“Do you have any condoms?” Dani said a few minutes later, while they were lying side by side panting.

“My god, woman. You may be ready to go again, but I need a moment.”

She laughed. “No! I meant for next time.”

Next time. Had Max ever heard two better words?

She rolled over. “Oh, wait. Is there not going to be a next time? Was this”—she waved her hand between them—“It? Do I have to follow the same rules as everyone else?”

He captured the hand, cognizant that getting too cuddly was not advised for a variety of reasons but unable to help himself. “There is going to be a next time.” He grinned. “And I don’t have any condoms. But I’ll get some.”

“Not from Leo and Marie, though, right?” she said quickly.

“Because we’re not going to tell them about this?” he asked carefully.

“Are you kidding? No. They wouldn’t understand.”

He was fairly certain he didn’t understand, either. “What wouldn’t they understand?”

“Us. Our thing. I would say friends with benefits, but it’s more than that.”

His heart, which had only recently returned to normal, picked back up. “It is?” The ground beneath him had shifted today, but he wasn’t flattering himself that Dani was going to see this as anything they could actually have. Things hadn’t shifted that much.

“Yeah. I mean, it’s perfect, right?”

Yes.

“Like, I’m here,” she went on. “We can do this without violating your rules. And whatever my deal was with the potential Tinder dudes is a nonissue. And we know we’re not going to ruin our friendship.” She looked alarmed suddenly as she jerked her head up. “Right?”

“Right. Of course not.” He played with her hand a bit. “But how is what you’re describing not friends with benefits?” He was trying to understand. He wanted to know what she expected from him. He wanted to know what he could have.

“I guess it is.” She shrugged. “I just feel like . . . we’re us. We don’t need labels. I mean, you’re my favorite person.” He jokingly preened, but inside, it wasn’t a joke. She took her hand back and used it to swat his chest. “This feels like an extension of that. Also, at the risk of inflaming your already healthy ego, I gotta say . . .” She fanned herself with her hand. “You weren’t lying when you said you’d had good reviews.” He grinned and did some more mock-preening. “Like, what was that?” she exclaimed. “I usually can’t come unless I’m on top, but you do some weird mojo with your palm, and bam!”