“Wanna tell me what’s going on? Or is it chick stuff?” Steve directed the question at Kelly, his unwavering gaze drilling into her.

Nicole’s silence spoke volumes. It was Kelly’s call whether she wanted to share her story with Steve, and if she didn’t Nicole wouldn’t utter a word of it to him, and Steve wouldn’t press her for information.

Bracing herself, Kelly took a deep breath. “Last night I had sex…with the wrong person.”

A heavy silence hung in the room. Steve turned to Nicole as if she might elaborate. When she lifted a shoulder, he turned back to Kelly.

“How does that happen?”

How indeed.

Needing to gather her thoughts, Kelly peered out the window. The sun was high in the sky, perfect weather for a ride on her motorcycle. The mere thought of jumping on her Triumph Tiger took the edge off Kelly’s frazzled nerves.

She met Steve’s gaze. “The room was dark. I thought it was Paula.”

Deep in thought, Steve plucked at the skin on his chin. “But it wasn’t?”

“Correct,” Kelly confirmed. “After making out with God knows who, I got up to use the bathroom and ran straight into her.”

The memory of seeing Paula in the hallway sent a violent shudder through Kelly.

“Well, if it wasn’t Paula, who was it?” His confused expression mirrored Kelly’s inner turmoil.

“That’s just it, I have no bloody idea. Some woman is probably in a state of shock right now, all thanks to me.”

Feeling like a disgrace, even though her actions were far from calculated, Kelly buried her face in the crook of her arm. The floodgates opened, and tears streamed down her face.

Before Kelly knew it, Nicole was sitting on the armrest of the chair, stroking her hair and offering words of comfort. Steve crouched next to her on the other side.

He pulled Kelly’s arm away from her face.

“Hey, I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think.” He gave her a reassuring smile. “If I woke up and some girl I didn’t know was riding my boner, I can’t imagine being upset.”

The look on his face was so sincere, Kelly couldn’t find it in herself to be offended, unlike Nicole.

“Steve!” Nicole glared at him. “Don’t be such a pig.”

He poked Kelly in the ribs. “I prefer donkey.”

Kelly chuckled and swiped away her tears. “You’re an ass.”

Pinning his gaze on Nicole, he spread his hands in a placating gesture. “Hey, what can I say? I’m a guy.”

In the time that it took for him to turn his attention from Nicole back to Kelly, he went from smug to serious.

He took Kelly’s hand in his big meaty paw. “I’m not trying to downplay what happened, but I won’t lie, I don’t understand what the big deal is.”