Another Shot At Love by Niecey Roy

because you want to rip his clothes off.
    It was outrageous, what I was considering—taking him up to my apartment when I’d only just met him a few hours ago. The mental images made me lightheaded. I worried he knew exactly the thoughts crashing through my mind. If he had even the slightest suspicion…
    Oh God, what if he thinks I’m a slut???!!!
    That did it. I definitely was not coming on to this guy. It didn’t matter that I wanted to find out how soft his lips would feel against mine. And it sure as hell didn’t matter that my panties were wet.
    No way will I let this gorgeous man go anywhere thinking that I, Imogen Mae Gorecki, am a slut.
    I steeled my shoulders, squeezed my legs together and told myself to quit acting like some sex crazed teenager on a mission to lose her virginity.
    The cab stopped at the curb in front of the four-plex apartment building where I lived, and Matt opened the door and got out. I took his offered hand and stepped out beside him on the street, and said, “My apartment is around the corner, top floor.”
    I rubbed my arms; the goose bumps had nothing to do with the temperature outside. It was beautiful out. The warm breeze normally would have soothed me but I was a hot mess right then. The lawn was lit up by the street lamps casting a yellow glow on us. Most of the apartments in the complex were dark inside, but a few windows shined bright with lights from inside. If it were my apartment, I’d have the curtains drawn.
    Matt knocked on the passenger window and waited for the driver to roll it down. Leaning toward the window, Matt said, “I’ll be just a minute. I’m going to walk her to the door.”
    “I’ll keep the meter running,” the driver said, annoyed at the inconvenience.
    Matt ignored him and turned to me. “Shall we?”
    “You really don’t need to walk me to my door,” I said, giddy he’d chosen to. It would give me a few more minutes with him. The night was quiet except for the crickets chirping.
    “It’s not a problem. I’m happy to.” He smiled down at me, that ridiculously adorable boyish half smile. “I was raised better than to make a girl walk home alone.”
    And he’s charming, too, I mused as I stepped onto the wood deck steps leading up to my apartment with Matt close behind.
    This guy was measuring up to be the very essence of what I considered Mr. Perfect to be. I had to concentrate on taking the steps up to the second floor patio I wouldn’t fall. At the top of the steps, I smiled nervously at him under the dim light of my porch lamp. The bulb needed to be replaced, its light offering little more than a dull, sickly glow of yellow while I dug through my purse for my keys.
    “You really should change that light bulb,” Matt said, glancing around us.
    “I know,” I said, pushing aside my wallet to dig to the bottom of my oversized purse. “I kind of take for granted that this is supposed to be a safe neighborhood.”
    “Until an alien abducts you off your poorly lit porch.”
    “Very funny.” I glanced up from my purse with a smile. “But really, it’s late. You could have been home by now.”
    “Gen, I’m glad to walk you to your door. I would have worried about you if I hadn’t.”
    I considered him as we stood there on my porch, the light flickering above us. I didn’t want him to leave, but I didn’t know how to ask him to stay. Maybe I could ask him in for a drink, though I’d already had enough. But I had those cupcakes…
    Yeah. I could offer him cupcakes. They weren’t chocolate with sprinkles, but yellow cake with milk chocolate frosting had to be a close second. Hadn’t he said a cupcake will fix everything?
    “I’m really glad we went out tonight.”
    His voice made me jump and I dropped the keys. We both bent to pick them up at the same time and bumped foreheads.
    “Sorry,” he said.
    “It’s okay, I’m fine.” I clasped my forehead and laughed. Probably, I sounded hysterical. Like a rabid hyena. I couldn’t