Nick laughed softly. “Well, do you or don’t you?”

“I have no idea.”

The younger man’s exquisite discomfort provided Nick with some badly needed entertainment. “What would she say?”

“Probably that I’m a jerk.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because I haven’t seen her or talked to her since the last time we, you know…”

“Ah,” Nick said, enjoying this more with every passing moment. “And why’s that?”

“This isn’t really the time to have this conversation.”

“Give me something to think about other than why she won’t wake up.”

Freddie looked down at Sam for so long that Nick wondered if he was going to say anything.

“It’s just, you know, things got kind of intense sort of fast.”

“You’re in love with her.”

“No! I’m not. I don’t mean intense like that.”

“Then how?”

After another long pause, Freddie muttered, “This is so embarrassing.”

“Just say it.”

“I’ve discovered I like sex. I mean I really like sex.”

Despite the pain it caused him, Nick laughed so hard he wondered if he’d broken a second rib. “And that makes you different from every other guy how exactly?”

“You don’t understand,” Freddie said, taking a sudden and fervent interest in Sam’s blanket.

“What don’t I understand?”

“This thing, with Elin, it’s, um, kind of out of character for me. It’s like I’ve lost my mind and now my dick’s doing all the thinking for me.”

“You sound like a teenager who just got laid for the first time,” Nick said.

“Well…”

Nick stared at him, incredulous. “You’re not saying—”

“Look, I took a vow, okay? It was important to me, but then I met Elin and I’ve become someone I don’t even recognize. All I can think about—morning, noon and night—is sex.”

“You’re making up for lost time,” Nick said, hiding his surprise at Freddie’s confession. “That’s all it is.”

“So there’s not something wrong with me for wanting it all the time?”

“No,” Nick said, laughing. “Welcome to the club. What does she think of your, um, urges?”

“She’s always willing to accommodate them,” Freddie said, flushing with discomfort.

“Lucky you. You managed to hook up with the woman we all dream about first time out of the gate.”

“You’d better watch what you’re saying, Senator,” Sam mumbled.

Nick gasped. “Sam. Babe, open your eyes.”

“Only if you two are done talking about Cruz’s raging hormones.”

“Oh shit,” Freddie whispered, his eyes wide with horror. “How much did you hear?”

The left side of her face lifted into a small smile but her eyes remained closed. “Enough to torment you for the rest of your natural life.”

Weak with relief, Nick bent down to kiss her. “Oh, Samantha, I’m so glad to hear your voice.”

“That’d better be Nick kissing me.”