Breanna finished helping him move the furniture around, and by the time they were done, the change was remarkable. Perhaps thirty people could fit in her apartment, now.

She released a deep sigh and scratched her head. “How much time before our guests start arriving?”

He glanced at his gold watch, which looked to be quite expensive. “Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes.” He met her stare. “Why?”

“I need to go change.”

“Go ahead.” He flipped his hand. “I’ll just check on the refreshments.”

She turned and hurried into her bedroom and stripped out of the clothes. After powdering her body with a rose scent, she grabbed the clothes previously set out to wear for tonight. The faded jeans and over-sized shirt would do just fine. She removed the ever-present rubber band and let her hair fall down around her shoulders.

When she entered the living room, Brad lounged on her sofa, but when he saw her, he stood. His gaze combed over every inch of her body. Uncomfortable by his close scrutiny, she folded her arms, trying to hide herself. “Well, I’m ready. Is this casual enough for the party?”

He walked over and stood in front of her, his hand smoothed over his goatee as he gave her a narrowed look. She didn’t like the blank expression on his face, and her heart dropped. Did he think she was too ugly? But then his face brightened and he clapped his hands.

“Oh, yes. I have it. Let’s do something with this shirt.”

He reached out and took hold of the bottom. She gasped when he gathered the material tight around her waist and tied the bulk in a knot. Embarrassment washed over her and she flattened her hands over her slightly exposed belly.

He laughed and peeled her hands away. “Don’t hide it, sweetie. This style looks really good on you.”

“But you can see my tummy.”

“I know, and it’s a cute tummy.”

He didn’t mind? Her chest bubbled with giddiness. But then his gaze lifted to her long mass of hair, and once again her heart sank. When a rejected look puzzled his expression, defeat overwhelmed her. “What’s wrong?”

He tilted his head. “Your hair.”

“What’s wrong with my hair?”

“We need to do something about it.”

“Like what?”

He examined her for a few minutes longer, then asked. “Would you mind if I checked out your bedroom for something?”

Her eyes widened. “My bedroom? What for?”

Taking her hand in his, he pulled her toward the room. “I’m looking for something to put in your hair or on your head.”

She should be insulted, but his charming grin calmed her fear. “What’s wrong with my hair?”

“Your hair is a very beautiful auburn color, but it’s too long and straight. It needs a little pizzazz.”

“I’ve had this style most of my life, and I’ve never worried about it having pizzazz.”

He stopped when they reached her room and turned toward her. His finger nudged her chin up until her gaze locked with his. “Do you want my help or not?”

She shrugged. “I guess.”

“Then you’ll have to trust me.” He turned and walked into her room. “Do you have a baseball cap?”

“Yes, but don’t ask me where I put it.”

“Okay, how about a scarf?”

It only took a moment before she remembered where she’d kept the scarf she’d never used. “Yes.” She went to her closet and dug through a pile of clothes on the shelf.

She pulled it out and showed him. “Here it is.”

He took it and moved around behind her, then gathered the bulk of her hair into a ponytail, tying it with the scarf. He came back around in front of her and his grin broadened.

“Wow. You look stunning.”

His compliment, whether false or real, caused her heart to hammer and she couldn’t stop a full smile from spreading across her face. She seriously doubted Brad’s ability to see clearly at the moment, but his words brought a burning joy to her bosom. A feeling completely foreign to her, and yet one she wanted to feel more often.

The doorbell rang, and panic came back with an overwhelming force, slamming into her gut. She swallowed hard and nervously wrung her hands. “Oh, no. They’re here.”

He chuckled and separated her hands, taking one in his and rubbings the pads of his thumbs on her skin. “Come on, tiger, let’s go greet our guests.”

She stumbled as he pulled her forward. When the name he’d used registered in her head, she quickly stopped, bringing him to a halt.

“What did you just call me?” she shrieked.

His brows drew together. “I called you my little tigress. You know, tiger, like the striped animal?”

Her chest rose and fell quickly, and she didn’t doubt that fire shot out of her eyes from the anger inside her. How did he know that was her first name? Tyger, the one name she loathed. She hadn’t been called that since her parents were alive.

“Don’t ever call me that again.”

An expression of shock touched his face, but within seconds, his lips curved up into a grin. Slowly, he closed the space between them, his gaze never leaving hers. He leaned to her ear. “Now I want to call you that all the time. It fits you perfectly, especially when you’re riled up. Your gray eyes spark with excitement.”

As his lips gently caressed the top part of her ear, his hot breath dulled her senses. Anger faded, leaving her incredibly warm. Seeking more, she leaned forward to smell more of his manly scent, but the doorbell rang again and brought her back to reality.

He stepped away and took hold of her hand. “Come on, tiger.” He winked. “Let’s go greet our guests.” This time, she let him lead her into the living room.

The first to arrive were the girls from the office, each having a date, a friend, or husband. It wasn’t shocking to see the way Brad greeted the girls, kissing them lightly on the cheek and calling them some kind of endearment. He did this with all the women, even those he’d barely met. He was a professional charmer. Was that what he was doing when he’d called her tiger? Although she didn’t like it, the name grew on her. Brad certainly lived up to the reputation she’d heard so much about.

As the party progressed, her co-workers continued to give her compliments. She caught a few of Brad’s friends bringing in kegs of beer. Although she disapproved, her guests seemed to like it. After a while, she caught men staring at her with silly grins. She was sure it was due to the amount of alcohol they’d consumed.

But tonight it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered. She actually enjoyed the way people treated her. Being one of Brad’s friends meant that she was friends with everyone. Giddiness spread through her and made her body tingle. The strange emotion made her feel pretty – something she hadn’t felt in a very long time. Tom certainly never made her feel like this.

Despair washed over her and she sighed. Why had she thought of him? Once again, the wounded feelings of rejection touched her. She frowned. Why did Tom do more things with Kevin and Trisha, instead of the woman he professed to love?

Turning away from the party, she stepped into the kitchen. An assortment of drinks was displayed on her counter, mini bottles and a few soda cans still remained. Dare she take a drink of alcohol? It seemed to make some of her guests forget their problems. Could it do the same for her?

“Tempting, aren’t they?”

The man’s deep baritone voice startled her from her sober thoughts, and she spun around to face him. Brad leaned against a wall, his relaxed stance radiated his flirtatious charm, especially the melting grin he had on his perfectly shaped lips.

She smiled. “Yes, the liquor is working its hypnotic power over my weakened soul. Especially, since I’ve never tasted it before.”

Brad grinned. “In that case, can I suggest this?” He stepped over to a cooler full of pop cans and pulled out a Coke, then handed it to her.

She glanced at the can, and then at him. “Does this mean you don’t want me to drink alcohol?”

He shrugged. “I can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do, but if you insist on trying it, I’ll do my best to talk you out of it.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not looking forward to taking care of you when you’re sloshed. Holding your head over the toilet doesn’t sound like a fun time to me.”

She chuckled. “Thanks, I guess.”

He moved over beside her and hung his arm around her shoulders. “Hey? Would you like to dance with me?”

His question startled her, and she bit her bottom lip to keep it from dropping to the floor. “Uh, sure.”

He took the can of Coke away from her and placed it on the counter, he then drew her cold hand into the warmth of his, pulling her into the front room. The music blasted from every direction, and through the hordes of people crowded in her living room, she could see that the front door was open and people gathered outside her apartment.

Before she had time to worry about what her neighbors might think, Brad circled his arms around her waist and gathered her close. Automatically, she rested her hands on his shoulders and swayed back and forth with him to the slow playing music.

As she stared into his dreamy green eyes, she experienced a feeling of floating on a billowy cloud. Her mouth turned dry, yet her palms began to moisten. She knew she held a lovesick expression, so she forced herself to look away from his gorgeous face.

What was wrong with her? She couldn’t deny that for the first time in her life she felt totally helpless from the uncontrolled feelings Brad stirred inside of her, but she also couldn’t let it continue. Hopefully, her fascination with Brad would soon pass. Tom was her boyfriend, and although his actions tonight had wounded her heart, he was still the man she wanted to marry.

And yet, after meeting Brad, a part of her wanted something more than what Tom could give her. She longed to feel loved and pretty. Tom hadn’t accomplished that, but... Brad had.