Find out ALL about Author Lainey Bancroft & THE TROUBLE WITH TESSA...*Contest*

Andrea asked me for a bio. Hmm. I'll stretch my fiction skills to the limit in an attempt to make a suburban Ontario housewife sound scintillating. Here goes:

By day Lainey Bancroft is a mild mannered office manager for the HVAC business she owns with her husband (frequently referred to as Gas, long story—with several different endings).

The office is run from her home so often has the luxury of working in her pj’s and is also available as a truant officer for her teens, Groovy Girl, who prefers art to arithmetic and is attending the local college for graphic design, and Groovy’s brother Tech who spends hours on end playing guitar riffs from old head banger music and would rather hack into the school computer than actually go to school. (We reckon he'll either be the next Billy the Kid or the next Bill Gates)

Lainey also works part time in a busy pizza restaurant, stirring up dough, sauce and…occasionally just causing a stir. She likes to indulge her athletic side by cleaning up after a ten-month-old Golden Doodle puppy, a.k.a as the 'Dirt Devil' who lives to shred houseplants, a geriatric, attitude disordered cat that thinks he is a German Sheppard, and the newest addition to the family, a pure black kitten who wandered in despite the other crazy pets and never left. We call her Stella because she can scream just like DeNiro. Stel...lah! Yep, showing my age, for sure.

In addition to gardening and a vast kitchen repertoire that has earned her the—ahem, privilege—of hosting every family party and event, Lainey also writes.

Her romance stories run the gamut on the sensuality scale, leaving her to wonder if she is sinfully sweet, or sweetly sinful. Recently she celebrated her 13th release, the novella Sunni Side Up, included in The Wild Rose Press OUT OF THE DARK anthology.

Lainey also has short works of erotic romance and speculative fiction published under a name she has yet to publicly admit to. Stay tuned.

There! And if that didn’t fulfill your more- than-you-ever-wanted-to-know wishes, feel free to pop over to my web site or other cyber-haunts:

http://www.facebook.com/lainey.bancroft
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1793307.Lainey_Bancroft
http://twitter.com/#!/LaineyBancroft

Other Titles by Lainey Bancroft
Visit Lainey on the web- http://www.elaineforlife.com/Home/tabid/442/Default.aspx

REVIEWS~

5/5 Hearts from The Romance Studio:

“I loved this poignant contemporary romance. As cheesy as it may sound, this book really did warm my heart! I love a good cry as long as I get my happily-ever-after and I got that and so much more with this tale… This is definitely a story that I will find myself reading again and again and I highly recommend it.”

Jackpot

5 STARS: "From the beginning, this book hit the ground running. The sex is great. This is a sultry romance. Enjoy a guilty pleasure; indulge in this book." -- Ashley Turlington, Review Your Book Long and Short Reviews Book of The Week!

This book is full of love, laughter, tears, and frustrations as both her main characters work their way through the blockades that threaten to keep them apart. She never disappoints. This is another book well worth reading.Literary Nymphs Reviews 4.5/5

"With one of the best opening hook ups I’ve ever read, Jackpot is tantalizing from the start, the strength and sex appeal of the leading characters catching my attention straight away. The author does a great job of creating the setting and I found it very easy to immerse myself in Cassidy’s life from the start."Read the full review HERE

Cozumel Karma

5/5 Nymphs. An outstanding read! Click for full review!

I absolutely loved Cozumel Karma from the start and can’t recommend it highly enough to fans of the genre. I was instantly captivated by Maggie and Pat and the trouble they’ve had to go through to get where they are today was believable and at times, heart-wrenching. Maggie’s development in particular was a success as she starts out as a strong, independent woman whose duty to her family is becoming detrimental to her own well-being but as things progress, we see just what an effect her childhood has had on her. I really did worry at times that it might all be too much for her to overcome and I honestly don’t know how the character survived this long with her family and upbringing dragging her down at every possible opportunity. There is intrigue with the character of Cole as it is obvious from the start that he is just what Maggie needs but his life is a mystery to her and she fights the desire to learn more about him as she believes no one is ever as good as they first seem. The entire cast is so strong and I really was kept guessing to the end just how these characters could possibly get their happy ending. The plot grabbed my attention and one plot twist in particular, which I won’t spoil here, is worthy of much praise. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Action and Satisfaction

Reviewed by LASR

5/5 Books- Click for complete review

"Action and Satisfaction" is the touching and entertaining story of Eva and Seth. Eva is a strong, professional woman who had a hard time growing up, but has made the best of it and came out on top...Seth is a good looking man who has always enjoyed his life. He is an architect and never stays in any one place any longer than it takes to complete the job and move on to the next. He always looks forward to taking jobs in his hometown, so that he and Eva can reconnect. When his latest homecoming doesn’t turn out as he hoped, he is left wounded and disappointed...I enjoyed every aspect of this story, from the strong and likeable characters to the interesting story of Eva and Seth. The editing was clean, the passion was hot, the writing flowed well and the plot moved at a perfect pace." Reviewed by The Literary Nymphs

4/5 Click for complete review

The story moves at a nice pace and the writing ran smoothly. The plot was fun, with just the right amount of melodrama and decadence counterbalanced with very human characters with flaws that were displayed for all to see.

THE TROUBLE WITH TESSA is filled with characters that seem so real. They deal with prejudice, financial worries, care of the sick and aged, catastrophic illness, babies born out of wedlock, and inner conflict that cause a barrel of tears and any number of sleepless nights.The roller coaster of emotional highs and lows keeps the reader turning pages.

THE TROUBLE WITH TESSA, a story of forgiveness, acceptance, and unconditional love, examines attitudes that hurt, but it also shows how love can overcome monumental obstacles.~Read the review at Long & Short Reviews

I liked the characterizations in The Trouble with Tessa and how Tanner and Erin’s relationship slowly built. Tessa played a very realalistic role in this story. This is a feel good story that will have you caring for the characters. Night Owl Romance

5 Hearts from The Romance Studio

Bridesmaid Blues Reviewed by Seriously Reviewed 18/20!

WONDERFUL story! Tell me if you can what better feeling is there than knowing you are loved for who you are rather than what you are?Ms Bancroft has done a wonderful job and I can't wait to see more from her!

THIS EXCERPT FROM 'THE TROUBLE WITH TESS' WON 1ST PLACE, Single-Title Category of the SAN Antonio Romance Authors’ Merritt ‘Magic Moment’ Contest:

The only flight Erin was able to book departed Wednesday, but she happily cleared her schedule.

She also derived a twisted amount of pleasure from telling Jeanine it was because she was flying to the tropics for the weekend to surprise the babe-a-luscious for his birthday. The girl’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. The joy of that was second only to her opportunity to tell Sheila she couldn’t attend a Tupperware party she was throwing because she was running away for four days of torrid sex with a virtual stranger.

"Yeah right, Erin,” Sheila snorted. “We’ve been friends for years. If you don’t want to come to my party just say so. Don’t make up ridiculous excuses.”

The flight was short and uneventful, the night of waiting for Tanner and Tessa to arrive, long and restless. Erin was at the airport in plenty of time. Nerves and the tropical St. Martin heat beaded her brow and palms with sweat as she paced by the arrival gate, her pulse increasing every minute. It beat at maximum heart rate level when flight 109 was announced, and headed toward the danger zone when she caught sight of Tanner’s dark head above the crowds.

Tessa saw her first. When the girl’s tired face lit like a sunbeam, Erin’s heart soared and she battled to rein it in. Of course Tessa would be thrilled, she’d planned the surprise. But how would Tanner feel about her unexpected arrival? Did the arrangement they had include intruding on a family getaway? She wished he’d look up, at least make eye contact so she could gauge his reaction before they came face to face, but Tanner appeared to be in a complete zone, maybe even a little grim and distant.

He was still oblivious to Erin’s presence when Tessa darted ahead of him and raced to her side.

He finally caught sight of her then, and paused a carry on bag suspended mid swing in each hand.

The light in his eyes was all the answer Erin needed. Her angst turned to anticipation as she rushed forward. Tanner released both bags in time to catch her as she threw her arms around his neck.

“You got me!” he howled. “You sneaky things. I had no idea what you were up to.”

“Really, T? Honest?” Tessa clapped her hands in glee.

“Cross my heart.” He actually performed the childish gesture. “I almost wanted to stay home or treat myself to a self-indulgent little side trip to Toronto when Erin said she couldn’t make it. I can’t believe you’re really here.”

Erin shivered as he stroked his hands up and down her arms and across her hair as though trying to convince himself she wasn’t an apparition. He finally cupped her face in both hands and kissed her tenderly. Deep inside her, something instantly shifted and ignited, but not hot longing in her belly, like his kisses usually caused, more a tender warmth in the region of her heart. She repressed another shiver, surprised at the hot sting of tears behind her lids. So much for keeping a sensible distance until she figured out exactly how involved Tanner wanted her to be in his little family.

“Oh honey, I can’t believe how good it feels to hold you.” He pulled her closer. “You win, Tess. I’ll never come up with anything to beat this.”

“I know.” Tessa jumped up and down like a little girl and clapped her hands. “Say it T,” she ordered.

Tanner threw back his head and hollered, “You are the champion!” Tessa and Erin laughed. Everyone else in the small airport turned and stared.

Erin couldn’t believe how effortlessly they fell back into the same easy camaraderie they’d experienced at New Years. Tanner collected the rental car, and they drove straight to his condo.

It was a gorgeous little place with a tiny bathroom and utility kitchen, two small bedrooms and a screened sun porch that extended over the vast sand beach. They only stayed long enough to change into swimwear and then made their way to the oceans edge.

Tessa lugged along a little folding chair with an umbrella that clamped to the back. She turned it away from the sun, explaining that she loved the heat, but burned like a lobster in minutes. She slathered herself in sunscreen, pulled dark glasses over her eyes and flopped in her chair with a stack of fashion magazines.

Tanner spread a quilt in the sand and lay back with his head resting on his crossed arms and a contented smile on his face.

“Seeing you in that tiny blue bathing suit is already more than any man deserves, but I’m kind of a greedy bastard. Get over here with that bottle of oil and let me grease you up.”

Erin kneeled beside him, squirting lotion onto his stomach and gliding her hands seductively across his ribs, his firm pecs and then down his already bronzing biceps. His warm skin and smooth muscles beneath her palms sent ripples of awareness and anticipation coursing through her. She gave him a small shove and he obligingly rolled to his belly and let her repeat the whole process on his back for a while before flipping unexpectedly, grabbing her and pulling her on top of him.

“Enough already,” he growled, stroking his tongue up her sweaty neck. “This beach is fairly deserted, but nowhere near abandoned enough for the trouble we’re going to get in if you keep touching me like that.”

She smiled; glad to know she wasn’t swimming in her sexual stupor alone. She sat cross-legged, sweeping her hair into a messy ponytail on top of her head and baring her neck to him. “Do me,” she ordered.

“Don’t have to ask me twice, doing you was precisely what I had in mind.” He pressed his lips to her shoulder.

“I meant…”

“I know what you meant. I still have some blood flowing toward the area of my brain, Erin.” He coated her in lotion as slowly and thoroughly as she’d done him.

They stayed until dusk, soaking up the sun and frolicking in the warm water, and then made their way back to the condo to shower the sand and salt from their skin. Dressed casually, they meandered along the beach to a surfside pub, where they feasted on laughter, margaritas, and peel and eat shrimp. The enterprising Tessa had even managed to pre-arrange for a cake. In the dim candlelight, Erin swore Tanner had tears in his eyes when she and his niece warbled out a pathetically off key rendition of happy birthday.

It was nearly midnight when they got back to the condo. Tessa stood slapping her hands on her thighs in restless agitation that made Erin think of Tanner’s tendency to constantly jiggle one knee.

“So, T, I could sleep on the fold out in the sun room if you think Erin wants my bed. Or I could just sack out on a deck chair if you like. It’s a beautiful night. I could well…whatever you want.”

“I want you to go to bed.” Tanner’s blunt delivery was accompanied with an affectionate smile. “Close your door, close your eyes, your ears and your nasty little imagination and just go to bed.”

“Aye Aye captain.” Tessa offered a mocking salute. She stood on tiptoe and brushed his jaw and then Erin’s cheek with a kiss. “Pretty cool birthday eh, T?”

“I already said it once shrimp, don’t push your luck.”

“Awe come on, it was a surprise worth hearing it twice.”

“Fine.” Tanner mocked an intolerant grunt. “YOU ARE THE CHAMPION! Are you happy now?”

“Yupp. Are you?”

“I am. I’ll be even happier after you’re in bed.”

“Color me gone.” Tessa disappeared, shutting her door with a resounding slam.

With a hand in the small of her back, Tanner guided Erin to the cushioned sofa in the sunroof, repressing a smile when she sat at the opposite end from him and demurely crossed her legs. The familiar sexual charge crackled between them, but he sensed a hesitance in Erin he couldn’t put a finger on. It wasn’t the first time, and it also wasn’t the first time a vague sense of guilt had snaked through him. If he’d been more open about his intentions for contacting her in the beginning, would she still be throwing up these roadblocks?

Reminding himself total honesty was an option he’d examined and discarded, all he could hope is that should the need for full disclosure arise, they would be comfortably established in a relationship and ready to ride out the storm. Tess was worth the chaos. His niece and her health and happiness were worth anything and everything. Deciding to give Erin the space her closed body language begged for, he asked how she and Tessa had pulled off their surprise.
He shook his head after she’d explain. “That kid is something else.”

Erin’s stiff posture relaxed and a soft, motherly smile that singed him with equal parts heat and guilt parted her lips. “The way you and that kid love each other is something else. I believe you’d do anything to make each other happy.”

“You have no idea.” Tanner sat forward; for once he had no desire to discuss Tessa. He wanted to take Erin in his arms, make love to her, and forget there was anything between them except the combustible chemistry that had burst to life the first time they met. Deception was more exhausting than he’d have ever imagined. He rested his head on the back of the sofa, yawned hugely and then sat forward, trying to shake off his exhaustion.

“Long day?” She slid toward him and kneaded the tight muscles along the side of his neck until he groaned in pleasure.

“Long flight. Besides, I’m old now. Guess I can’t handle as much fun and sun as I used to.” Or the pangs of conscience I never suffered before I met you.

“Maybe we should call it a day. So we’re not too tired to enjoy tomorrow. Um, Tess mentioned this sofa folds out?”

“It does.” He pulled her into his arms and lay back. “But you know my bed is a lot more comfortable and I wouldn’t throw you out for eating crackers.”

He cut her protest short, running a hand up her abdomen, cupping her breast and nibbling the hard point of her nipple through the thin cotton of her sun dress. Her body automatically arched toward him, but she caught her breath. “Do you think this is appropriate, with Tessa here and everything?”

“Appropriate. There she goes again.” Tanner tilted his head, talking to the slowly revolving ceiling fan. “Do you realize you march out that particular word every time you get a bit uncomfortable? I’m going to buy you a thesaurus. I’m getting a little sick of hearing it.”

She lifted a shoulder. “It might not be the best idea for Tess to realize we’re intimate yet.”

Tanner rolled, grabbing her bottom and pulling her against him in a way that was intimate to the extreme. “She’s a modern, millennium kid, Erin. She’d think it was a lot less appropriate for me to be here with a beautiful woman and not take her to my bed. She’d probably start worrying I was some sort of freak as a matter of fact.”

“But she might start reading more into it than what’s really there, Tanner. We still don’t know each other all that well. What if you suddenly tire of me after you move, and decide to move on? Her making assumptions about this relationship could make things more difficult for her.”

He captured her final muttered words in a deep kiss, and then shifted enough to offer her a soft smile. “What if I make love to you all weekend, fall in love and can’t picture a future for Tessa or myself without you in it? You better think of that honey, because it’s a lot likelier scenario than yours.”

If any woman could resist that logic, it certainly wasn’t her. She curled around him, tilting her head back. Her body lifted, shifted and gravitated toward the heat of his hands like it was the most natural thing in the world.

*CONTEST*
Lainey will be giving away two prizes when the SPOTLIGHT is over!! One lucky commenter will win an E-copy of The Trouble with Tessa, and one person who comments on BOTH days of the SPOTLIGHT will win a print copy!!! So make sure you leave a comment for your chance to win!!!

Our SPOTLIGHT is on THE TROUBLE WITH TESSA by Lainey Bancroft...*Contest*

At thirty-five, Erin Sanders has resigned herself to a single, childless lifestyle. Then dynamic Tanner walks into her office and proposes that she pretend to date him in order to assess the mental well-being of Tessa, his orphaned niece.

Erin falls hard and fast for the man. As an added bonus, she and the delightful Tessa come to adore each other. But like all things too good to be true, she discovers her perfect stud may be a perfectly deceptive dud.

Chapter One

Twenty-nine was no longer Erin Saunders’ age. Nor was it the measurement of her waist. Thankfully, it wasn’t her IQ either. She’d never thought much about birthdays before, but this one was getting to her. In a few days she’d be thirty-five.

Not that she considered thirty-five old or anything, but in her mind it was the demarcation point where the really went out of a woman’s life. Thirty-five was too old to have really long hair or wear really short shorts. Too old to stay up really late or get up really early without feeling it, and too jaded to have anything ever feel really brand new again.

Can you say manic? Maudlin? She shook off the disturbing thoughts and gazed at the clutter on her desk. With a rare free morning, she hoped to use the time to set her files in order and take care of bills. She had a part time secretary==or rather, personal assistant as the position was now referred==but the girl didn’t know a debit from a credit, and her filing skills were abhorrent. In total disregard of the usual sequence of the English alphabet, the only letter her assistant Jeanine seemed to know was U. As in, “U didn’t tell me you wanted me to do that,” or “U didn’t show me how.”

Erin had hired Jeanine because she was the stepdaughter of a friend. She kept her around because she needed someone to answer the phone while she talked to her therapy patients. Jeanine’s lack of office skills weren’t a huge issue. Erin actually liked methodical organization tasks, they gave her a chance to organize her chaotic thoughts, and with thoughts as chaotic as they had been since she’d moved back in with her ailing father, it was down time she sorely needed.

She wondered how she could juggle finances to get a bit more help in the house. Life would be a lot smoother if she didn’t have to deal with the ulcers on her father’s feet every morning or inject him with the insulin shot he could no longer handle on his own thanks to the paralysis from his recent stroke.

The worries distracted her enough that the shrill peel of the phone on the corner of her desk made her jump. She debated letting the machine pick up. Officially, the office was closed for lunch this time every day. Unofficially, she wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone having mentally stepped out of her role of therapist when she’d realized the morning was free of appointments.

By the third ring she was grating her teeth, unaccustomed to the phone interfering with the quiet of her office. Completely out of patience with the intrusion, she picked up on the sixth ring and made a mental note to fix the machine so it caught the calls sooner. Her, “Niagara West Family Counseling,” sounded brief and almost automated.

“Erin? Great to hear your voice. It’s been a long time.”

She smiled, immediately picturing the boyishly handsome face of Ted Barns, who’d been her mentor in college. “Ted, how are you? I’m glad you called.”“Hold that thought.” He chuckled ruefully. “I wish I could say this was strictly a social call, but I need a favor, Erin.”

After the many, many favors he’d done during her more difficult than average final year, she couldn’t believe he’d sound so hesitant. “You know I’d do just about anything for you, Ted.”

“I appreciate that, but this is a bit of an odd situation.”The first hint of unease tickled her nape.

After eight years of college level mentoring and a decade in private therapy practice, for Ted Barns to call something odd it had to be pretty damn strange indeed.

“Odd in what way?”

“A friend of mine==a guy I haven’t seen since high school, actually==called asking about you.”

Surprised, Erin rocked forward in her chair. “About me? Why?”

Ted’s voice sounded rushed as he continued to speak.

“Truthfully, he had a few really bizarre questions about your looks, your personal life. Don’t worry, I didn’t tell him much beyond my opinion of your professional credentials, but it sounds to me like the guy’s in sort of a bind, Erin. I’ll let him explain the details. If you say you’re willing to speak to him, that is. But he’s pretty adamant that you’re the gal who can help.”

A bit of a bind? Her mind automatically leapt to a bully who’d abused his wife and wanted anger management counseling to reduce a jail sentence. Or worse, a child predator who was shopping for a psychological excuse for his aberrant behavior. She rubbed at the beginnings of a headache throbbing at her temple.

“You know I avoid the court stuff, Ted. Many offenders do benefit from therapy, but I’m just not comfortable with the risks involved and it isn’t something I have any experience with.”

He sighed. “I’d never ask you to do something you were uncomfortable with. Well, not that uncomfortable, anyway. I assure you, Tanner isn’t dangerous.”

She resisted the urge to ask why Ted didn’t help his old friend out himself. For him to contact her, she felt sure he had a valid reason. “Can you give me a few more details?”

“Without going into all the particulars, which as I said, I think would be best coming from him, it’s important to the guy that he deal with a female therapist.”

“And I’m one of dozens listed in the Niagara phone directory.”

She closed her eyes, the pounding at her temple growing stronger. “You’re really not clearing this up at all, Ted.”

“You’re right. I’m doing a piss poor job of explaining. Look, quite honestly, I don’t know why he sought you out specifically. He’s a good guy I’ve known almost all my life. I know he’s been up against a lot family-wise for a number of years now. When he asked for my help, I said I’d see what I could do, but if you’re really opposed to taking the referral, I’ll tell him to look elsewhere.”

Starting office hours later in the day because of the care her father required in the morning had filled her schedule, but it was by no means overflowing. Outside of home and business, she had precious little to do with her time. Could she really refuse her old mentor the one and only favor he’d ever asked?

“You said the name is Tanner?”

“Tanner, that’s right.”

She heard the smile in Ted’s voice when he spoke and smiled herself. “Do you think he’d be opposed to evening appointments if that’s all I could schedule in?”

“I think he’s eager enough to speak to you that he’d take whatever you offered. Does this mean I can give him the green light to call?”

More curious than concerned now, Erin said, “Sure. I’ll fit him in. But only because it’s for you, Ted.”He laughed and before hanging up promised they’d get together someday soon and he’d buy her a drink to say thanks.Erin barely had time to stir a teaspoon of sugar into the cup of tea she’d made before the phone squawked again. She settled behind her desk and reached for the receiver.

“Niagara West Family Counseling.”

“Erin Saunders, please.”

The voice sounded far away, perhaps it was long distance or the caller used a speakerphone. He was abrupt, but his tone was well modulated and polite. Not harried enough to be a stressed and desperate patient, not hyper-friendly enough to be a phone solicitor.

“Who’s calling?”

“Tanner. My name is Tanner.”

She rolled her eyes, and silently cursed her old mentor. When Ted said his friend needed help, she hadn’t expected he’d be desperate enough to wait in the wings and call the second she agreed.

“This is Erin Sanders. Ted Barns mentioned you’d be calling. What can I do for you, Mr. Tanner?”

“It’s just Tanner.”

“Okay, Tanner. Would you like to set an appointment for some counseling?”

“Not right away, no. I plan to get to know you over the phone first.”

She’d known by the apologetic tone in Ted’s voice that his friend wouldn’t be an easy task, but she’d had no idea the man would be this difficult right out of the starting gate. His deep voice hinted at humor and invited conversation, but she didn’t care for his arrogant assumption that he got to make the plans.

“That’s not generally how I do things.”

“So think outside the box, or in this case outside of the standard sad mug telling you his life’s woes while stretched out on your shrink’s sofa.”

“I don’t have a shrink’s sofa.”

“No, you wouldn’t. Ted tells me you’re professional through and through. I bet you have big comfortable armchairs. If I had to venture a guess, I’d say leather. A dark, no nonsense shade like brown or burgundy.”

Studiously ignoring the enticing depth of his voice, she glanced across her desk to the matched set of fashionably overstuffed leather armchairs.

“Café au lait.” She was rewarded with a small chuckle that sent a shiver tingling through her.

“I was close. You’re all set up there like a cozy little den in somebody’s house, aren’t you? I bet there’s nothing cold or clinical, nothing frilly or feminine either.”

Erin’s patience dwindled with the unusual conversation and her heart pounded in a strange, erratic rhythm. Why had she neglected her social life so long? Sure, she’d agreed to do a favor for an old friend, but it hadn’t involved changing her entire office procedure. Had things really deteriorated to a point where she was desperate enough to remain on the line with a stranger and his very strange demands just because his voice tweaked her?

“Perhaps you’d like to make that appointment and you can appease your curiosity about my office.”

“Nice try. I’d rather stick to the phone for now, if you don’t mind.”

“And if I do mind?”

“Then make an exception, just this once. Life as you know it isn’t going to end if you compromise a little, if things aren’t always done precisely the way you like.”

God, it was virtually the same thing her father frequently accused her of. Was she really so set in her ways, so pig-headed and obstinate a outsider picked up on it a few minutes into a phone conversation? Erin sighed, and wished she could say something to relieve this man of his premature opinion. Nothing came to mind and she shoved her conciliatory thoughts away and stubbornly decided to try one more time to make him see how much more sense an office visit made.

“If work or family makes scheduling difficult for you, I’m willing to accommodate you as best I can. I prefer to meet in person as I find it inappropriate to get into personal issues with a complete stranger over the phone.”

“Everything makes my schedule difficult right now, including my location.”

“If you’re not in near proximity to my office, perhaps it would be better to look for a therapist somewhere closer.”

Her curiosity was still piqued, but she was beginning to feel unnerved by the unusual request. If Ted’s friend suffered agoraphobia, a disorder that caused a patient extreme anxiety when they left the comfort and familiarity of their own home, why hadn’t he just said so? And why, for that matter would anyone think a female therapist was better equipped to deal with the situation?The startling depth of his voice yanked her from her mental wanderings.

“I promise not to get too personal until we’re a little more familiar with one another.”

Erin mentally listed all the reasons it wasn’t a good idea to conduct a therapist-patient relationship this way. The importance of being able to judge body language and facial expressions were the big ones. Except his voice was so expressive she felt as though she could see him. He’d be a big guy. She wasn’t fond of overly large men. She found they tended to be loud and swaggering, made superior by their superior height. Big guy often spelled big ego. Conversely the same could be said for short men. What they lacked in height, they often made up for in ego or attitude. She knew as a therapist she shouldn’t make those sort of sweeping generalizations, but she wasn’t merely her work, but a woman too, and had certainly dated enough men to earn her own categorizing system.

“Erin?”

“I don’t know.”

She wondered why she hadn’t voiced the resounding, NO, coursing through her. Clearly this was a strong willed individual, accustomed to getting his own way. She didn’t want to agree, but the truth was she didn’t want to turn him down either. Life had taken on a monotone sameness lately. She sensed whatever problem plaguing Mr. Tanner would be interesting enough to stir her routine. Besides, she couldn’t let Ted down without at least giving it the old college try.

“What’s to know?” The voice had softened to a purr. “Erin, May I call you Erin? And you call me, Tanner. All my friends do, and I want us to be friends. I’m not asking you to do anything unethical. If you look in your little counselor’s handbook, I’m sure it doesn’t say anywhere we can’t do this thing over the telephone.”

Little counselor’s handbook? There he was making fun of the very services he was seeking. It irked her, but she couldn’t help smiling.

“No, I don’t suppose it says anything like that.”

“Take pity on me, Erin. I’m willing to pay you to chat with me for crying out loud.”

Her smile only spread further. “You don’t strike me as the sort of man who’d have to hire female companionship.”

Was she actually flirting with him? He chuckled appreciatively, but when he spoke again, his tone had turned serious.

“Finding the right female companionship is harder than you might think. I’ll make you a deal. I’ll pay in advance for four forty-minute phone calls, my dime. If you’re still uncomfortable after the first conversation, you keep the money and I’ll go elsewhere. If things progress after four chats, we’ll meet in person. How’s that?”

She steeled herself to retain her professional demeanor. “Just one question, Tanner.”

“Shoot.”

“Are you physically impaired or disfigured in some way? Is that why you want me to know you before we meet face to face?” This time the contained chuckle was a booming belly laugh. Erin wrenched the phone away from his outburst and smiled.

“You won’t find me on the cover of the next G.Q. magazine or anything, but I can assure you I’m not living in a bell-tower like Quasimodo. I’m a little under six three, brown and blue, clean shaven, but a bit lacking in style, or so I’ve been told. No distinguishing features aside from a scar on my upper right thigh from a water skiing accident when I was seventeen. See? We’re getting to know each other already. I knew this would work. Now your turn.”

She wanted to laugh at his outrageous forwardness. Why was she suddenly struggling to visualize a water skiing scar on a long and probably darkly haired thigh? Tanner didn’t sound loud or swaggering, like the big man she’d known he would be. Instead he sounded humble and amusing. But she still wasn’t going to play his game.

“It’s inappropriate for me to give you a physical description of myself over the telephone.”

“Why? Are you impaired or disfigured in some way?”

Touché! Now she was giggling. Actually giggling like a foolish, flirtatious little schoolgirl.

“How about if I guess? Will you tell me if I’m right?”

“Is how I look important to you, Mr. Tanner?”

“Just Tanner. Mr. Tanner was my father. Not important, but I’m curious. You’re blond aren’t you?”

“Mmm, more like light brown.”

He’d slid the question in so casually she’d answered him without thinking.

“I bet you’re small and petite. Sort of delicate looking.”

“Wrong again. I’m not tall, but I’ve certainly never been considered delicate. Sorry to disappoint you.”

“Not at all. I’m not into fragile, needy women.”

The way he said it, his voice deep and teasing, only made her want to ask exactly what sort of women he was into. Before she could mentally rally and say anything to steer the conversation onto a more professional track, he spoke again.

“Ted tells me you’re very business like and scholarly, but I’ll bet you’re quite pretty.”

Now the guy was just giving her the creeps. If he didn’t even want to come to the office and meet her face to face, what difference did her looks make?

“This conversation is over, Mr. Tanner.”

“I apologize that was… what’s that word you keep using? Oh yeah, inappropriate. Definitely inappropriate of me. It’s just your words are so charmingly contained and well chosen, and your voice is deep and sort of husky like a barroom singer. It’s a neat contrast and I found it sexy, but I was out of line to say so. I assure you I’m not some psycho stalker.”

Again it was almost as though he’d read her mind.

“Erin? I’m sorry. Tell me you’re not mad at me.”

“Anger implies a relationship of sorts, Mr. Tanner, familiarity. Why would I be mad at someone I don’t even know?”

An impatient sigh carried so clearly through the phone line she could almost feel his warm breath in her ear.

“Because, Miz Sanders, I spoke before I thought and I’ve made you uncomfortable, which was the farthest thing from my intention. Can we still be friends?”

His tone was wheedling, like a spoiled child begging for a treat he knew he didn’t deserve.

You owe me big time, Ted!

“If you consider paying someone to talk to you a friendship, I suppose we can.”

The reply slipped out, contrary to the thoughts ricocheting around in her mind. She felt curiosity about Tanner’s undisclosed concerns, but she also had an undeniable urge to hear more of the voice currently reverberating in her ear and causing the hair on her arms to stand up as though it had been electrically charged.

“Then you’ll do this? That’s just terrific!”

He sounded relieved, also pleased and enthusiastic enough to make her smile again. By the time they signed off, after agreeing on a suitable time for him to make his first call, her heart was racing with a weird sort of anticipation.

But in the recesses of her contained and sensible brain the little voice whispered, “What the hell have you agreed to, and why?”

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