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I was not all over you last Saturday. I merely introduced myself and asked if you’d be interested in having dinner, that’s it.” She was quick to add, “And if you must know, I’m single. The last thing a woman like me wants is some man up under her twenty-four-seven. I’m happily dating and that suits me just fine.”

      Xavier didn’t look convinced. “Really?”

      She nodded. “My girlfriends think I’m clinically depressed because I’m not sprinting to the altar, but I’m perfectly sane.” Ebony found herself laughing when Xavier made a funny face at her. “It’s true! I’m just not one of those women in a rush to settle down. I’ll be the big three-0 in July but I just don’t feel the need to get married. Not one bit,” she stressed.

      “Your birthday’s in July?”

      “Uh-huh.”

      “When?”

      “The twenty-ninth.”

      Xavier stared at her. “You’re kidding!”

      “Do you want me to show you two pieces of ID?”

      He shook his head.

      “I was born at 1:22 a.m. on July 29 at the Arthur Hayes Medical Center.” Ebony’s forehead crinkled. Xavier was staring at her like she’d just confessed she was thirteen rather than thirty. “What’s with the wide eyes and slack jaw? Why is it so hard for you to believe I was born on July 29?”

      “Because I was born on July 29!”

      Her stomach flopped. “Really?”

      Xavier nodded. “I came into the world three years before you, though.” After a minute, a smile flickered across his face. “Crazy, huh?”

      “And you said we had nothing in common,” she teased. “I guess it’s true what they say after all, you can’t judge a book by its cover.” Then, with her most innocent smile and in a honey-sweet voice, she said, “I’m not as bad as you think, Xavier.”

      Coughing to hide his embarrassment, he busied himself with washing the last remaining dishes. His mind returned to last Saturday. He hadn’t exactly been warm when she came over and introduced herself. In fact, he had been downright rude. He had nothing against her personally, just women like her. She was right of course. You can’t judge a book by its cover. But you can tell what it’s about by the packaging, a small voice said in response. Xavier knew little about Ebony, but he knew her type. She was outrageous and unpredictable—everything he didn’t want in a woman. That was reason enough to stay away. Far away.

      Xavier looked around the kitchen. It was spotless. The floors had been mopped. Dishes were neatly stacked. Leftover food had been wrapped and stored in the freezer.

      He swiped his keys off the counter and turned to Ebony. When she smiled at him, he realized he wasn’t ready for their time together to end. The night was still young and he had nothing to do at home except laundry.

      “Do you want to go somewhere for coffee?” He pointed to the clock on the microwave. “It’s still early.”

      Is he asking me out? Ebony sure hoped so. She had every intention of saying yes, but decided to make him sweat it out. “I don’t know, Xavier. What would we talk about? We have nothing in common, remember?”

      To her astonishment, he guffawed loudly. “Does that mean you’re turning down my invitation?” Xavier didn’t know why, but he wanted to know more about her. Lots more. Ebony was unlike anyone he had ever met. She intrigued him. There was an openness about her and she was a woman of tremendous charm. I’m not interested in her on a romantic level, he told himself, we’re just having a cup of coffee. Xavier had no intention of falling under her spell. They were going to share a cup of coffee, and then he was going home—alone. “I feel indebted to you for all your help. I’d still be elbow-deep in soapsuds if you hadn’t stayed behind. The least I can do is buy you coffee.”

      Ebony thought for a moment. Xavier’s invitation was strictly platonic, but he didn’t have to know she had other things in mind. She was attracted to him at the deepest level, and the more he resisted her, the more she wanted him. Her face glowed, radiant with anticipation. She was going to be polite and engaging and flirtatious and her “date” wouldn’t know what hit him. Seducing Xavier Reed was going to be fun. “I’m ready when you are,” she said, tossing her jacket over her arm and collecting her purse.

      A smile warmed Ebony’s lips. By the end of the night, Xavier would be on his hands and knees begging to take her out again. She loved challenges, and nothing revved her engine like a healthy dose of competition. Snagging Xavier Reed would be like taking candy from a baby. And Ebony was in the mood for something sweet.

      Xavier did another quick sweep of the kitchen. Confident that everything was in place, he flipped off the lights.

      When Xavier fixed a hand to her waist and guided her through the kitchen, she had to remind herself to breathe. Ebony had met hundreds of gorgeous men, everyone from professional athletes to models to actors, but there was something special about the man walking beside her. Xavier Reed was in a class all his own. As far as her eyes could see, he was perfect. Sharp eyes. Long, thin fingers. Thick lips perfect for sucking and kissing. And the spicy, refreshing cologne embracing his skin suggested he had an adventurous side. Just the type of man she was looking for.

      I just wish he wasn’t so fine, she thought, as they climbed the stairs. He could turn me out with just one smile!

      While Xavier secured the locks on the doors, Ebony hurried across the church parking lot and climbed into her SUV. Thoughts of their impending date consumed her mind. She would have to keep her loose tongue in check. If she said or did the wrong thing, she might not get another chance.

      Xavier jogged over. “Follow me,” he told her. “I know the perfect place.” When he turned and walked toward a battered gray car, a lusty smile claimed her lips. Ebony shook her head slowly, awe clear in her eyes. That man is too fine for his own good!

      Dakota’s Bar and Grill was not what Ebony had in mind when Xavier asked her out. She was thinking of a fun, happening spot like The Hampton Club, or Sydney’s Café, not a mediocre restaurant with second-rate food and poor service. Trailing him into the dining area, she was careful not to touch anything. The customers were a mix of young starry-eyed couples and middle-aged singles who were looking for more than a tasty meal on a Friday night. Ebony took in her unsightly surroundings. Her eyes narrowed in disgust at the hideous neon plastic tablecloths and paint-splashed walls.

      “Have you ever been here?” Xavier asked, sliding into one of the booths.

      “No. Never.” Thank God went unsaid.

      “Then you’re in for a real treat tonight.”

      Ebony would rather stand than sit down in the flaky vinyl booth, but when Xavier motioned for her to take a seat, she did. It was as cold as a hospital examination table. Inspecting the tablecloth for a second time, she noted that it had bread crumbs and what looked like tomato sauce stains.

      “Hungry?” Xavier asked, from behind a laminated menu.

      “Starving.” Ebony didn’t even bother opening her menu. She already knew what she was having. You could never go wrong with soup and salad. But when the frizzy haired waitress with the pierced eyebrow bounced over and described the specials of the day, chicken noodle soup and Caesar salad quickly lost their appeal.

      “The snapper is the best thing on the menu, Ebony. Go on. Try it. You’ll love it.”

      She gave the waitress the nod. “And I’ll have a glass of red wine.”

      “And you, sir?”

      Xavier closed his menu. “I’ll have the Chocolate Supreme Milkshake and a slice of apple pie.”

      Before Ebony could ask for the table to be wiped, the waitress bent down and gave it a thorough cleaning. Some of the worry lines on Ebony’s forehead fell away. When she saw wet wipes lying beside the

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