shook her head. "What would be a deal breaker for you?"
He stroked his chin. "Addicted to drugs, alcohol, or shopping. I don't like cigarettes much but could tolerate them. Law abiding is a must, of course. Other than that, I'm pretty flexible."
He wasn't asking all that much. "What if I told you I'd never had any luck with men? At all."
"If you've dated a lot it doesn't bother me, if that's what you mean." Tanner shrugged.
"No. I mean I haven't had any luck. I've had twenty-six dates in my life with eight different men. You do the math." She waited for him to calculate the answer. "If you don't like to do mental arithmetic, that's an average of three point two five dates per man. Actually, I went out with one man seven times, so that moves the average even lower. Obviously there's something wrong with me."
He tipped his head to the side. "Are you sure? Maybe there was something wrong with them?"
"All of them?" Madison rolled her eyes. "What are the odds?"
Tanner held up his hand. "We don't need to calculate it. Maybe I should say this differently. What were the men like?"
"They were men I went to college and medical school with."
"There you go." Tanner nodded. "Maybe they weren't the right men for you. Perhaps you should try a different type. An older man who would appreciate you. Who isn't trying to build his career. I'm settled into mine."
She felt a warmth in her chest. "Would you appreciate me?"
"Madison Shay, I would do my level best. How about we try this?"
"Dating?" And sex, although she was too chicken shit to say it.
"Dating. I like you, Maddie." His voice was soft like a caress on her skin. It made her shiver and quake but not because of the temperature.
"I like you, too."
He gave her a lopsided grin. "Then how about another dance? Let's enjoy the evening. May I drive you home when the party is done?"
She nodded and let him lead her into the warm building. She froze as he lifted the coat from her shoulders. "Damn."
His eyebrows shot up. "What's wrong? Having second thoughts already?"
"Sherry is going to be completely insufferable now. I'll never hear the end of it that she was right."
His rich laughter echoed in the empty lobby. "If that's the biggest problem this relationship has we're in good shape. Would it help if I told her I had to beg you to go out with me?"
"She'd never in a million years believe that, Tanner."
He hung up the coat and draped an arm across her shoulders. "Maddie, you are good for my ego."
They walked back into the main room. She felt safe and warm in his company. He was good for her ego too. She liked Tanner Marks and she was absolutely scared stiff to admit it.
Chapter Six
" I want to hear every dirty detail," Sherry declared. Madison and Sherry were sitting in the kitchen and Madison's dad was whistling a lilting tune while talking on Skype with his sister. "I want to know how it went. Tanner brought you home last night after the party. Did he kiss you?"
"Shhh! I don't want my dad to hear you." Madison warmed up their coffees and pulled two pieces of toast from the toaster, dropping one on each of their plates. She sat back down and sighed. "No, he did not kiss me. Are you happy now?"
Sherry tapped her chin. "Hmm, he was probably just being a gentleman. Do you think he wanted to kiss you?"
"How would I know?" Madison rolled her eyes. "I know zilch about men and less about kissing. Let's face it. I'm the romantic equivalent of the Bermuda Triangle. Men date me then disappear, never to be heard from again."
Sherry's lips twitched. "I never thought of it that way. But don't worry. We can fix it. You just need Sherry's School of Romance. I'll be your coach."
"I sucked in athletics. I was picked last for everything."
"Luckily for you there are no other people on the team. This is one on one coaching. Now did he ask
He stroked his chin. "Addicted to drugs, alcohol, or shopping. I don't like cigarettes much but could tolerate them. Law abiding is a must, of course. Other than that, I'm pretty flexible."
He wasn't asking all that much. "What if I told you I'd never had any luck with men? At all."
"If you've dated a lot it doesn't bother me, if that's what you mean." Tanner shrugged.
"No. I mean I haven't had any luck. I've had twenty-six dates in my life with eight different men. You do the math." She waited for him to calculate the answer. "If you don't like to do mental arithmetic, that's an average of three point two five dates per man. Actually, I went out with one man seven times, so that moves the average even lower. Obviously there's something wrong with me."
He tipped his head to the side. "Are you sure? Maybe there was something wrong with them?"
"All of them?" Madison rolled her eyes. "What are the odds?"
Tanner held up his hand. "We don't need to calculate it. Maybe I should say this differently. What were the men like?"
"They were men I went to college and medical school with."
"There you go." Tanner nodded. "Maybe they weren't the right men for you. Perhaps you should try a different type. An older man who would appreciate you. Who isn't trying to build his career. I'm settled into mine."
She felt a warmth in her chest. "Would you appreciate me?"
"Madison Shay, I would do my level best. How about we try this?"
"Dating?" And sex, although she was too chicken shit to say it.
"Dating. I like you, Maddie." His voice was soft like a caress on her skin. It made her shiver and quake but not because of the temperature.
"I like you, too."
He gave her a lopsided grin. "Then how about another dance? Let's enjoy the evening. May I drive you home when the party is done?"
She nodded and let him lead her into the warm building. She froze as he lifted the coat from her shoulders. "Damn."
His eyebrows shot up. "What's wrong? Having second thoughts already?"
"Sherry is going to be completely insufferable now. I'll never hear the end of it that she was right."
His rich laughter echoed in the empty lobby. "If that's the biggest problem this relationship has we're in good shape. Would it help if I told her I had to beg you to go out with me?"
"She'd never in a million years believe that, Tanner."
He hung up the coat and draped an arm across her shoulders. "Maddie, you are good for my ego."
They walked back into the main room. She felt safe and warm in his company. He was good for her ego too. She liked Tanner Marks and she was absolutely scared stiff to admit it.
Chapter Six
" I want to hear every dirty detail," Sherry declared. Madison and Sherry were sitting in the kitchen and Madison's dad was whistling a lilting tune while talking on Skype with his sister. "I want to know how it went. Tanner brought you home last night after the party. Did he kiss you?"
"Shhh! I don't want my dad to hear you." Madison warmed up their coffees and pulled two pieces of toast from the toaster, dropping one on each of their plates. She sat back down and sighed. "No, he did not kiss me. Are you happy now?"
Sherry tapped her chin. "Hmm, he was probably just being a gentleman. Do you think he wanted to kiss you?"
"How would I know?" Madison rolled her eyes. "I know zilch about men and less about kissing. Let's face it. I'm the romantic equivalent of the Bermuda Triangle. Men date me then disappear, never to be heard from again."
Sherry's lips twitched. "I never thought of it that way. But don't worry. We can fix it. You just need Sherry's School of Romance. I'll be your coach."
"I sucked in athletics. I was picked last for everything."
"Luckily for you there are no other people on the team. This is one on one coaching. Now did he ask
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