Lori Wilde – Secret Seduction (страница 5)
The notion was unexpected but intriguing. One night in bed with this tall drink of water might just be the antidote she needed to quell thoughts of Carlo Vega. She found Tanner far more appealing than she should. Everything about him was sexy, even the proprietary way he’d ordered for her.
“You picked me up, remember?”
She had indeed. “And now you think you know everything about me.”
“Not everything.” He took a sip of water. “But I’d like to know more.”
Yeah, she’d like to know more about him, too. But why? She wasn’t in the market for a serious relationship, or any relationship for that matter. She still had a year to go on her residency and it required all her dedication and concentration. But one glorious night with the studly Viking here? Oh, yeah.
The waitress, clad in a simple uniform of black slacks and a white silk blouse, brought their order, rescuing Vanessa from having to answer the question in his piercing blue eyes. She couldn’t help wondering what he would think if he knew the truth about her. Where she was from. The things she’d done to survive and make her way in the world. And that nothing mattered more to her than her career.
“Did you used to be a Boy Scout?” she asked to derail him.
He stopped buttering his roll and looked at her. “What makes you say that?”
She shrugged. “You just look like a Boy Scout. Blond. Clean-cut. Perfect posture.”
“Yes,” he said. “I was a Boy Scout. Even earned a good conduct medal.” His grin was self-deprecating. “Were you ever a Girl Scout?”
In the barrio?
“So what do you do for fun?” he asked, cutting into his steak. “When you’re not dancing at Emilio’s?”
“I don’t have much free time. The closest I come to a hobby is my daily jog.” Vanessa cut into her own steak. “And once in a rare while I get to indulge my passion for old movies.”
“Ah,” he said. “A workaholic.”
She eyed his biceps straining against the sleeves of his shirt. She wished she had X-ray vision so she could see the delineation of each strata of those muscles. “I can see you’re not a slacker in the exercise department. What do you do to keep your guns in shape?”
He smiled and flexed his upper arms. The man had every reason in the world to be proud of his spectacular physique. “Power lifting. But for fun, I kayak the Colorado. You ever been?”
“No,” she admitted. Not much opportunity for kayaking where she came from. “But it sounds like fun.”
“Maybe I’ll take you sometime.”
Hope coiled tight inside her. Sometime. Ha! There’d be no other time with him. Now was all she could afford and even this was risky. She ducked her head, busied herself with spearing a bit of juicy tenderloin. “So you’re a Texan?”
“Born and raised,” he said.
“Where’s your hometown?”
“Right here in Austin. You?”
“El Paso.”
“What brought you to Austin? Boyfriend? Husband?”
“Is this your way of asking if I’m attached?”
His eyes darkened. “Hey, no guy likes ugly surprises when he’s out with a pretty woman.”
The comment made her smile. “I’m single,” she said. “Never married.”
“I’m single, as well.” Tanner nodded, but he had a strange look on his face, almost as if he were lying. “So you’re in Austin because…”
Here he was asking the question she dreaded most. Vanessa gave him the pat answer that was only partly the truth. “Med school.”
The minute the words were out of her mouth, she could have bitten off her tongue. She hadn’t wanted him to know she was a doctor. A lot of guys got weird when they found out what she did for a living. Many of them felt challenged by a smart, successful woman.
“You’re a doctor?” He sounded impressed.
“Resident.”
“I see why you don’t have much time for fun.”
“Work does take up most of my time.”
“So what is your favorite classic movie, when you have time to indulge your passion?” he asked.
“You go for the tearjerkers.”
“Tearjerkers are more like real life.”
“Which is exactly why some people like to escape into comedies.”
“Let me guess, you’re a Three Stooges fan,” she said. “Or maybe the Marx Brothers?”
“Actually, “ he admitted, “when it comes to classic movies, it’s John Wayne all the way.”
“I should have guessed.” She smiled. “What’s your fav?
“Seriously?”
“I’m a sucker for romance. Plus Maureen O’Hara was pretty easy on the eyes. I have a thing for feisty women.” He winked.
Suddenly she had a hard time catching her breath.
The conversation lagged and Vanessa didn’t try to stir it. Strangely enough, the silence between them didn’t feel awkward at all. It felt nice. Natural.
They finished their meal and lingered over a cup of coffee.
“What’s your specialty?” Tanner asked.
“Specialty?” She was so busy staring at his impressively broad shoulders, his question caught her off guard and for a minute there she thought he was asking her a very personal question.
“Pediatrics, internal medicine, heart surgeon?”
“Cosmetic and reconstructive surgery.”
“Really?” His tone sounded almost accusatory.
She bristled. “Something wrong with plastic surgery?”
“Settle down,” he said. “The question wasn’t a shot against your chosen career. You just seem like you’d be a pediatrician.”
“Why? Because I’m a woman? You just assume I’d be good with kids?” She knew she sounded defensive. She didn’t even know why she was reacting this way.
Tanner held up his palms. “I surrender. I can see I’m snugged up behind the eight ball on this one.”
He looked so contrite, Vanessa laughed. “Well, thanks for having dinner with me, Tanner,” she said, opening her wallet to pull out enough cash to cover the cost of her meal.
His hand closed over hers. “Dinner is on me.”
“No,” she said and lifted her chin proudly. “I always pay my own way.”
He didn’t argue, just let go of her hand. Vanessa suddenly realized she was breathless. “All right,” he said. “If you insist. But then at least let me give you a ride home.”
“I’ll catch a cab.”
“Beholden to no one,” he said lightly.
“That’s right.”
He studied her for a long moment. “Doesn’t it ever get exhausting?”