Page 5 of Stalking His Target

I clamp my mouth shut.What are you doing, Layla?

Thankfully, Taylor is just frowning like he doesn’t understand.

“Your family?” He frowns. “What does that mean?”

I shake my head and spoon some ice cream. “Nothing. Never mind. They were probably just creeps trying to assault me or something.”

“What are you doing out there without a guy anyway? No boyfriend to look out for you?”

“No.” I blush. “No boyfriend. I don’t have much luck with men.”

“I find that hard to believe.” Taylor’s smile just makes me want to open up to him. I already trust him, and it’s not just because he saved me. There’s something about him that I can’t explain.

“Well, my ex, Mark, cheated on me with the head cheerleader.” This is crazy. I’m just spilling my guts to him. “And ever since then, I’ve just sort of steered clear of men.”

Taylor stares at me for what feels like an eternity. I shouldn’t have said that. What was I thinking? I barely know this guy, and now I’m pouring out my soul like he’s my therapist? He’s definitely just lost any interest he had in me.

Shockingly, Taylor slowly nods. “I can relate to that. Brandy, my ex, cheated on me too. She moved out recently. Well, actually, I threw her out.”

Is he for real? A girl out there actually cheated on this Adonis of a man? Impossible. He must be lying just to make me feel better.

“Did she have crazy eyes?”

Taylor squints at me, perplexed. “Crazy eyes?”

“Yeah.” I motion to him to show me his phone, and to my surprise, he actually pulls it out and scrolls to find a picture of her. “The ones with crazy eyes are the ones you gotta stay away from.”

“Well, I dunno about crazy eyes…what do you think?” He hands over the phone, and my heart sinks.

Kill me now.

She’s gorgeous. Absolutely stunning. Which is fitting based on just how handsome Taylor is. She seriously looks like she could have just stepped out of Maxim with her perfect cheekbones and flawless body.

I can’t ever remember feeling this way. I never get jealous. I’ve never been into a guy enough for that to even be an option.

Thankfully, my phone buzzes in my pocket with a call from Tasha. I answer immediately.

“Where the hell are you?” She sounds frantic. “George is waiting for you and–”

“I’m not coming.”

“You’re not coming?!” Her tone stings my eardrums. “Are you trying to make me look like an asshole?”

“Two guys tried to mug me, Tash,” I reply, wanting out of this conversation. “A good Samaritan saved me. I’m having ice cream with him right now.”

“You’re fucking with me.”

“I’m not fucking with you,” I reply.

“She’s not!” Taylor calls out. I look back to see him licking his spoon and feel a tingling sensation between my thighs. Could this man get any more perfect?

“Okay, tell me where you are,” Tasha demands. “I’ll come over and–”

“Tomorrow, Tasha. I really don’t wanna get into it tonight.”

I’m lying. I’d have no problem recounting tonight’s mess to her. The truth is, I want Taylor all to myself. I don’t want to share him at all, even with my best friend.

There’s a long pause. I know Tasha is reading my mind. We’ve known each other since 4thgrade. She almost always knows what I’m thinking.

---