A Dog or Something

"I need a dog or something." The low baritone vibrated in the bottom of Tisha's stomach and the ensuing contractions from deep within her soul caused her to swoon on the ladder. Strong hands, much like the ones she had been fantasizing about just then, were at her back before she could steady herself. She stared at her rescuer through glasses that had fallen askew during her near topple. Even with one eye aided and the other not, the man was definitely fine.

His low cut hair shone from the expert attention of a wave brush. Instead of the look of a two-week overdue haircut, his edges were sharp and lined perfectly. His eyes were a delicious light brown, bringing to mind the smoky heat of melted caramel. The scent emanating from him threatened to strangle her with its sensuality, she could feel the noose tightening. She wondered how she could look at him so comfortably when he was a full foot and a half taller than she.

Tisha was barely able to stop examining his paper bag brown face and decadent bulging muscles long enough to remember she was there to work and not indulge in pleasures of the flesh. Lord knew that's what had almost gotten her splattered all over the animals in their glass kennels just a moment ago. She drew herself up to her full height of four feet, eleven inches, and straightened her glasses. "How may I help you, sir?"

The man stared at her with his brows wrinkled. "I see why you were on that ladder. Maybe you should go back up so I won't have to break my neck looking down." The comment was uttered as if it had been dragged from him, and she got the feeling he really hadn't meant to say the words; that he'd only meant to think them. She was used to remarks about her height, so that didn't bother her. What did bother her was the way he was looking at her. She felt like the little cocker spaniel puppy she always had to rescue from the larger pups when she tried to exercise the dogs outside their cages. She felt the telling heat rise from her face again, knowing he was just returning the hot roaming she had given him first.

She took in his pricey watch and heavy gold chain along with the sharp crease in his jeans and designer shirt. He looked like money. And money came with attitude. That's why he was so brazen in his perusal of her. At least she had given him a subtle, ladylike once over. The way he stroked her with his eyes told her he wasn't above using masculine wiles to get whatever he wanted. And today he wanted a dog. Or something.

My Best Friend's Girlfriend

"I just need you to stand in to keep the crazies from bothering me when I have to attend functions." I held my breath and waited for Andre to answer. I knew the look he had on his face, he thought I was the Queen of the Crazies.

He finished his soda. "So what you're saying is." he looked directly into my face. "you aren't trying to find another boyfriend, so you want me to pretend to be your man so other guys won't approach you."

When he said it like that, it did sound pretty insane.

"That's it. Look, I know you think this is a bad idea, but I can't think of anything else. All I seem to attract is drama, and I'm tired of it." I felt tears burn my eyelids and I tried in vain to blink them away.

Andre reached across the table and stroked my cheek. "Okay. You could have saved the tears for something else, I was already in after the great lunch."

The tears spilled over as I laughed. Andre always had a way of making my world all right when I thought it was ending, and that hadn't changed since we were kids growing up in the inner city of Houston.

Later that night, I sent Andre an e-mail of my upcoming appearances. As an events promoter, I had to attend several functions throughout the week, and twice that many on most weekends. My specialty was multicultural music and book events, and the field of the entertaining arts kept me quite busy in the huge city of Houston. Ordinarily, I wouldn't have minded attending solo, but that was because I was usually attached to someone who made it easy to resist advances from other men. Because I was now officially single, I knew I'd be a sitting duck while working the crowd

And it wasn't as if the prospects were worthy ones. My come hither scent had to be quite horrible, because all I ever seemed to attract was married men, men who never wanted to commit, and abusive men, even if they tended to have money. After the last scare I'd had with Tyrone, I didn't want to get into any other relationships.

A Dog or Something

Tisha Randall wants a boyfriend. When a likely specimen walks into her pet store to purchase 'a dog or something', Tisha nearly turns him away with her disdain for would be animal owners who neglected their charges. Upon further review, Tisha realizes the man had a different type of void in his life, very possibly the same one that afflicts her.

My Best Friend's Girlfriend

Aliyah and Andre have been best friends since childhood. Will they be able to build on that foundation and make a go of a proper romantic relationship?