Page 56 of Her Elusive Cowboy Billionaire

Chapter12

She rested her forehead against his chin and chuckled.Being held by Chase gave her a sense of calm.Her stomach eased and her muscles relaxed.She pulled back and gazed up at him.“You tempt me, Chase Harper.Almost enough to want to reconsider my decision about sex before marriage.But I won’t…wewon’t.Not now.”

He kissed her forehead.“I’m not really very hungry right now.”

“I’m not either.Shall we sit at the table?”

“Okay.”

She poured the wine and handed Chase a glass.Then they went over to the table and sat.

Meri took a sip of her wine.“What did you want to talk about?”

“You know, I meant to take you to my ranch, and we haven’t had the time to go with everything else that’s happened.”

“It’s okay.Maybe another time.”I would love to go.I want to do those things I loved doing as a kid.Riding, camping and fishing.I haven’t been in forever.

“How about we go after Marco is arrested?It can be a celebration vacation, and I don’t know about you, but I’ll need one after this is over.”

“I will, too, actually.But what about the murals?”

“The walls won’t go anywhere.You can start when we return.”

“Are we still planning on staying here and hoping that Marco makes another attempt?”I hate asking this question.Talking about being bait and actually being it are so different.I don’t want to be the bait anymore.

He shrugged.“I don’t see why not.The plan hasn’t changed.We need him to come to us, since we don’t have any idea where to locate him.”

“That’s true.”She drank more of her wine.Glancing at the glass, she knew she needed to slow down.Getting drunk wouldn’t do any good, but it was precisely what she wanted to do.“I really don’t want to talk about Marco anymore.Tell me more about this ranch.”

He wrapped his hands around his glass.

“It’s not a large ranch.Just over 10,000 acres.”

Her eyes widened.“That’s not large?”

“Not in Montana.Not when owned by a billionaire.”He waved away the comment.“I could buy more land, but I don’t really want anything bigger.We run a small cattle operation and I raise cutting horses.That’s enough for me.And I love it there.Well, not the winters.They can be brutal, but the rest of the year is terrific.Spring is pleasant after the snow melts.Summer is hot but usually not blistering and fall is just about as beautiful as you’ll see anywhere.”He leaned a forearm on the table and with his other arm waved toward the mountains.“A lot like Colorado, at least, in the mountains.The plains around Bozeman are more rolling hills, rather than flat land.That makes it nice.I don’t particularly like the flat land.I’m more of a mountain guy.”

“Well, that explains why you like Colorado.I grew up here and can’t think of anywhere I’d rather live.I’ve visited a lot of places, but not Montana.”She dropped her chin into her hands and looked up at him through her eyelashes.“Yet.”I love learning more about him.But is it enough?He’s not my boss anymore, at least I don’t think he is.That’s why he wants to renegotiate our agreement.But he also wants to marry me.I love him, but is it enough?Can I be in a relationship where I’m not sure whether he loves me?

He grinned.“Good.You’ll come with me, then?”

She sat up and wrapped her hands around her glass.“Yeah.I’d like to see your ranch.I love to ride and haven’t been for years.”

He reached over and took her hand in his.“I’d like very much to show you all over my ranch.Do you like to fish, camp, and that kind of thing?”

“I do.My dad taught all of us to fish.It’s one of my favorite pastimes.Basically, anything I can do that gets me into the mountains is a good thing, as far as I’m concerned.”

“That’s great.I know a place on the ranch that is great for fishing and camping, and it’s secluded.We’ll have to ride horses to get there.”He made little figure eights on the inside of her wrist and didn’t even stop when he laughed.He just kept making the figure eights.

The feeling was the most erotic thing anyone had ever done to her with her clothes still on.Jared certainly never made her feel like this.She turned her gaze from her wrist to him.“I’m looking forward to it.”She slowly retrieved her hand, knowing if she didn’t, she’d pull him into the bedroom and beg him to make mad, passionate love to her.She imagined she was in his arms and they were—she shook her head.“Huh?What did you say?”

Chase grinned.“Did I lose your attention there for a moment?”

She let out a deep breath.“No, no, of course not.”

He was still grinning.“Then what did I just say?”

“Um, something about fishing and horses, and?—”