Devon Archer - Bet on Love

“Portland, huh?” Tanner leaned forward interestedly. “I’ve been there a couple of times, as well as Seattle.”

“The Pacific Northwest is a great place to visit,” Bianca told him.

“Aside from Texas and Oregon, where else have you been?” he asked curiously.

“Can’t say I can match your travels, but I’ve been here and there.”

“Such as...”

“Let’s see...most of the midwestern and western states, New York, Atlanta, New Orleans Miami, Seattle and Honolulu twice.” She paused to collect her thoughts. “Abroad, I’ve been to Brazil, Canada, the Cayman Islands, England, Mexico and Sweden.”

“Not bad,” Tanner said, slicing through his shrimp stuffed with crab and cheddar cheese. “So what do you do for sport? It’s obvious you keep yourself in great shape.”

“Thank you,” Bianca told him, happy that he noticed. “I jog almost daily.”

“Cool. Maybe we can run together sometime.”

“Sounds good to me.” She imagined seeing him in a T-shirt and shorts, showing off his well-defined, muscular limbs.

“Then we’ll make it happen.” Tanner lifted his glass. “What type of music are you into? I’m guessing pop and R&B, maybe a little jazz, cabaret and blues. How am I doing?”

Bianca laughed. “Not too bad. You can probably scratch the blues off the list, though it was my dad’s favorite type of music. But I’m definitely into R&B, pop and jazz. I love Alicia Keys, Adele, Bruno Mars, Kendre Kelly, Rihanna and Michael Bublé, among many others.”

“Yeah, I like them, too. Seems like we have a few things in common.”

“Seems that way,” she agreed, tasting the greens. “But I have to admit, I haven’t done any crossword puzzles in a while and generally prefer literary and romance novels to mysteries and thrillers.”

Tanner chuckled. “I could see that. Guess I’ll have to work on you with the crossword puzzles.”

“Oh, you think so?”

“Yeah, it could be fun trying to solve the mystery together.”

“Maybe,” she said, wondering what other common ground they might find. She watched his lips move sexily as he chewed. “So are you a self-made millionaire? Or did you get where you are through inherited wealth?”

Hope I’m not being too nosey, Bianca told herself. But she was curious and he seemed comfortable enough in his own skin to talk about almost anything.

“A bit of both,” Tanner revealed. “My father was a wealthy real-estate investor, among other ventures. While Solomon and I benefited from this, much of what my parents earned was donated to charity, as they wanted us to succeed on our own to a large degree. And we have, turning a small fortune into a large one.”

“That’s impressive.” She applauded him. “Obviously you’ve invested your money wisely.”

“Yeah, it’s worked out well so far, but I’m not taking anything for granted. I don’t expect to just sit on my butt and rake in the dough. I’m all about rolling up my sleeves and working as hard as any of my employees to keep the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in what I do.”

“Looks like you are very grounded,” Bianca said.

“I could say the same for you.” Tanner met her eyes in earnest. “Guess we’re cut from the same cloth.”

She chuckled. “Maybe not quite.”

His thick brows lowered. “Why do you say that?”

Should I go there and possibly ruin the mood? Bianca asked herself. “Well, if I’m not mistaken, you’ve built quite a reputation for yourself as one of the most eligible bachelors in the city. It seems like you’re not very interested in settling down with just one woman.”

Tanner tasted the wine. “As a writer, you shouldn’t believe everything you read or hear.”

Her eyes widened defensively. “Are you denying it?”

“I admit to never marrying and being in the company of single women from time to time. But that doesn’t mean I’m just a player and not looking for that one special lady.”

“So you are looking for that special lady?” Bianca asked bluntly, hoping it didn’t sound as though she were volunteering for the job.

“Yeah, I am,” Tanner said without preface. “And are you looking for that one special guy?”

“Of course,” she responded truthfully and then decided to tone this down, so there was no pressure either way. “But I’m in no hurry. When it happens, it happens. Until then, I’m just happy to be with some pleasant company.”

He grinned. “Touché.”

* * *

After the meal, which Tanner felt ended too soon, he walked Bianca outside. It was a warm night. He would like nothing better than to take her to his suite and make love to her. But it was obvious that she was not interested in a casual fling. Neither was he, where she was concerned.

“Are you sure I can’t have Johan give you a lift home?” Tanner asked. It would give him the opportunity to go along for the ride.

“Thanks, but I’ll stick with the cab,” Bianca told him.

He accepted her choice, while hoping this would change in the future. He got her a taxi, then Tanner opened the door for Bianca. He badly wanted to kiss her. Something told him she wanted the same. Or was that merely his fantasy?

Going with his instincts, Tanner lifted her chin and gazed into Bianca’s eyes for a long moment before tilting his head and planting a kiss on her lips. They were, as expected, soft and perfect when meshing with his. He kept the kiss going for several seconds and then pulled back, not wanting to overdo it.

“That was nice,” Bianca uttered.

“Yeah, for me too,” he assured her.

“Good night, Tanner.”

“Good night.”

He smiled and watched her slide into the backseat before he closed the door.

As the cab drove off, Tanner watched for a moment, wishing he’d gone with her. She’d left quite an impression on him—one that he did not take lightly.

Bianca Wagner may be just the lady I’ve been looking for all my adult life, he thought. But the trick was getting her to feel the same way about him. He would work on that and not allow this gorgeous woman to slip through his fingers.

Tanner went back inside the hotel and made the rounds, greeting guests warmly, even while his thoughts were decidedly on Bianca.

Chapter 5

The following morning, Tanner joined Solomon in the Tiki Room for breakfast. There were waffles and sausage links already on the table.

“You look tired,” Tanner said, taking a seat opposite his brother. “It must have been a tough night.”

“I wouldn’t exactly call it tough,” Solomon said, sipping coffee. “Melanie kept me going and going and—”

“I get the picture.” Tanner lifted up a hand to halt him. “Glad to see you two have clicked for however long that might be.” He knew his brother had a habit of moving through ladies faster than he got rid of clothes.

“I’m not looking too far ahead,” Solomon told him. “Right now, I’m just enjoying her company.”

“And clearly she’s enjoying yours, too,” Tanner teased him.

Solomon dug his fork into the waffle. “How did it go with you and Bianca last night?”

“It was good.” Tanner stirred his coffee. “I like her.”

“So tell me something I don’t know. But is she any good in bed?”

“We haven’t gotten that far,” admitted Tanner.

“Holding back on you, is she?”

“We’re holding back on each other. I don’t want to rush things with her.”

“That’s a switch,” Solomon said. “Growing soft on Bianca before you even sample the merchandise?”

Tanner frowned. “She’s a classy lady, and I’d rather not screw things up by making it seem like all I’m interested in is getting her into bed.”

Solomon cocked a brow. “So, what are you looking for here—someone to marry and settle down with?”