“I thought it’d be a good time to talk.”

“I’ll be in workshops, and the social Saturday night—” She blinked again and shook off an unvoiced thought. “It’s for attendees only.”

“That’s fine.” I tipped my head toward my tech bag. “I’ll be working.”

She adjusted her glasses like she wanted to take them off but didn’t want a blurry world. They were cute, highlighting her wide hazel eyes. “And where will you stay?”

Disappointment pummeled my insides like a punching bag. After our time grappling on the mat, I’d hoped we’d moved further than that. But that was the point of hitchhiking on my own plane. To find out what was still broken between us and figure out how to fix it. It was my fault I’d thought a few minutes of honest discussion in a rec center would be enough.

“I’ll get another room. I just want to be with you, Kate. If it’s only during the flight while you read and I work, that’s fine.” My gaze flicked to the bedroom in the back, but I tamped down the overwhelming lust that surged through me. We’d never had private-plane sex. The bedroom was rarely used by me or Dad. Maybe Beck and Eva got their fair use out of it that didn’t include sleeping. But I’d never broached the subject with Kate, afraid she’d be mortified that Shirley or Luna would realize what we were doing.

Her expression softened and she inched the book out of her tote.

The cover came into view and I couldn’t stop myself from making a choking noise. A woman was splayed in a sultry pose in the middle of three stacked, shirtless men. The subject matter was evident…and not what I’d seen Kate read before. “Catching up on the classics?”

Her cheeks flamed. “A few of our patrons have complained that we only offer basic, vanilla romance, and a couple of others have asked about this author. So I thought I’d read a few different authors of this content so I can do my job and purchase and recommend material to patrons.”

At home, books were stacked on Kate’s nightstand and on the end table in the living room, and the room I’d made into her office was full of bookshelves. Seeing her read a romance wasn’t unusual, and I’d never thought about it beyond trying to win her over with textbook romance before I had proposed.

But her flushed cheeks and obvious defensiveness was more than I could ignore. A flustered Kate was like my catnip. I sat forward and put my elbows on my knees. “I need you to clear something up for me.”

“Okay?”

“What do they call it when it’s more than three people having sex? Ménage à trois doesn’t work.”