Almost Midnight (19 page)

“No. I have a recipe for a Lady Baltimore cake at home that I think Fritz would like. He told me his mother used to make it. I thought that if you were making dinner, I could make the dessert. Do you mind if we stop?”

Tanner’s smile brightened. “You can make me dessert anytime.” He reached over and caressed her knee. “Anytime at all,
honeybunch
.”

Hannah let out a light laugh. She loved this man. But did he love her? The absurd question swirled in her head like a dust devil kicking up sand.

She stared at Tanner, and an uneasy sensation rippled through her veins. Of course he loved her. Why else would he want to marry her?

But then again, he’d never told her he loved her.

He needed her...

He needed someone to care for him and Jeremy. She could do that, but she wanted more. A sense of despair suddenly began to build up inside her.

No, he would eventually tell her he loved her. His proposal wasn’t only based on need. He just hadn’t gotten around to telling her yet.

His words echoed in her mind.
Tomorrow then. You and me. Alone
.

Yes. Tomorrow. He would tell her then, when they had a chance to be alone. Perhaps he would tell her tonight and was just waiting for the right moment.

When they stopped at her apartment, she picked through her cabinets and pulled out her recipe box to look for the Lady Baltimore Cake recipe card.

“Here it is,” she said, hoping he didn’t notice the tremor in her voice. Grabbing the card, she spun around only to bump into Tanner’s hard muscled chest.

He took hold of her shoulders and pulled her toward him, his gray eyes darkening like storm clouds. “Marry me, honey.” 

His deep voice could charm a snake, and it wasn’t hard to be caught up in the spell of his intense gaze either. His invitation was hard to resist.

He wasn’t going to let up on his marriage proposal, not until she said yes. But she didn’t want to marry him because he needed a nanny for his son, or even needed to replace his first wife. She wanted to marry him because he loved her and she loved him. Tomorrow. Tanner was just waiting for the right moment, she assured herself.

She slipped out of his embrace, hoping her intuition was correct because it was too easy to get lost in those silvery eyes and forget everything. “Fritz and your son are starving. We have to go to the store.”

“But I’m starving, too.” The honeyed-coated words plucked a chord deep in her soul. She wanted him more than anything, but she desperately needed to know if he truly loved her.

She ached to hold him, but knew her misgivings would mean nothing if she let him have her now. She believed in marriage forever. She believed in love. And after her life with Nick, she wasn’t going to give herself to any man before those two things were settled.

“Uh, Tanner, I distinctly remember Jeremy saying he was hungry.”

“Hannah, honey, that boy has had enough gingerbread to last him all night.” He backed her up against the wall, his chest pressing against hers. “He won’t starve. But I might if you don’t marry me.” Smiling, he straddled her head with his hands.

“Tanner, are you listening to a thing I said?” 

Obviously not. But she found it impossible to deny the power he held over her. He was so compelling, she forgot everything she had been thinking for the past half hour.

“I think you need a little more persuasion about this little union called marriage, honey. How about it?”

Hannah closed her eyes, feeling his warm breath whisper against her ear. Her body ached for his touch. With all her heart, she wanted to marry him. She wanted his kisses. She wanted his little boy. And most of all, she wanted his love.

His lips slowly descended, uniting with hers. She drank in the sweetness of his touch. His hands slipped to the hollow of her back as he pulled her closer, his body melting into hers. He kissed her again, on her ear, on her cheek, on her neck. She was slowly sinking into seventh heaven, helpless to pull back. Her knees gave out, and he swept her into his arms.

“Hannah...for the love of...baby, forget dinner...we—”

The doorbell rang, and Tanner muttered something unintelligible, scowling when it rang again. “Don’t answer it.”

“But I should.” Hannah didn’t know how she did it, but she slipped out of his arms and fiddled with her hair.

“Why?” he whispered huskily against her ear.   

“Because...well, because it might be important, silly.” 

“And I’m not important?” he asked with a boyish frown.

With a shake of her head, she chuckled and opened the door.

Hannah never had a chance to squeak out a hello before Tanner’s voice rang out.

“What the hell are you doing here, Richards?” 

Alex stood before them, dressed in a distinguished navy blue suit, looking as handsome as ever. Ignoring Tanner, he gave Hannah a bright smile and kissed her on the cheek.

“Hey, darlin’.”

Hannah stiffened at the feel of Tanner’s gaze burning into her back. “Hello, Alex.”

“I’m heading out today,” Richards continued, shifting his amused expression toward Tanner. “Thought I’d say good-bye to my favorite girl. Wasn’t sure if you were back or not.”

Tanner stepped up behind Hannah. “
Adios
. Goodbye. ”

Hannah spun around, putting a hand to Tanner’s chest. “Please...” Her eyes narrowed on his face.

With a grunt of disapproval, he took a half step back. But that only seemed to increase the tension between the two men.

Hannah turned and smiled at Alex. “I didn’t realize you were still here.”

“I left and then came back again. Thought I would check in to see if you made it home yet.” Flashing a perfect white smile, Alex moved closer to her, acting as if he wanted to taunt Tanner.

Hannah’s patience was just about at an end.

“Thought I’d have a few moments alone with you,” Alex continued. “My trips back and forth to Colorado have been lonely without you.” He gave Tanner a quick look. “Ah, well, seems we’ll have to get together another time.” He shot her an amusing wink. “I’ll be back though.”

Behind Hannah, Tanner growled. Every nerve in her body went into high alert. If she didn’t get Alex out now, she had no idea what Tanner would do.

“I hope you had a good time anyway, Alex,” she replied, her heart hammering. “Candy enjoys your visits and is always sad to see you leave.”

Alex shrugged. “I won’t be able to get back here for awhile, but she’s coming to visit me in Chicago in a few weeks. You’re welcome to come along.”

Another rebellious growl from Tanner’s throat made Hannah grit her teeth. His hand suddenly wrapped around her waist in a steel grip, and it was all she could do not to peel him off her and tell him to stop acting like a child. She was flattered at his protective demeanor, but this entire macho scene was carrying things a bit too far.

Alex ignored Tanner and pulled a business card from his pocket. “Just in case you lost the other one, here’s my phone number in the event you change your mind about the job. You could make lots of money, darlin’.”

Even though she still had the business card Alex had given her in the library, she took his extra card and thanked him.

When Alex left, and the door finally closed, she shot Tanner an icy glare. “What do you think you were doing?”

Tanner lifted his hands in the air to ward off her attack. “Hey, I’m only claiming my territory.”

Hannah clenched her hands in rage. “Your territory? Who ever gave you the right to claim me as your territory? I already had a part of that in my past. I don’t need that now.”

“Aw honey, you know that’s not what I meant.”

“Just what did you mean then?”

Tanner worked a frustrated hand through his hair. “What I meant to say...well, Richards...that is, I don’t like him, and I don’t want you near him. Is that plain enough

“Plain enough?” she shot back. “I don’t know how it could be any plainer.”

“Fine,” he said curtly. “Let’s go to the store and get our stuff.”

Her scowl burned into his. “Fine.”

“Fine.”

Elevator music played in the background as Tanner glared down the canned goods aisle in the grocery store near his home, wondering what to do next. Hannah stood stiffly beside him. They hadn’t said a word to each other since leaving her apartment. How was he to apologize with a can of green beans in his hands?

“You get your ingredients for the cake and I’ll get the steaks and potatoes,” he said coolly, knowing he would have to apologize later.

“Fine,” she said, stomping toward the cake aisle like it was her last meal.

“Fine,” he mumbled to himself, accidentally crashing into the cart beside him. “Fine. Fine. Fine.” 

He maneuvered his cart around the wide-eyed lady staring at him and didn’t know what bothered him more, Alex and his attendance on Hannah, or Hannah and her ambivalent feeling toward his proposal. Berating himself for not taking matters more slowly, he flipped through the stack of steaks in the refrigerated section.

All he wanted was to take—

“Mr. Clearbrook?”

Tanner looked up. He didn’t recognize the small bald headed man, but somehow the voice sounded familiar. “Yes?”

The man put out his hand. “Jack Smithers, Reach Medicals. Guess you were in the place last month when I was out sick.”  

Tanner forced a smile and shook the man’s hand. “Ah, Jack. Nice to finally meet you.”

Tanner stepped aside, hoping to exit the store with Hannah as soon as possible. Where the hell was she? If she discovered any information regarding her resume history from this man, Tanner would be drawn and quartered along with the steaks.

Jack blocked his way. “Who would have thought I would meet you here. Why, I was lead to believe you lived in a mansion with servants marching to the snap of your fingers. Never imagined anyone like you would be shopping for meat. I see your picture every day in the company’s hallway. Golly, I knew it was you the moment I set eyes on that face of yours.” He sent him a sly wink. “Bet the ladies are all over you, huh?”

Tanner gave the man a twisted smile, grabbed a few steaks and threw them in the cart. He never asked to have his stupid picture splashed along the walls of Reach Medicals. In fact, he loathed the idea of being put on display.

 “Believe it or not, Jack. I do cook once in a while. Today’s my housekeeper’s night off.” He looked at his cart and didn’t even know what kind of meat he’d chosen. His only coherent thought was to get out of the store in one piece and not have Hannah find him speaking to Jack Smithers.

“Ah,” Jack said, staring at him as if Tanner were some king.

To Tanner’s dismay, the man began to follow him around like a duckling waddling after his mother.

“Are you shopping?” Tanner asked. Dumb question. All he wanted to do was shove the man outside before Hannah showed her face.

“Sure am. Wife’s over there.” Jack’s chubby hand pointed across the aisle toward the bakery. “We’re having some people over from church and the little woman needed a few things.”

“Ah,” Tanner said, throwing a five pound sack of red potatoes into his cart. Now, what kind were the ones used for baked potatoes? Brown? Red? He grimaced. Who the hell cared? He’d be joining the ranks of baked whatevers if he didn’t get Jack Smithers the heck out of Dodge.

Jack eyed the cart. “Making steak and potatoes, I see.”

“Yep.”

“Say, I was wondering...” Jack stopped and stared at the floor.

Tanner’s grip on the cart tightened. “Is there a problem?”

The man looked up, adjusting his glasses. “Not a problem, per say. But I’ve been having trouble filling that engineering spot. You made the call on Hannah Elliot’s resume application, and I was wondering if you ever found a permanent job for her. You see, I could really use her, and you did say to wait a bit.”

“Sorry. She’s already got a permanent position.”
With me
. “I should have made it clear.”

Tanner needed to get away fast. He pushed the cart to the end of the aisle, his eyes on the lookout for one tall blond. Unexpectedly, his stomach started to churn.

He wondered if it had something to do with the pressing guilt he felt about pulling Hannah’s resume. He really didn’t need this. Not now, with Smithers two feet away.  And it wasn’t as if he wasn’t gong to tell her about the job at Reach Medicals. He just needed time.

While Jack was inspecting a cracker label, Tanner steered his cart down the dried fruit aisle. But as his gaze drifted to the apricots, Jack strolled up beside him.

“Digestion,” the man said. “These always help for digestion and other things, if you get my drift. You look a little peaked.”

Tanner clenched his teeth. Would this guy ever leave?

“I guess you’re more human than I thought,” Jack grinned. “Guess you multimillionaires have your bodily functions too.” 

The man’s cackling laughter grated on Tanner’s nerves.

“Or raisins do the job sometimes,” Jack continued. “Never forget they come from grapes.”

Tanner turned his back on Jack and bit back a curse.

“About that resume, Tanner. If you’ve placed that Elliot woman somewhere accessible, I’d really like you to think it over. Her resume is to die for. Straight A’s, you know. Don’t know why she applied to Reach. That woman could have had her pick at any job in the industry. It’s a hard economy, but good technology degrees are quite sought after.”

Tanner bent down, pretending to read the back of the apricot bag. “Don’t hold out for her, Jack. She’s got a pretty high level job right now.”

“Too bad. Where’s she working by the way?”

Tanner stared blankly at the bag. “She’s working for me.”

“Aha! Always figured those guys at the top pick the best for themselves.” He elbowed Tanner in the gut and winked. “Bet she’s pretty too, huh?”

Tanner felt a stab of pain in his belly and wondered if he really did need the apricots.

“She’ll do,” he said, clenching his jaw and moving away from the man, at the same time letting another cart pass.

“Keep her to yourself. If word gets out you have a pretty engineer, no telling what some people will do to hire her.”