“Do you want another one, babe?” my friend Josh asks as he rises then backs away from the table we’re seated at. I’ve reached the tipping point where if I consume another drink I’ll pass on over to the other side of drunkenness and if I stop now my buzz will soon wear off.

Staring at my almost empty glass, I weigh out my options and decide to quit while I’m ahead. I don’t want this night to end with my head buried in the toilet and Josh holding my hair back. Although it wouldn’t be the first time he’s done it. He makes a hell of a hair holder and he’s the best friend I could ask for.

“No thanks. I’m stopping now. Can you please get me an ice water though?”

He does this half wink-half chin lift to acknowledge he heard me before he walks away. Alone at the table, I think about the stranger from earlier this evening. I had the oddest reaction to him. Crashing into him was like hitting a brick wall, only less painful. His arms around my back kept me from falling to the ground as my hands landed on his bulging biceps. Even through the thickness of his black sweater I could feel how solidly he was built. An apology fell from his lips even though it was clearly my fault. The sound of his deep, husky voice drew my gaze to his face - his devastatingly handsome face. His eyes were a warm shade of brown interspersed with golden flecks that perfectly complemented his thick, black, slightly curved eyebrows. His nose was thin and straight except for the slight bump on the bridge which made me wonder how it had been broken. Was he in a fight? Is he the type of guy trouble seems to find? Or does he seek it out looking for it at every turn?

I quickly apologized. I didn’t want him to think I was rude. I’m not sure why it mattered so much what a perfect stranger thought of me, all I know is it did. When he asked me if I was okay, his concerned expression was so endearing I found myself smiling at him. When he took ownership of the blame, it made him even more appealing. Nothing could’ve prepared me for the effect of his smile. Tiny tremors ran through my body at the first glimpse of his straight white teeth and I swear I felt them all the way down to my toes. When I walked away from him I fought an overwhelming urge to turn and look back for one final glance.

Josh returns to the table, a beer in one hand and my water in the other. We sit there in companionable silence drinking our beverages down. Resting my head on his shoulder, I close my eyes. He leans over dropping a kiss on my forehead as my thoughts wander back to the mystery man and the regret I feel at not learning his name.

The brightness of the sun peeking through the slats of the window blinds wakes me up. Or maybe it’s the muscular arm wrapped around my waist and the hard on digging into my ass that’s responsible. I move to turn over, but he pulls me close not allowing an inch of separation between our bodies.

He rubs his cock against the crease of my ass as his mouth trails down the side of my neck. “I miss you,” he whispers huskily, before his mouth moves back to suck on the skin below my ear.

My neck arches instinctively and my ass pushes back against him. We shouldn’t be doing this. I promised myself this wouldn’t happen anymore. It complicates things between us because Josh can’t separate the sex from his love for me. However, it’s difficult to think clearly when his hand is sliding down inside the front of my panties and slipping between the lips of my pussy. I moan when his fingers slide inside me and my hips begin to rock against his hand.

His thumb starts to rub on my clit and I know it won’t be long before I get my release. His breaths are increasing in speed and leaving his body in quick bursts next to my ear. I can feel his hips thrusting behind me and I know he’s taking care of himself too. The thought of him handling his cock while he fingers me has me even more turned on and it’s only seconds before I erupt in my orgasm.

His hips pump a few more times and he groans out my name before I feel the warm liquid of his release on my back. “Fuck,” he says, pulling his hand from my panties. “I know you didn’t want that to happen babe. I’m sorry. I woke up wrapped around you and it was like old times.” He slips his shirt off over his head and uses it to clean me up. He’s so sweet and I wish more than anything I could reciprocate the love he has for me. He and I were a couple for over a year and although I loved him, I never fell in love with him, no matter how hard I tried or pushed myself to.

“You didn’t hear me protesting, did you? It’s not that I don’t want you, Josh.” I turn over to face him so I can see his light green eyes. I hate that being here with me is such a complicated situation for him. My hand cups his cheek while I take in the tormented expression on his face. I know what I need to do. “I don’t think we should spend time together anymore.”

He cuts me off before I can continue, “Don’t say that, Janny. I can’t deal with you saying that, babe. I won’t sleep over anymore and I’ll keep my distance from you, but you can’t cut me out of your life.”

My chest tightens at the thought of not seeing him, but I’m willing to do whatever’s best for him. “I don’t want to hurt you anymore. It breaks my heart to see you like this and to know it’s my fault. You deserve so much more than what I can offer you,” I whisper. “Stay away from me Josh, go find the girl who’s out there waiting for you.”

“He’s so hot,” Elle, my best girl friend, says. She smiles at the barista in our favorite coffee shop and he winks back at her. We come here as often as we can. It’s near the Boston University campus on Commonwealth Ave. The atmosphere is great and the flirty banter between Elle and the barista makes me laugh.

“Why don’t you just ask him out and get it over with?” I peer at her over the top of my cup while I take a sip of my coffee. I’m not sure what’s holding her back from making a move on this guy.

She’s usually a man eater, going after and ensnaring whoever she sets her sights on. Once they’re caught up in her big brown eyes and double D’s they don’t stand a chance. “I like coming here all the time. If we sleep together it could make things awkward,” she says, before biting into her chocolate chip cookie.

“He’s adorable and he makes a great cup of coffee which could come in handy for the morning after,” I mention, practically.

“Good point.” She nods her head. “And you know how much I appreciate a good cup of coffee first thing in the morning.” Smiling at him over my shoulder, she blows him a kiss.

I roll my eyes at how easy it is for Elle to get any guy she wants. I’ve been observing the unfailing phenomena of her luring them in for over three and a half years now and I’m still in awe of her mad powers of persuasion. “So, are you going to ask him out?” I steal a piece of her cookie off her plate when she glances over at the barista.

“No, not yet. Maybe I’ll save him for my next dry spell.”

I giggle because I can’t remember her ever going through a dry spell. Even as a freshman she was a force to be reckoned with, but now at the age of twenty-two she’s unstoppable. She tried to teach me how to flirt and how to use my body language to draw guys in, but it was an epic fail. Sexy is not in my DNA and somehow doing all the things she wanted me to do made meeting guys and getting to know them feel so contrived and phony. It may work for Elle, but it’s not how I want to act or who I want to be.

It’s two hours later and I’m still sitting at the same table working on my laptop. Elle left about ten minutes ago, for a date with one of the guys who lives down the hall from us. I told her she’s making a mistake by messing around with a neighbor. When it all goes to hell he’s going to be right there in her face for her to see all the time. She seems to think it’s a great idea because of the convenience factor for late night booty calls. I love her twisted way of reasoning it all out. She’s one of a kind.

The past few days have been filled with studying and working on a big group project with a few other students from my psychology class. I’m so focused while I sit here plugging away on it, I don’t notice the man standing next to my table until I hear the deep smooth tones of his voice. “Hi, how are you?”

I look up distractedly, still caught up in the research paper I’m writing on anxiety disorders to find the handsome stranger from Quake smiling down at me. He’s even more attractive in the lighting of the coffee shop.

“I’m good, how are you?” I ask with a smile and wonder if I should ask him to sit down. I feel ridiculously awkward as he stands there and the uncomfortable silence stretches out between us.

“Do you mind if I sit down?”

Oh, thank God.

I gesture with my hand toward the empty seat across from me. He’s such a large guy he makes the table seem half the size. We both remain quiet, silently taking each other in. My eyes roam from his short dark hair down to the groomed beard on his face. His lips are full and they lift in a smile while I stare at them. I raise my eyes to find him watching me and feel the heat of my face flushing with embarrassment. How humiliating to be caught in the act of checking him out, but it’s somewhat of a consolation to know he’s been doing the same.

“I’m glad I noticed you sitting here. I didn’t get your name the other night and I regretted it.” He keeps his eyes on mine while he speaks, his stare is direct and intimidating. It makes it seem like he wants me spread out on top of the table so he can do immoral things to me.

I fight the urge to squirm and fidget in my seat like an inexperienced teen. Jesus, I’m twenty-two years old, not sixteen. I’m not a professional flirt like Elle, but I’m not usually this uncomfortable around an attractive guy. Saying I find him attractive might be understating things, though. This guy might be my idea of physical perfection. I’m drawn to large, muscular guys like him. They make me feel safe and protected.

“I’m Janny; Janny Moore,” I say, extending my hand forward for him to shake.

His large hand engulfs mine as he shakes it firmly. His palm is warm against my skin and it makes me wonder what his hands would feel like moving over my body. Would his touch be soft or firm? “Kyle McKenzie,” he introduces himself before letting go of my hand. “It’s great to meet you, Janny.” He places his folded arms on the table, leaning toward me.

I like his name. Silently reciting it to myself, it feels like a good fit for him. “Thanks, you too.” I shyly smile at him. Jesus, he’s so gorgeous I can’t focus long enough to organize my thoughts.

“I’m guessing you’re a student,” he says, nodding toward the textbook and laptop on the table.

My head moves up and down in a nod while I nervously twirl my hair. “Yes, I’m a senior at B.U.”

“I want to ask you what your major is, but that’s so cliché.” He smirks and I giggle at his honesty.

“You don’t need to ask, I’ll tell you. I’m going to school for graphic design.”

“Are you an artist?” His eyes skate slowly over my face and I notice how golden they appear today. Our quick interaction at Quake didn’t do them justice.

“No, I’m only artistic with a computer to help me. I can’t draw or paint very well.” I pause to take a sip of my coffee and think about what I want to ask him. “What do you do for work?”

He shifts in his seat before answering. “I’m a private investigator.”

My eyebrows rise in surprise. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a P.I. before. Do you have to be a cop first?”

He looks away and runs his fingers through his hair before answering. “No, you don’t, but if not, you’d need to apprentice under another P.I. before you could get licensed.”

“Is that what you did?” I ask and immediately regret it when I notice him tense up and the strange expression on his face. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be nosy. You can ignore my question if you don’t want to answer it.”

“No, it’s fine, I don’t mind,” he hesitates, raking his teeth over his lip before continuing. “I used to be a cop, so no apprenticeship was necessary.”

Although I’m curious to know more about why he isn’t on the force anymore, I’m not going to ask. It’s obvious this is an uncomfortable subject for him.

“Do you live around here?” I ask, trying to get the conversation flowing into neutral territory again.

“Yes, about ten minutes from here. What about you? Do you live near school or do you commute?”

The way he leans forward when I speak makes me feel like every word I say matters to him. His golden-brown eyes lock on mine with such concentration it gives me a nervous flutter in the pit of my stomach.

“I live in an apartment near school with my best friend.” I pick up my coffee and take a sip, just for something to do. I don’t know how much longer I can sit here under his close scrutiny.

He’s making me uncomfortable in the best of ways and leaving me with damp panties. His lips add a hint of softness to his sharp featured face. The hair on his lower jaw grows thick and dark and I fight the urge to reach over and run my hand down it.

I’m curious to know if it’s rough or if it’s soft, like I hope it is. What would it feel like against my inner thighs? Would it tickle or scratch my tender skin? My eyes lower to my lap as I remind myself this isn’t the time to become involved with anyone. School is my main focus and it’s what works best for me. I close my laptop, placing it in my bag.

“Can I take you out sometime?” Kyle asks when I pick up my text book.

I pause with it still in my hand and glance at him. He’s watching me with so much heat in his gaze, I can’t help but wonder if saying yes would be making the wrong decision. I’m worried about getting in over my head. I’m so torn. I want to go out with him and see how it goes. Maybe our date would be terrible and that would be the end of it. Maybe it would be perfect and would only be the beginning of us. His eyes are imploring me to say yes and I can feel myself starting to cave.

“Sure.”

The answering smile he flashes me causes tiny flutters in my stomach. I hand him my phone and he enters his number. I nervously bite on the tip of my thumb nail, while I watch him as he sends himself a text with my phone. When we walk outside, he holds the door for me. Standing here with him, I’m reminded of how tall he is compared to my five-foot three height.

“What are your plans for Friday night?” he asks, taking a step closer to me. He takes my hand in his, sensually caressing the inside of my wrist with his thumb. “I don’t want to wait any longer than that to see you.” There’s a sheepish grin on his face I find irresistible.

“What do you have in mind?” I ask, not giving him an answer. I can’t make it too easy on him. He looks like the kind of guy who probably has girls throwing themselves at him. I bet he’s never been turned down.

“I’m thinking of taking you out to dinner so I can get to know you better.”

“I’d like that. It’s a date,” I squeeze his hand and smile up at him.