She looked confused. “Why? It’s great. I’d like to do it more.”

They were already doing it three times a night. “I don’t know that I can.”

She flashed him a grin. “Men are so weak.”

“Back on topic. Our relationship has changed. Are you okay with that?”

“Definitely.” Her eyes widened. “Wait. Aren’t you?”

“Yes, but I want to make sure you understand.” He paused, not sure what to say. Ellen waited, her expression expectant.

Why had he started this? “You haven’t had a lot of man-woman experience. I want to make sure we have the same understanding about what we’re doing.”

“You mean you’re worried I’m going to fall in love with you?”

“No, just...” Damn. He had no idea what he was supposed to be saying, but he knew it was something.

She smiled at him, looking more amused than concerned. “Keith, you’re so sweet. Really, I’m fine. I love this.” She motioned to the bed. “What we’re doing and how fun it is. You’re an incredible lover and easy to talk to and I’ve always liked you. Don’t worry about me. I’m doing great. Better than great. As for what this is, I think we should wait until we get home to decide that. Right now we’re on the road and it’s all new. This is vacation. We’re in Eugene day after tomorrow for our University of Oregon visit, so it’s only a couple more nights until we’re back. Let’s talk then and see what we both want.”

The words all sounded reasonable, but he couldn’t help thinking she made it all sound so simple and easy. In his experience, changing direction in a relationship was a lot of things, but simple and easy weren’t any of them.

“You’re sure?” he asked.

“Absolutely.” She stretched out on the bed and patted the space next to her. “I’ve set my phone for five. Lie down and get some sleep. I promise not to attack you even once tonight.”

He slid down on the mattress and pulled her close. “I like it when you attack me.”

“Even in the shower?”

“Especially in the shower.”

He turned out the light and closed his eyes. Maybe he was worrying about nothing. Maybe everything was going to be just fine. They were both adults who had been friends for a long time. They could handle the change in their relationship. He fell asleep with the faint whisper of a voice in his head telling him that there was no way his luck was that good.

Thaddeus stared at the paperwork in front of him. The apartment complex was in east Kirkland, close enough to the main Microsoft campus to command high rents. The roof was new, and Thaddeus’s preliminary walk-through hadn’t revealed any big problems. The current owner had a gambling problem and needed an influx of cash fast. In the morning, a team of building inspectors would cover every inch of the property and report back. Once he knew there weren’t any big repair costs in his future, Thaddeus would make a decision. He wanted to buy the property—he had the cash on hand and the guy was willing to make a deal. But if the numbers didn’t work, Thaddeus would walk away.