“How are you?” he asked, regarding me from beneath an arm he’d thrown over his face.

“Pretty good, actually.”

He took my chin and pulled my gaze to his. “No, really, how are you?”

“What do you mean?” I’d just been on a turbo-powered roller coaster ride and lived to tell the tale. How much peachier could a person be?

“You came here tonight for a reason, and as much as I’d love to believe otherwise, it was not for this.” He glanced around, indicating our recent activities with a nod.

And his seriousness surprised me. “I had a few questions. But I didn’t think you’d be into the touchy-feely stuff.”

He ran a thumb over my bottom lip. “That depends entirely on who I’m touching and who I’m feeling.”

“Oh, right. Well, I have to be honest, all of this was for nothing.” I also indicated our recent activities with a glance and a nod.

“Really.”

“Yeah, I got an email the other day. The ambassador to Nigeria said I inherited a million dollars from a Nigerian uncle. He’s holding it in escrow for me. All I have to do is send him a money order for twenty-five hundred, and that million is all mine.”

“You don’t say.”

“I had no idea I even had an uncle in Nigeria. Looks like I don’t need your crappy million after all.”

“The ambassador sounds like a really nice guy.”

“Right? I’ll have to send him a cheese ball to show my gratitude.”

“But I lost the bet,” he continued. “I owe you two now.”

“That’s true. I almost forgot. Can I get that in small, nonsequential bills? I like to hit the strip clubs occasionally.”

He grinned, but then grew serious again. “Do you want to talk about what’s really bothering you?”

“Something’s bothering me? I had no idea.”

“Your boyfriend.”

I glanced toward his shower in surprise. “George? It’s just a fling, Reyes. Nothing will come of it.”

“Your other boyfriend.”

“You know about Dead Duff?” That was fast. We’d only just started seeing each other. And we’d kept it so secretive. Meeting in a smoky bar, in a dark hallway.

“No, your other boyfriend.”

I thought a moment. “Donovan, my biker dude?” I did miss him. Too bad so many of my boyfriends ended up in Mexico, running from the law. That could be a sign of something.

“No, your other – Fuck, how many boyfriends do you have?”

“Including Herman, the maintenance guy at the Jug-N-Chug who talks to celery?” If I didn’t know better, I could’ve sworn Reyes ground his teeth. I couldn’t blame him. I mean, who talks to celery in this day and age?

“Yes, including Herman.”

“Oh, okay, then.” I started naming all my menfolk under my breath and counting on my fingers. I knew he was talking about Garrett, but why give him the satisfaction? He was just so fun to rankle. After a minute, I ran out of fingers and had to raise my feet so I could use my toes as backup.

Reyes growled and rolled on top of me before sinking his teeth into my neck.

“Okay, I’m sorry!” I screamed, trying to talk past an inane attack of the giggles his nibbling caused. A combustible energy rushed over my skin when he removed his teeth and started suckling my neck instead. He curled me deeper into his arms. “Wait,” I said, suddenly breathless, “you’re not a vampire, are you? Living off my blood and compelling me to forget? I’ve seen the show.”

After another growl, I laughed and tightened my hold, but my muscles protested. It surprised me. “I think I’m sore.”

He stopped and raised his head. “You don’t know?”

“No. I might be.” I raised a leg to test it. “I’ll have to think about it.”

“Here, let me check.”

He stood, pulling me with him, and threw me over a shoulder like I weighed nothing. Sadly, that just wasn’t the case. I squeaked out a protest that was more giggle than complaint. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to perform an exam.”

“An exam?” I laughed as he carried me to a small area he’d set aside for a dining room table and laid me across it. A startled gasp escaped me when my back touched the cold wood. “Oh, my god,” I said with a shiver.

“Stay here,” he said, all business. “I have this covered.”

“This is freezing,” I cried, but he was gone.

Then I heard him rummaging around in his kitchen. I covered Danger and Will in an attempt to preserve their dignity. Also, it seemed like the right thing to do.

He walked out with a variety of sparkling new kitchen utensils. A whisk, a spoon, a spatula, and several other ominous-looking devices for which I had no name. He dumped them on the table beside me.

“And just what are you planning to do with those?”

“I’m going to give you an exam. Make sure everything is okay down there.”

I kicked at him. “No, you aren’t.”

When I tried to rise, he pushed me back down with a hand on my chest. “Trust me. I took a correspondence class.”

“From prison?” I asked, shocked.

“And I have a lot of experience in this area.”

“You’ve been in lockdown for ten years. How much experience can you have?”