I grazed the now-hot skin where his hands just were. “I keep trying. I’ve compiled notes from various interviews, research, and the town hall meeting I attended, but they’re like pieces from several different puzzles that don’t fit together. A bunch of somethings that add up to a whole lot of nothing. But Derek says there’s always a story, so I’ll stay a little longer to find it.” Some would say it was throwing good money after bad, but quitting now would only guarantee that every cent I’d already spent had been for nothing.

“I’m both sorry and thrilled to hear this.”

I screwed up my face. “My epic fail thrills you how exactly?”

The corner of his mouth twitched into a smile. “It gives me more time with you.”

My stomach did an Olympic-worthy maneuver—a running leap into a cartwheel followed by a somersault—before it stuck the landing. It was time. I shuffled under the covers. “I know it’s soon…we’ve only just met, but I was wondering—”

A phone rang.

“Yours,” Finn said, grabbing it from the nightstand and handing it to me.

I glanced at the screen and back at Finn. “It’s my friend, Kate. Mind if I take this?”

He waved me away.

“Hey there,” I said.

“Can you talk?”

I frowned at the distressed tone of her voice. “What’s wrong?” I met Finn’s concerned look with a one-second signal.

“I’m fine. I just need to tell you something.” She paused. “Is someone with you?”

“Finn.” I got a squidgy feeling just saying his name.

After a pause, Kate said, “You know, maybe it’s not the best time.”

“Screw that. It’s never a bad time for you.” I lowered the phone. “I’m going to take this to your bathroom,” I told Finn.

“Go for it.”

I climbed out of bed and walked across the room with one hand covering my naked butt.

“Shall I compare thy ass to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely…”

I dropped my hand and did a little shaky-shake for Finn, then closed the bathroom door behind me. Holding back a laugh, I said to Kate, “Okay. What’s wrong? Did you tell your parents you failed the bar?”

“This isn’t about me. It’s about…” She sighed. “Finn.”

“Finn? What about him?” I lowered the sparkling-clean toilet lid and sat down.

“You might not care. I mean, you did say you were totally fine with a fling, right?”

She was correct. I had said that. But things had changed since then. “I really like him, Kate. I think there’s something there. In fact, you just preempted a DTR conversation.”

“Oh.”

I expected a reaction, but this wasn’t it. “What’s going on?”

“Did he define the relationship?”