"You rock, Miss May."
"That's a good thing?" she asked as she headed for the foyer.
"A real good thing."
Tess plopped down on the sofa and opened her new laptop. Thanks to Chase she could chat with classmates and do her homework and research much faster than she could with her old dinosaur. Her last two had been bought used.
She loved the little red convertible that he was letting her use. She'd read about people like him – rich, successful and good looking, but she never thought she'd meet one. Who knew her dad would know someone like Chase. Last month she was starving and on the verge of eviction and this month she was living the life of a princess. Crazy!
Just as she was about to start her assignment, Chase came in through the attached garage. She listened to his footsteps on the hardwood floor. Usually she was upstairs when he got home and the sounds of his presence in the house stirred the wanting deep within her. Tonight she wanted a change of atmosphere. A chance to see him when he came home. She heard him place his keys on the foyer table.
"Hi," she said before he could make his way to the kitchen.
"Hey." When he turned in her direction, she noticed he'd loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his perfectly starched dress shirt. "I didn't expect you to be down here still."
"I wanted something different tonight." She sat up and put the laptop on the coffee table. "You're home earlier than usual."
"I left work a bit earlier to run an errand." He came into the family room. "I'm glad you're up."
"You are?" When she crossed her legs, she noticed his glance lingering on them a bit longer than necessary. "How come?"
His gaze traveled back to her eyes. "I went to a brand new recovery center down in the city and arranged to have your dad moved there early next week. They have much better technology and as far as I'm concerned the staff is better equipped for his therapy. I don't think he's making any progress where he is."
"I checked all of those top notch hospitals downtown. His insurance won't cover any of those places. We just can't afford it." She tried to stay calm but if Chase set this in motion, it could end up costing a fortune and her dad might lose his bed in the place he was in. "Didn't they tell you that?"
"Sweetheart." He sat down next to her, taking her hand in his. Shocked, she looked down at their joined hands. "Money isn't an issue." He tilted her chin so she had to meet his stare. "I didn't tell you any of this to worry you."
"I'm not worried."
"You're lying." His voice was softer. "I can see the panic in your eyes. It's the same as the day your dad asked me to take you in. You didn't want to come here, but it all worked out, didn't it?"
"You've been so good to us." Every morning when she woke up, she expected the past month to be a dream. It wasn't until she looked out of the bedroom window and found him sitting by the stream did her uncertainty settle down. It was her reality check. And she liked watching him when he didn't know she was there. "It doesn't make any sense why you would do any of this for us. We're practically strangers."
"I'd like to think I'm no longer a stranger to you." He moved his hand to gently touch her chin all the way to her cheek, eliciting a shiver from her. "You've been here a few weeks now."
"I still don't know anything about you," she admitted. "You're hardly here."
"My work keeps me really busy." He dropped his gaze to her lips. "If there is anything you need, May will get it for you."
May can't give me what I need. "She's great." Since she had his attention, she took the opportunity to dart her tongue out and run it across her top lip. "But she's not you."
"Tessa." He let go of her and created a bit of space between them. "Is there something else you need? If May can't provide it, I certainly will. You can have whatever you want."
I want you. "You've been wonderful." She looked down at her lap. "Thank you."
"What is it?" He pressed her. "You still don't look happy."
"It's just that, well, I know you're busy … " She bit her lip as her eyes traveled up his strong chest and chiseled jaw to meet his lust filled eyes. "I was wondering if maybe you could have dinner with me once and a while."
"Oh?"
"This house is so big and it gets lonely. My father and I used to eat together several times a week. When he wasn't working. I guess I just miss the company. It would give us time to get to know one another." Eating alone every night was boring. She got the feeling he was avoiding her. Staying late at the office so he didn't have to see her. No one worked that many hours. "You work late almost every night and on the weekends you go golfing or meet with clients. I just thought if you ever had some free time, you might like to spend it in your house."
"I'm sorry," he said. "I was giving you some space to get used to living with me. I guess I went overboard. Tomorrow's Friday. How about I bring home a pizza and we have dinner together?"
Perfect. "If you're not too busy."
"I look forward to it." He stood. "I need to call your father's case worker and start the process to get him moved. I want him ready to go once the new facility gives us the green light."
"Did you talk to my dad about this?"
"Yes, he was a bit stubborn at first, but he knows this is the right thing for him. I want to see him walk again and this is a step in the right direction."
"Thank you." She took a calming breath before any tears could escape from her eyes.
"Tessa," he said. "It's okay to show me your emotions when it comes to your dad. I know you're strong. Your dad has told me so much about you and how you've taken care of him through the years. Now it's time to let me take care of you."
"That's hard for me." She shook her head because she wanted to rely on him. The burden really had become too much. Having him take control was a blessing. "I don't expect you to get it."
"I do get it." He nodded. "That's why I want to help you. Let go of all the stress and let me figure it out."
You do get it. "Maybe I don't get you," she said. "Where I come from people don't just hand you a credit card, move you into a mansion, give you a convertible, and say they're going to take care of you." Not without a price. "What's your motivation?"
"You." He smiled before walking out of the room and down the hall to his study.
Me? She grinned as she picked up her laptop. That was all the motivation she needed.
***
Beer, pizza, wings, and the company of a gorgeous woman. Chase couldn't remember the last time he'd spent such a relaxing Friday night. "Have another slice." He pushed the box toward her.
"No way." She patted her tummy and snickered. He liked the way it sounded. "I can't eat anything else." She finished her glass of water before she started clearing the table.
"Leave it," he said. "I'll get it later."
"I don't mind cleaning up. I sort of feel bad when May cleans up after me. She's very efficient."
"She loves it." He smiled. "She likes having you here. She says you're much neater than me."
"Has she been with you long?"
"My whole life."
"Really?"
"She worked for my family and when I built this place, my mother sent her with me." He was grateful to have his childhood housekeeper working for him. "She looks after me. I'd be lost without her."
"She adores you." Tessa rested her feet on the chair and wrapped her arms around her legs giving him a nice view of her ass cheeks that insisted on peeking out of the bottoms of her shorts. "She's always going on about what a good man you are. Now I get what she meant when she says you turned out just fine. She's known you forever."
"Yeah, she was around when I went through my rebellious stage." Chase sipped his beer. "She wasn't too pleased with me back then."
"Is that when you ended up with my dad?"
He didn't recall that time in his life often. It was painful because his father had just died and he'd given his mother so much trouble. He was an only child. Spoiled, privileged and out of control.
"What did my father do for you that you think you owe him so much?"