“Because I’m ordinary and you’ve been with perfect.” She waved her hand. “You know, back when you were a football god. You could have had anyone.”

They went into the bathroom to clean up. He met her gaze in the mirror.

“Have I or my dick ever given you a reason to think you’re not perfect?” he asked.

She laughed as she passed him a washcloth. “You’re not separate entities.”

“The question still stands.”

“No. You have both been gratifyingly eager.”

He pulled her close and kissed her. “Then accept your level of perfection.”

“If I must.”

They returned to bed and pulled up the sheets. Ellen snuggled close, her head on his chest, her legs tangled with his.

He liked this part, too, he thought. The touching, the talking. The connection.

“The Stanford visit went well,” she said. “Coop loved everything about the campus.”

“The coach was excited about him. He said he would be a good member of the team. I think he’s got a shot.”

“Me, too. It would be a good fit.” She raised herself up so she could meet his gaze. “The best part was him talking about going there. I think he’s starting to realize that I’ll be perfectly fine on my own.” She flopped back down. “I’ll miss him like crazy but I want him to be free to follow his dreams without worrying about me.”

“You’re a good mom.”

“I hope so. I still hate Jeremy, which makes me less of a good mom.”

He smiled. “I think you’re allowed to hate him. Just remember that a lot of his appeal is that he’s new.”

“And the Hollywood thing. But you’re right. Once Jeremy isn’t new, he won’t be so exciting.”

“Just like me.”

Keith meant the words to be a joke, but as he spoke them, he realized they were true. Even more uncomfortable, he didn’t like what that meant.

Ellen rose up on her elbow again. “Why would you say that?”

He tried to look casual. “This is new and you find everything about it interesting.”

“Keith, I’m pretty sure I’m always going to find the whole sex thing with you interesting. Besides, I’ve known you for years. We’re friends. We’re important to each other. That isn’t going to change.”

He groaned silently as he realized he’d inadvertently stumbled into a conversation they should have had days ago—before the sex had started.

He pushed himself into a sitting position. Ellen did the same. Being Ellen she didn’t bother to cover up, which meant she was naked. Sitting cross-legged and naked, her hair just long enough to half cover her breasts, and her pussy all out there for him to admire.

He told himself to act his age and look her in the eye, which was harder than it should have been, but he managed.

“It’s different now,” he told her. “Things have changed.”

“Because we’re lovers? You’re saying the sex is the problem?”

“Not a problem, but something we should talk about.”