Page 24 of The Need to Know

Ezekiel sat up straight, leaning close as he sized me up slowly. “I’m picky on who I give it to and who gives it to me, which I’m sure you are, too. Now, my appetite all depends on your aura, your vibe, but when I eat, Nastasia, I devour.”

The thing that was painfully obvious about Ezekiel, was that he oozed confidence. It rolled off him in intoxicating waves. He didn’t have to try, he just was. He was so at ease with himself as he spoke and just existed. I envied it and the way I couldn’t control how it turned me on. His energy and heat were overwhelming, intimidating, and I squirmed just a little as I crossed my legs.

He noticed and I bit my lip, trying to let the cool air hit me.

Peabo Bryson was on and the night seemed to get warmer, darker, casting a feeling deep in my gut I couldn’t shake.

There was a miniature me on my right shoulder, dressed in a revealing red jumpsuit and sporting Devil horns, encouraging me to “Get the dick!” While the other me on my left shoulder, dressed in a virginal—ha!—white gown, complete with a golden halo above her head, had her hands clasped as if in prayer. “Don’t do it, chile!” she begged.

I could feel Ezekiel without touching him, and I wondered if it was the same for him. The energy between us held a fierce charge and I wanted to experience it naked, with our bodies colliding together creating sparks.

I needed some dick in my life.

But I was a coward, so I simply decided to go home where I would help myself.

So, stupidly, I stood up, tossing Ezekiel a sad smile. You suck, Nas! “I should let you get back to your birthday.”

Ezekiel frowned as he stood and hovered over me. He dug his phone out of his pocket and merely glanced at the screen before shoving it back into his pants. It was the fifth time I’d seen him do that.

Ezekiel gave me his full attention. “Why you say it like that?”

“I mean, this is nice and all, but you could probably find a sure thing down there instead of settling for movie mumbo jumbo with me.”

“I was having fun talking ‘movie mumbo jumbo,’ ” Ezekiel said.

Who didn’t like getting laid on their birthday? “Ezekiel.”

He gave me a bitter smile. “So, it’s a no?”

“Unfortunately.”

He took a step closer and I could smell his cologne: Climb into My Sheets No. 5. “All right, I’ll accept that. But it is my birthday.”

“So it is.”

“And I don’t want a sure thing downstairs,” Ezekiel said. “I didn’t get my one wish tonight, but I’d feel better if I could at least get your number.”

He was handling my rejection easy, and now he came back swinging with a request for my number.

He was twenty-eight with no kids, and a proud cat dad. A good-looking cat dad.

I liked the way he talked, the way he carried himself, the way he looked out for me in taking me out of Corey’s eyesight. Even if I didn’t sleep with him tonight, I could always give him my number for another opportunity. I couldn’t lie. I definitely got a little wet when he talked about his preferred method of fucking. And I did want to see all that shit I’d heard.

“Or, I could give you mine and you could call me when you watch The Godfather,” Ezekiel went on when I took too long to respond.

This was easier. Because I did have more incentive to finally watch Coppola’s masterpiece.

I gathered my phone and waited as he recited his number digit by digit. When it came to his contact, I typed in his first name. “What do people call you?”

“Any and everything—E, Eazy, Eaze. Whatever’s cool with me.”

A man of many names. “I like Ezekiel, and Zeke.”

“What about you?”

“Nas.”

“Nas? Like Nasir Jones?”