She typed furiously. I’ve had two, and I didn’t WANT to see them again. I’m not sure I can do this. Her phone rang seconds later with a call from Marly.

“What do you mean you’re not sure you can do this?” Marly asked. “Now you want a relationship? Because you know he’s not looking for one.”

“No. I don’t want a relationship, but I also don’t like sitting around waiting for him to call. That’s an awful feeling.”

“But that’s what hooking up is. It’s just a booty call. He might call today or tomorrow, or he might never call, but the guy made sure you got home safely, and that’s going above and beyond hookup rules. He’s probably just busy.”

“Or hooking up with someone else,” she said with a pang of jealousy, which she also hated. “He’s walking around with an orgasm machine in his pants, and trust me, it’s loaded for all-nighters.”

Marly was quiet for a few seconds. “Mads, did you catch feelings for him?”

“No.” Maybe. Shit. He must have rattled her brain when he’d screwed her senseless. “You know what? You’re right. We had great sex and amazing chemistry, but that’s where it ends.”

“You sure you’re okay with that?”

“Yes. I’m not putting myself into a position to get hurt again.”

“Okay, so if he texts you tonight, you’re not going to end up on his floor?”

“We were on a futon mattress…and the kitchen counter, against the wall, and…oh yeah, the floor.”

“Uh-huh,” Marly said teasingly.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m not going to end up on it again. What time is it? I’m starved.” Madigan went into the kitchen and opened the fridge.

“After six. Do you actually have food in your house?”

Madigan peered into her nearly empty fridge and sighed. “No. I forgot to go grocery shopping again.”

“You’re probably the only woman on earth who forgets to buy food.”

“Hey, don’t judge. I was busy having amazing sex and cold pizza with the orgasm machine, okay?” She closed the refrigerator and headed out of the kitchen to put on her boots. “Besides, there are certain benefits to living close to my parents. I’ll catch you later.”

Twenty minutes later she walked into the kitchen of her childhood home and was met with the sweet scents of family, a home-cooked meal, and fresh-baked cookies. Three of her favorite things. Her parents were sitting at the kitchen table with her paternal grandfather, Mike Wicked. Their dinner plates were empty, and her parents’ fur babies, Buster, a golden retriever mix, and Milo, an adorable fluffy brown mutt, trotted over to greet her. “Hi, guys.”

As she crouched to love them up, her mother stood from her seat. “Hi, baby girl. What a nice surprise. Have you eaten?”