With a nod, Riley signaled the waiter, engaged in a long, flirty conversation.

Interested, Annika watched the waiter glance back at Riley. “He would have sex with you.”

“Read that signal loud and clear. Sex with a stranger can be exciting, and the danger’s part of the excitement. But I have enough excitement and danger going on right now. Plus, this is about you and Sawyer. I can promise you he’s had sex with you a few hundred times in his head.”

“But I want him to have sex with his body.”

“Can’t blame you.”

With a nod to Riley, Annika leaned in. “He’s brave and strong and kind, and very handsome. But you don’t have sex with him.”

“Huh. Okay, yeah, he’s a cutie—a hot cutie, and nobody’s wimp, but . . . you want who you want, right?”

“Yes.” Pleased, Annika sat back. “It’s a mystery of the heart. I want Sawyer, and he wants me. His—your name for it—I can’t remember.” She patted her lap.

“Lots of names for that.”

“We’ll stick with penis.” On a laugh, Sasha poked Riley’s arm.

“His penis gets hard—this is for sex—when we kiss, when he touches me. That’s desire, and I see the desire in his eyes. But he doesn’t put his penis inside me.”

“Is it just that simple in your world?” Sasha wondered.

“There can be a mating ritual—this is more serious. Or it can be for fun. For the needs.”

“Not so different. Look, this is a good balance here, I think. I’m probably looser about sex than Sasha.”

“Hey.”

“Before Bran,” Riley added.

“All right. Your point.”

“I’m saying Sawyer’s code makes his rules—about you—complicated. He doesn’t want to take advantage of you, or the situation. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to bang you, or imagine banging you.”

“Bang. Oh! Because the bodies . . .” Amused, Annika banged her hands together. “I like it. It’s a fun word. How do I make him, without force, stop imagining and start banging me?”

“Jump him.”

Riley blinked. “Wow. You surprise me, Sash.”

“Called me a tight-ass.”

“Didn’t, could have. Yeah, I’d go with jumping him.”

“As in combat?”

“No. You make the moves. You go to him, initiate the . . . banging,” Sasha decided. “You close the door, and you take off your clothes. Then, if necessary, you take off his.”

“Go, Sash.”

“Tight-ass no more,” Sasha said with a smirk. “I wouldn’t suggest this if I hadn’t felt how much he wants you, Anni. It was so strong, I couldn’t not feel it. I don’t intrude, I promise.”

“It’s a code, I know. But you felt his desire for me?”

“Yes. And his struggle to control it.”

“So I make it so he can stop the struggle.” Because her heart started to beat harder, Annika pressed a hand to it. “This is allowed?”

“Even encouraged.” When the waiter came back, Riley sent him that hey-baby smile.

He showered flirtation on all three as he set down the next round, along with a little plate and a small platter heaped with cakes and pastries.

“Belle donne.” He kissed his fingertips. “It is my pleasure to give you service.”

Riley watched him walk away. “Maybe I should rethink—”

“No,” Sasha said definitely.

“Easy for you to say; hate that you’re right. But there’s always pastries.”

“Can I help Sawyer with his struggle, jump him, so he bangs me tonight?”

“Your choice.” After a quick scan, Riley snagged a zeppole from the platter. “But we need him to make the bugs.”

After some hard thought, Annika nodded. “This is more important than banging. But if he finishes the bugs?”

“Jump away. What’s that one?” Sasha pointed.

“If it looks good, what do you care what it’s called? Bombolone. Think of it as a world-class donut. Here.” She picked up a pastry, a little frosted cake, set them on Annika’s plate. “You’ll like them. Now it’s a party.”

“I love parties. Thank you for helping me understand the rules and the codes of banging.”

“I don’t think you’ll need it, but—” Sasha took Annika’s hand. “Good luck.”

“Now eat and drink up, ladies. We’ve got a meet in about twenty minutes.”

“On the way to that, or to the house, we can shop?”

Before Riley could object, Sasha nodded. “Actually, I think we have to. We can’t go back without some evidence we did what we said we were doing.”

“Crap. But it’s the lightning round of shopping. Fast,” Riley explained.

“Oh, I can be fast.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll believe it when I see it.”

They came back loaded. Maybe Annika didn’t hit Riley’s goal of lightning round, but she managed to buy earrings—two pair—sandals—one with five-inch heels she navigated as if born in them—a tiny purse that would hold little more than air, but had a seashell clasp that charmed her, and three new dresses.

Together, they hiked the slope back carting shopping bags, Sawyer’s parts, and three large pizzas.