurant. Chase hadn’t been kidding about the woodwork. The place reminded her of an old tavern, complete with heavy wooden tables. Maxine’s had several rooms, and just about every seat was full.

“You’ll quickly get to know the movers and shakers of Chenille. Most of them eat lunch here every day. If they’re still there I’ll introduce you on the way out. That’s Martin Villas. He’s president of one of the local banks, and he’s with Butch Ifland, the former mayor. Butch is running for county commissioner.”

“Your town seems pretty tight-knit.”

“There are only three hundred kids in the high school. My graduating class had seventy-three students.”

Miranda put the burgundy-colored cloth napkin in her lap. “There were over two thousand in my high school. No one really knew anyone. I was happy to get out. I didn’t have many friends, since I didn’t get there until the middle of my junior year.”

“You transferred midyear?”

She fingered her napkin. “It wasn’t my choice. My parents died.”

“I’m sorry. That must have been hard.”

Chase took a sip of his water and Miranda appreciated the empathy in his voice. At least he hadn’t pitied her. She’d had enough of that over the years.

She picked up the menu, but had no idea what to order. She set it down again and realized he was waiting for her to continue. “The only family my sister and I had left was my aunt. She wasn’t too thrilled about taking us in. That’s one of the reasons this job is so important to me.”

“Then I guess we have two things in common,”

Chase said.

He meant both the job and their parents’ deaths. She hadn’t really thought about having anything in common with Chase. Maybe this was something on which they could build a working relationship.

The waitress arrived to take their orders. Although Chase chose the special, a Reuben sandwich, Miranda played it safe and decided on a sliced turkey sandwich and a side garden salad. She reached for her water as Chase spoke again.

“Do you mind if I ask you what happened?”

Miranda stared at him, then tried to lighten the moment. “Who are you and what have you done with the Chase who grilled me all morning?”

“Truce. It’s lunchtime.”

When he grinned, she realized that somewhere along the line his smile had grown on her. He wasn’t a bad guy; he was just in a bad situation.

“The answer is that a drunk driver hit my parents. My father died instantly. My mother survived the accident, but didn’t have the will to live without my dad. She died six months later. I was sixteen.”

“That must have been hard.”

Miranda sighed. “I’ve managed.”

“But it’s affected you. It’s tough. I know. It doesn’t make you weak to admit it.”

“You’re right. It’s made me strong. It’s the reason I’m so driven. My younger sister and I are nine years apart in age. She’s the reason I stayed in Chicago. My aunt and I didn’t get along, but I refused to leave Linda behind. She was only seven when the accident happened.”

“So you took care of her.”

Miranda shrugged. “As best I could. When I could finally afford to move out I took her with me. My job allowed me to send her to college. My parents wanted degrees for both of us. She’s going to be a psychologist, so she needs a Ph.D. She’s finishing this year. Even with tons of financial aid, you’d be amazed at all the costs entailed. It’s been a struggle throughout. During college I always had part-time jobs, and worked as many hours as I could.”

“My grandparents stepped in for my siblings and me,”

Chase murmured. “We never had to worry about finances like you did. I’ve been a jerk in prejudging you. I’m sorry. I doubt I could have done what you did.”

“My past is past.”

She reached for her drink, holding the iced tea like a barrier. Chase as Mr. Sensitivity was disconcerting. He couldn’t start being nice now! Although that was what part of her wanted, warning bells in her head forecasted danger. If he could be like this all the time, no wonder women fell for him.

He pressed on. “I have to disagree that you get to leave the past behind. Sometimes I wish I could, but it becomes a part of you. It’s always in the back of your mind, that little ‘what if.’ What would my life be like had that day never happened?”

“Yeah,”

she replied. He did understand. “You try not to think about it.”

“But you have to. I do. Every day. That’s why my grandfather concocted this plan. You do understand that I don’t want to leave for a year. Not only did he force me, but he sprang the news on me.”

“I know. When Leroy hired me he told me you weren’t going to be happy. He said you’d be pretty resistant. I wanted to tell you who I was when we met, but he said he wanted things handled his way, and who was I to disagree?”

Chase frowned. “I guess hearing your explanation helps me understand why you kept the truth to yourself.”

The hairs on Miranda’s neck rose. “I never meant to mislead you.”

“Doesn’t matter. Even though I hate the idea, it’s what he wants for me. I can’t deny him something he feels so strongly about.”

“Of course you care about his wishes. You love him.”

Impulsively she reached out and covered Chase’s hand with hers. His skin was warm beneath her palm. His gaze locked on to hers and her breath lodged in her chest. Or maybe her heart had missed a beat.

Whatever had just happened, she felt a sudden kinship with Chase. She also felt the chemistry between them simmering just below the surface and threatening to bubble forth.

The waitress approached with their food, and Miranda snatched her hand back. She glanced around the room, but no one appeared to be paying attention. However, she was extremely aware that she’d been touching Chase, in Maxine’s, where, he’d told her, everyone spread Chenille’s latest gossip.

Pretending to be engrossed with her sandwich, she removed the top slice of bread and added some honey mustard.

Chase watched her thoughtfully. “Just so you know, that’s not going to work.”

She looked at him. “What? I happen to like honey mustard on sandwiches.”

The corner of his mouth inched upward. “Always quick on your feet, aren’t you? But you know what I mean. You showed empathy in a public place. You touched me and people noticed. And yes, they’re going to gossip. But stop worrying. You didn’t do anything wrong. I liked you touching me.”

He didn’t understand, she realized. “They’ll think we’re dating. They don’t know who I am.”

He shifted forward. “So? They’ll find out otherwise and that will be that. No big deal.”

“Yeah, but what if they think I dated you to get the position?”

She frowned as she thought of something else. “How many different women do you bring here, anyway?”

“None, so relax. This is where I bring business colleagues.”

Chase reached for a French fry.

Maybe she was overreacting. He knew the town better than she did. “Still…”

His shoulders tightened and he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “Don’t worry. I got your point. You’ve mentioned my reputation enough. Heck, maybe that’s what I should do for my vacation. Go to Hollywood and pick up a blond playmate. Although she’d probably be a bit too ‘plastic.’ And I doubt she’d want to return with me to Podunkville when my exile is over.”

“Forget my early commiseration. I think you’re being ungrateful,”

Miranda told him before she could bite back the words. She didn’t like the change in Chase. Mr. Sensitivity had disappeared.

His skepticism was clear. “You don’t think I deserve to be upset?”

“No, I don’t. Maybe at first, but not now.”

Now that she was in for a penny, she might as well be in for a pound. He waited for her to continue.

“I don’t really know your grandfather, but from what I’ve seen he’s a wonderful person. Let me tell you, if I were in your shoes getting a paid year off, I wouldn’t be complaining. I’d be booking tickets to Paris, and following that, Rome. I’ve never had a real vacation. So having one year to do whatever I wanted, without any limits, would be a dream. Yet you mock the gift he gave you.”

He sputtered, amazed by her attack. “I like to work.”

She pushed her plate away. “So do I. But work doesn’t make me happy. It’s a means to an end, not all that I am. My entire existence isn’t based on this job.”

“I would disagree. You’ve already indicated how much you need this position and how much financial stability it’s bringing you.”

“So? That doesn’t mean I couldn’t be happy doing something else. If I won the lottery, I don’t know if I’d stay in business. If I could trade places with you I would, but I can’t. I’m here to do a job.

“You know, Chase, your whole life has been a gift, but you don’t seem satisfied with what you have. I don’t know if you can be satisfied.”

“Let me tell you, there are many times I’ve been satisfied,”

he countered. “And I haven’t been the only one, either.”

Her face colored at his brash and bold words. His crass humor showed that he hadn’t really changed his playboy ways. When cornered, he relied on his top weapon: sex appeal.

“That’s not what I meant and you know it,”

she retorted, crossing her arms over her chest, mimicking his earlier body language. “Unlike you, I don’t let my hormones rule my mind.”

Or my heart.

His mouth curled into what could be best described as a Rhett Butler smile. “You should try it sometime. Might do you a world of good.”

And with that, the upper hand was Chase’s. Refusing to discuss her love life, Miranda pulled her plate toward her and ate some of the turkey sandwich.

However, his words hung in the air between them. She couldn’t keep quiet. “You know, I find your insinuation rather insulting.”

His blond eyebrows rose. “What?”

She lowered her voice to a whisper. “That having sex might do me a world of good.”

“It would do me a world of good,”

Chase replied, popping another French fry into his mouth as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

She suddenly had a memory of his mouth on hers, and she wet her lips with her tongue.

“Look, can I say something without you running back to my grandfather and filing sexual harassment charges against me?” he asked.

“I don’t know,”

she said, fascinated with the movement of his mouth. Chase McDaniel had to be a walking pheromone—he rattled her senses and stripped away her usual rigid self-control.

“I’ll risk it. I’m leaving town anyway. After this weekend you won’t see me again for at least a year.”

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

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

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

“You can’t mean that,”

she said, and Chase could almost see the walls she constantly surrounded herself with rising as she regrouped.

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

“I thought we’d also agreed that this past weekend wasn’t to be brought up,”

she countered. “It was a mistake.”

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

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

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

She gasped at his compliment, but Chase took no comfort in the fact that he’d shocked her. That hadn’t been 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 never been this blatant before. He was acting out of character. No woman had ever gotten the best of Chase McDaniel. No woman had ever gotten under his skin, not since those first crushes in high school that turned all boys into useless, gibbering mush.

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

And he wanted Miranda Craig.