Secret Seduction

A grin curled the corner of his mouth upward. “Uh-huh, sure you do.”

“I do. I have to get the oil changed in my car, swing by the ATM and take some movies back to Blockbuster.” That was the truth.

“Yeah, your day sounds jam-packed.”

“It is.” She could hear the defensiveness in her own voice. “Well, see ya.” She headed for the door.

“Wait.”

She stifled a sigh and turned around. “Yes?”

“Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Huh?”

He held up her bra, the thin strap of black material dangling from the tip of his big finger.

Vanessa went for it.

He pulled his hand back, holding the bra out of her reach.

She lunged and lost her balance on the stilettos and ended up tumbling headlong onto the bed.

Vanessa glanced up.

Tanner was looking down.

What she saw in his eyes stunned her. It was a mixture of longing, regret and sadness so deep she could feel it straight to her soul.

But in an instant, the look disappeared, replaced by stark sexual hunger and she almost believed she’d imagined it.

Almost.

The physician part of her brain told her that this man had been using her to salve some secret pain of his own, just as she’d been using him to forget about Carlo Vega. No need reading something more into this than there was.

But the urge to grab him and go at it again was so overwhelming she knew she had to get out of here. Stat.

Anxious to escape, Vanessa scrambled to her feet. But she wasn’t quick enough.

Tanner reached out a hand, encircling her wrist with his strong fingers. “I’d like to see you again.”

She shook her head. “I’m afraid that’s impossible.”

“Impossible?” His touch burned her skin, sent heat flaring up her arm.

Vanessa sucked in her breath. She might be a lot of things but she was no coward. She’d been cornered. She’d tell him the truth.

“Look, Tanner…” she began and tried to tug away from him, but he wasn’t letting go. The man was like a snapping turtle and she found herself wishing for thunder.

“I’m listening.”

“Last night was great. A lot of fun. We met each other’s needs, and I thank you for being there. It’s just that—”

“I’m not good enough to be seen with you in the light of day.”

“No, no.” She shook her head. “That’s not how it is.”

“How is it?”

He had a way of looking at her that made her feel both guilty and empowered. It was an odd sensation.

She cleared her throat. “Look, I don’t normally do things like this. Picking up strangers in a bar.”

“And you think I do?” He wasn’t letting go.

“You don’t?”

He shook his head. “First time.”

His gaze never left her face. He looked so earnest, she believed him. “Okay, here’s the deal. I don’t have room in my life for a relationship.”

“You could make room.”

“Not much.”

“We could take off one afternoon and go kayaking. Or you could call me on those nights when you’re watching movies all alone. I could bring the popcorn.”

It was so tempting. Too damned tempting. Panic fluttered, turning in her chest. “I don’t like popcorn.”

“Sure you do. Everyone likes popcorn. We can even rent Dark Victory.”

“Look, I’d just rather not, okay?”

Abruptly, he let go of her wrist. Vanessa, who’d been pulling against his grip, stumbled backward at the sudden release. She breathed a sigh of relief, even though her skin still tingled from his touch. “Thank you for letting go.”

“Have a nice life,” he said.

“You’re mad.”

“No,” he said. “I’m disappointed.”

“Disappointed?”

“I thought—” He paused. “Never mind what I thought.”

He’d thought they had a special connection? It would have been laughable except for the small knot in her stomach that whispered, I thought we had a special connection, too.

Vanessa had to get out of here before she crawled right back up into bed beside him.