My Only Desire

The crowd chanted. “Go, white boy! Get busy! It’s your birthday! You know it!”

Stanley looked as if he was on top of the world with the adulation. A little later with his confidence sky-high, Stanley decided to make his move and lure Anna into a corner of the crowded house. No sooner did he get her over there did Charlie and Taariq throw open the door, lugging in a keg of beer.

“Everybody ready to get their party on?” Taariq shouted.

The crowd responded with a thunderous, “Hell, yeah!”

Someone jacked the music even louder. Anna could barely hear herself think. Oddly enough, her gaze didn’t initially stray to Charlie, but looked over to Taariq and his infectious smile. She also noticed that there were at least a dozen or so women smiling and batting their eyelashes at him.

However, Taariq glanced over at her. The heat started up again and her stomach looped into knots as if she was about to bungee jump off the side of Stone Mountain. What the hell was going on with her?

“I’m glad to see that you’re having such a good time,” Stanley said, handing her another rum and coke.

“Uh? What?” Anna forced her eyes to swing back toward Stanley. Guilt inched up her spine. It’s time, she told herself. She couldn’t continue to give the man false hope. Shakily, she drew in a deep breath. “Stanley, we need to talk.”

Instantly, his smile melted. “Uh, oh. That’s not a good sign.”

“Well, I just think that we need to get a few things cleared up … about you and me.”

“Definitely not a good sign.” He reached for his own beer and took a quick swig. “Let me guess. You don’t like me.”

“No.”

Stanley’s shoulders slumped. “Damn. Really?”

“I mean I like you,” she rushed to get her foot out of her mouth. “I just don’t like you in the way that you want me to.” She winced and held her breath, hoping that she didn’t completely destroy Stanley’s fragile ego. “I mean … I look at you like a brother.”

“Oh.” He dropped his gaze and stared at his bottle of beer. “A brother. Great.”

“I’m so sorry, Stanley.” Anna placed her hand on his shoulder. “You’re a nice guy.”

“Oh, God. Not the nice guy routine,” he moaned. “That’s starting to be the story of my life.”

She cupped the bottom 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.