“Don’t worry, man, you’ll get to see whatever Tee picked up later tonight. Unless they all decide to have a sleepover.” Chris clapped me on the shoulder. “But one night without getting any won’t kill you.”

I choked on a mouthful of beer. He and Jamie stared at me, waiting.

“We’re, uh, easing back into things,” I mumbled. I took another large swig, focusing intently on the bare ass on the TV.

“What does that mean, exactly?” Jamie asked.

I shot him an irritated glare. He and Lisa talked about everything, and I was sure she’d told him all about the “take things slow” conversation.

“It means what it means.”

“Christ almighty! You haven’t fucked since she came back? But it’s been more than a week!” Chris looked as if his head might explode from the concept.

“Shut up, man. I never said that.” I wasn’t about to share that we’d only had sex once, right after she came back. That would soon change.

Chris gave me an incredulous look, but Jamie just smiled and patted my back all dadlike.

“We’ve had a lot of shit to work out,” I said defensively.

“It’s cool, H,” Chris said, trying to be supportive. “I didn’t push it with Sarah in the beginning, ’cause it took me almost two months to get her to go out with me. I didn’t want her to think all I wanted was to get into her pants. We didn’t get naked until the fourth date.”

For Chris, dating usually meant sex, and then possibly pizza or fast food. That he’d taken Sarah on real dates to restaurants that required a reservation was unheard of.

“Can we talk about something else? All this sharing makes me want to try on dresses and get my balls waxed.”

“Sure, bro.” Chris went back to watching the period porn.

It dawned on me that Chris never let anything go so easily. He’d usually capitalize on the opportunity to razz the hell out of me. He also liked to impart the finer details of his sexual conquests. “How are things going with Sarah, anyway? You spend an awful lot of time with her but don’t say much.”

He rolled his beer bottle between his palms, pondering the question. “She’s cool, and a closet hippie. All laid-back, you know?”

My experiences with Sarah had been anything but laid-back.

“I hope Lisa got more of the frilly ones,” Jamie said, staring unseeingly at the TV screen.

“You thinking about wearing those?” Chris ribbed.

“They make my ass look good,” Jamie quipped back.

I couldn’t tell if he was serious, but the image was in my head and I couldn’t get it out now.

“Okay, that’s it, I’m going home.” I drained the last of my beer and stood up.

“I call BS,” Chris said as I headed for the door.

“Let us know how it goes,” Jamie said, relaxing deeper into the couch.

“How what goes?” I asked.

“Good luck with your drive-by at Tee’s. Come back when you get shut down by the girls.” Chris flashed me a grin.

I flipped him off and pulled the door closed behind me.

The walk home from his place was brisk. I stood outside the back door to Tenley’s apartment, debating whether I should call first. I hadn’t been to her place since she’d come back, and I was a little nervous about going up there. I gave myself a mental kick in the ass and decided surprise might work in my favor.

Lisa came to the door when I knocked, opening it the three inches the chain lock allowed. “Well, look who it is. This is a sausage-free party, no boys allowed.”

“Hi. Nice to see you, too. Sure, I’d love it if you’d get Tenley for me.” Lisa was wearing pj pants with cartoon snowmen on them and a T-shirt.

“You’re not coming in.”

“Is it Hayden?” Tenley asked from the other side of the door.

“Hi, kitten, Lisa won’t let me in.”

There were some giggles, followed by the rustle of paper. The door closed in my face, and when it reopened, Lisa threw it wide. Tenley and Sarah were sitting on the floor of Tenley’s living room, surrounded by rolls of wrapping paper, ribbon, bows, and tape. Sarah was also dressed in festive pj pants and a T-shirt. One of Chris’s, actually. I could tell because it was more of a muumuu than a shirt on her.

A box of red wine was perched at the edge of the coffee table. Half-full wineglasses sat on top, without coasters underneath to prevent rings. Tenley unfolded her legs and rose from the floor, making her way across the room. Lisa said something, but I didn’t hear a word. My erection was immediate and painful.

“What are you wearing?” I ran my hand through my hair, keeping in mind Lisa and Sarah were in Tenley’s apartment. Ripping those pajamas off her was not on the agenda this evening.

“I bought some new jammies.”

“I see that.”

The tank top had thin, little straps that I could bite apart. Cup-cakes were all over it, and I could see the outline of her barbells through the thin cotton. A lace band traveled along the edge of the top and at the bottom. Provocative little cupcake shorts barely covered her ass.

I pulled her into the hall, skimmed her sides, and shoved my hands down the back of her shorts. I met with bare ass and slid my thumbs along the divide, all the way down. Tenley rewarded me with a soft whimper.

“I guess you like them.” She did that smile thing that made her look all cute and sweet. Except she was almost naked.

“You could say that.” Like didn’t quite cover it.

I closed the door to her apartment, giving us the privacy of the hall. Then I sank to the floor and kissed the warm flesh right under her navel.

“What are you doing?” she asked with a panicked laugh.

I nosed along the waistband of her shorts. “I’m having a conversation with my kitty.”

I parted my lips over the seam of her shorts and pressed my tongue against the fabric. She gasped and grabbed my hair, leaning against the wall for support.

“I can’t wait to have my mouth on you.” I skimmed the seam with my nose. I pulled the waistband of Tenley’s shorts down to expose the top of her slit, then kissed the cupcake tattoo and then lower, where that tiny steel ball peeked out. I planned to drag those shorts down her creamy thighs and hitch her leg over my shoulder, so I could lick my way up her kitty. Fuck the location.

The door opened and Lisa poked her head out. “Your two minutes— Oh, for chrissake, Hayden!”

“What?” I allowed the waistband to snap back into place but I stayed on my knees.

“You’re worse than a teenager! Get a handle on your hormones.” Lisa raised her hand in front of her face to block us out.

Tenley bit her lip to keep from smiling.

“You think this is funny?” I asked.

“Not at all.” She shook her head emphatically.

I stood up and put my mouth to her ear. “You remember what I said this morning?”

“Yes.”

“I’m making good on that promise tomorrow, so you better be ready for me.”

When I stepped away, her face was flushed. Perfect. By tomorrow night she was going to be a hot mess. Which was exactly how I wanted her.

I picked Tenley up for her meeting with Professor Assface at nine in the morning. She looked a little tired. The trip to Northwestern was quiet and I didn’t push for conversation. I had a feeling we were both nervous for similar reasons. I’d had enough of people fucking with me, particularly where Tenley was concerned. I wasn’t about to let anything happen to her.

In the lot closest to her professor’s building, I parked and turned off the engine.

“I need to tell you something,” Tenley blurted out.

From the look on her face, it wasn’t good. I tried not to panic. “Okay.”

“I recorded the sex on my phone.”

“Pardon?”

“Professor Calder was having sex with a student in his office. I recorded it.”

“Jesus. Does he know?”

“Not yet. I made it into an MP3 and saved it on a USB and sent it to my e-mail address.”

“Smart girl.” I smiled. She was always surprising me.