Page 63 of Billionaire Unforgettable: Tanner

“He’s always been generous,” I admitted. “Even when he wasn’t a billionaire.”

“Ha!” Lauren exclaimed. “You haven’t really seen his madness yet. He was just coming into his money when you two separated, and he was too obsessed with KTD to spend it. Let him do things for you sometimes, Hannah. It honestly does make him feel like he’s useful, and his only motivation is to make people happy.”

“He doesn’t have to give me things to be useful,” I argued. “He’s been by my side every step of the way in my new business.”

“You’re surprised,” she guessed. “It’s taking you a while to see how much he’s changed since that KTD obsession he went through.”

“It’s hard to get used to,” I said softly. “I think he’s more interested in helping me than furthering his own business interests right now.”

“You told me that you and Tanner wanted to start over being the people you are now,” Lauren said gently. “That’s the man he is now, Hannah, and has been for quite a few years now.”

“More like the old Tanner?” I questioned.

“More like the old Tanner on steroids,” she said with a chuckle.

“I kind of noticed that,” I confessed. “Tanner was always thoughtful during the majority of our relationship, but now I feel like he anticipates my needs before I do.”

Lauren nodded. “I swear he spends a lot of time thinking about what’s best for his loved ones. He’s scary observant now.”

He was, and it was almost unsettling.

It wasn’t that I didn’t like that kind of attention from Tanner, but I wasn’t used to it.

“Get used to it,” Lauren said like she’d been reading my mind. “Tanner takes care of the people he cares about, and I don’t think that’s going to change. And he’s pretty pigheaded about it, too.”

“He’s given me enough,” I informed her. “I couldn’t have started my new business without him, and he negotiated ridiculously stupid terms for a business tycoon. Since that deal, he’s dedicated his time and energy to Glam Anywhere, and he’s given me an obscene amount of things he thinks I’ll need.”

This trip to the spa was only one more thoughtful thing he’d done in a long line of thoughtful gifts.

Some of those things I’d needed, like an updated computer with plenty of storage and speed.

Some of the things he’d given me were definitely over the top, like a brand new mountain bike that was nicer than the one he had at his house.

I’d argued adamantly, but the big lug didn’t budge an inch when he really wanted me to accept something, so that bike was now stored at my apartment because he’d refused to take it back.

“You’ll get used to it,” Lauren said nonchalantly. “I’ve been a grown woman who can take care of herself for a long time, and he still shows up at my place with stupidly expensive things he thinks I need.”

“But you’re like a little sister to him, Lauren,” I reasoned. “That makes a lot more sense.”

She raised a brow. “Does it?” she questioned.

“Yeah,” I mumbled. “I’m just a previous love interest of his from years ago that he’s now…helping.”

“If you think that’s all there is to your relationship, you’re crazy,” Lauren said drily. “I’ve seen the two of you together. I’ve also seen the way he looks at you. Tanner is trying to gain your trust back, and I don’t think that’s just because he wants to be your lifelong friend or something. He’s biding his time until he knows exactly what you want from him.”

I sent Lauren a startled look.

Tanner hadn’t given me any reason to think he wanted anything more than we had right now.

Yeah, we’d talked about starting over in a relationship, but that amazing kiss we’d shared in Helena hadn’t been repeated.

We’d grown closer emotionally, and we’d gotten to know each other better, but he’d never given me a clue that he wanted anything more.

Unfortunately, it was hard for me to be around Tanner without wanting to get him naked, but I’d learned to squash those desires to the best of my ability.

That approach wasn’t working as well as I wished it would.

The more I got to know the man Tanner was now, the more I adored him.

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