Olivia cleared her throat and turned off the water. “I assume you’re talking about his penis?”

“No, I want to hear about his sartorious.”

Olivia bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. “Well, it runs the length of the thigh to the inside of the knee, and is the longest muscle in the human body—”

“Oh my God!” Sadie yelled, exasperated, and Olivia lost her battle with laughter.

“Never make muscles jokes with a physical therapist,” Olivia said between giggles.

“You are such a pain,” Sadie grumbled, but Olivia could hear the amusement in her voice. “Maybe I’ll just ask Rebecca.”

“Okay,” Olivia said, still laughing, and poured the water into the coffee pot. “Ask Rebecca.”

“This is not how you’re supposed to play this game,” Sadie complained, and Olivia laughed again. “All right, fine. Just answer one question.”

“What’s that?”

“Are you happy?”

Olivia slid the pot in place and flipped the switch. “Yes.” She didn’t know how long it would last or where they’d end up, but right now, making pancakes and coffee to share with the man who’d pretended to rape her last night, she was all but swimming in bliss. “Yes, I’m happy.”

“Well, then I’m happy for you. Even if you need How To Discuss Your Sex Life With Your Girlfriends lessons.”

“Can I sign up for that at the community college?”

“No, but you can practice at SWWW next week?”

Olivia chuckled. SWWW stood for Submissive Wine and Whine Wednesday, Sadie’s version of a submissive support group. “That sounds great. Thanks for checking on me, Sadie.”

“That’s what friends do. See you next Wednesday.”

“Bye,” Olivia said.

She picked up the phone to end the call, then someone said, “Morning, beautiful,” at the same time something brushed against the back of her neck, and she screamed and threw her phone in the air.

Cade could hear Olivia talking on the phone when he came up the basement stairs. She sounded cheerful, skillfully dodging Sadie’s attempts to worm the details of last night’s scene out of her, and laughing at her friend’s frustration. He liked the sound of her laughter almost as much as he liked her tears.

He topped the stairs, wiping the sweat off his face with the towel he’d slung around his neck. He started to call out, then he noticed what she was wearing and the words died on his tongue.