The skinny girl said, “He gets gawked at all the time, but he’s all about the kids.”

“Do you have a child over there?” Roni asked.

“No. The guy reading is a friend of mine,” the girl said.

Angela’s brows slanted. “A friend? Is he your boyfriend?”

Roni glared at Angela.

“No,” the girl said. “He’s just a friend helping me through a rough time. He’s a good guy, and he’s single, if that’s what you’re fishing for.”

“She’s not fishing,” Roni said, embarrassed that Angela had even asked. She needed to get out of there. “We have to go. Have a good day.” She hurried out of the bookstore with Angela on her heels, and as soon as they cleared the door, she turned on Angela. “Why did you say that? Quincy isn’t that kind of guy.”

“I didn’t think he was, but why not make sure?”

“Because it makes you sound like you don’t trust him, and I do trust him. Besides, you don’t know who that girl is or what she’ll say to Quincy. What if he saw me and she says I was checking up on him? I’m not even the one who said it, and I’m not checking up on him. All I wanted was to see him.”

“I’m sorry,” Angela insisted. “You’re right. It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

As they headed for Jazzy Joe’s, Roni said, “You’re the one who sang his praises, remember?”

“Yes, and you’re right. I’m sorry. Like I said, I saw an opening and thought it was worth asking. And now we know.” She put her arm around Roni and said, “You’re my girl. I’m going to be a little protective of you.”

“I appreciate that, but I don’t think he’s a womanizer, and I don’t think I need protecting from him. But I might need protecting from myself. He looks at me like he wants to eat me alive.” She pulled open the door to Jazzy Joe’s and said, “And I kind of want him to.”

RONI SPENT THE day volleying Angela’s excited chatter and her lectures on safe sex. She couldn’t believe she’d even told her bestie she wanted to be devoured by Quincy. It wasn’t like she was going to jump into bed with him when they went to the scavenger hunt tonight, but that didn’t mean she didn’t think about how much she loved being in his arms, how good his hands had felt moving over her hip and down her back, and how much she liked when he’d caressed her face, gazing so deeply into her eyes it felt even more intimate than their kisses. Those things had her wondering what being closer to him would be like, how good his naked body would feel pressing down on her. A knock at her apartment door jarred her from her thoughts, sending tingles of anticipation racing up her chest.

Quincy was there to pick her up for the scavenger hunt. She took one last look in the mirror at herself in black skinny jeans, ankle boots, and her favorite cropped lavender sweater and thought she looked darn good.