of his chin and tilted it up. “There is nothing wrong with being a nice guy. We just don’t have that kind of connection. You know what I mean? “
“You mean like the connection you feel toward Charlie?” He lifted his head and trapped her with his vibrant blue gaze.
“What?”
Stanley shrugged. “I’m not stupid … and I’m damn sure not blind. I’ve seen how you look at him. All googly-eyed and everything.” He shrugged. “I mean a lot of girls like Charlie … and Derrick … and Hylan … and Taariq. Hell. I’m the odd man out.”
“Stanley—”
“No. No. It’s okay. I’m used to it.”
Now she felt like crap. “I’m sorry. But I really feel that there’s a girl out there that’s going to be perfect for you,” Anna comforted even as a horrible thought occurred to her. Oh, God, if Stanley knows …
“Don’t worry. I don’t think Charlie has a clue,” Stanley said as if he’d just heard her private thoughts. “He’s my dog and everything. But like I said, he’s used to women looking at him googly-eyed.”
That wasn’t comforting. “I’m sorry,” she said again. “I hope that we can still be friends?”
Stanley attempted to smile, but it failed miserably.
She felt the need to say something else. But the right words failed her and she was left to just awkwardly watch him drain the rest of his beer.
“Well. Enjoy the rest of the party,” Stanley said, avoiding her gaze and then peeling away from her so fast that she didn’t have time to stop him.
“Great. Way to go, Anna,” she mumbled under her breath, convinced that Stanley was going to hate her forever. She tossed back her second drink and then reminded herself that she had a low tolerance level.
Notorious B.I.G.'s “One More Chance” started thumping from the speakers and everyone threw their hands up and started rocking to the smooth beats. Anna scanned the crowd again, searching for Charlie.
“Now where did he go?” A part of her was aware that she was behaving like the same love-struck puppy Stanley looked like just a few minutes ago, but she couldn’t help it. She pushed her way through the crowd that seemed to be growing at a rapid rate. For twenty minutes she combed the house before deciding to give up. The problem now was that she needed to find Roxanne so that they could split. However, the idea of shuffling back through the crowd wasn’t appealing—not to mention, she was starting to feel the effects of her two drinks.
Drawing a deep breath, she turned so she could start back through the crowd and accidently stepped on someone’s foot. “Oops. Sorry.”
Taariq turned his wounded expression toward her. “Damn, baby. Watch where you’re wielding those shoes.” He softened his rebuke with a smile. “So where are you running off to so fast? This isn’t the Dixie Speedway, you know.”
Anna blinked up at him. Damn. He was even better looking up close. She stepped back, hoping the space would help her pull herself together.
It didn’t.
“Let me guess, you’re looking for your boy, Stanley?”
“Stanley?” She blinked. “No. Um, Stanley is just a good friend.”
Taariq’s handsomely groomed brows sprung up in surprise. “Oh. Is that right?” He stretched an arm up and propped it against the wall behind her, effectively forming a human alcove. It was definitely better executed than when Stanley had tried it. “Sooo. Does that mean that you don’t have a man?”
Her face warmed. “No. Um, not at the moment.”
Taariq moved closer. “Do you want one?”
Damn. He doesn’t waste any time. His directness overwhelmed her. “Actually, I just need to find my roommate Roxanne and head out,” she said, escaping while she could still think clearly.
Taariq’s full lips kicked up into a wicked smile. “Sorry, l’il Ma. I didn’t know you scared so easily.”
“What? I’m not scared,” she bluffed.
“No?” His brows arched while his eyes roamed over her again. It was so intense that Anna swore it was a physical caress.
“If you’re not scared, why are you running away? I don’t bite … unless you ask me to.”
Anna swallowed while her nipples hardened inside her lace bra. As luck would have it, that was the exact moment when his gaze lowered.
“Since I know it’s not cold in here that must mean that you’re excited to be near me.”
Anna’s entire body blazed with embarrassment. “Wow. What a big ego you have.”
“Everything is big on me, baby.” He inched closer and glided his finger up the side of her right arm.
Anna gasped at the way her entire arm tingled. The playful glint in Taariq’s eyes morphed into something dangerously predatory within a blink. No doubt that if she stood there much longer, he was going to have her legs up around his waist—the crowded party be damned.
She removed his finger from her arm. “Let’s get one thing straight—I’m not your baby.”
“You could be. The night is still young.”
Anna rolled her eyes. “I gotta go.” She attempted to step around him only for him to grab her wrist and pull her back.
“All right. All right. My bad. I’m sorry. Can we start again?”
She pulled in a deep breath while she actually thought about it. “I … I’ve got a test … tomorrow,” she lied.
Taariq stretched up a dubious brow. “On a Saturday?”
“It’s a make-up test,” she covered. One look in his eyes and she knew that he wasn’t buying it.
Instead of calling her on it, he just hitched up his shoulders and widened his smile. “A rain check then?”
“Yeah. Sure.” Don’t hold your breath.
“All right. I don’t need a brick building to fall on my head. You’re not interested. I get it.” He tried to shrug off the rejection, but she could tell that it was something that he wasn’t used to. Then, he dipped his brows together as if suddenly a thought occurred to him. “You’re not …?”
“What?”
“You know.” Taariq winked as if he’d worked out a missing piece of the puzzle before leaning in close so that his minty breath would warm the side of her face. “You don’t bat for the other side, do you?”
Anna’s mouth fell open. “What?”
“I mean—I know that sort of thing gets explored with you ladies when you’re away at college.”
