“See what?”

He scanned the paper and then raised his eyes to her as an urge took hold. He leaned over and planted a kiss. As he pulled away, he held up the notebook.

He must die.

Jennifer’s eyes went wide. She saw the words and they terrified her. They seemed to be bleeding on the page itself.

He closed the notebook. “Not very black and white, now is it?”

Jennifer shook her head. “He must die? What does that mean?”

Steve’s brow creased. He flipped the notebook open. “It says, she is mine.”

Jennifer looked down.

He must die.

“I’m seeing He must die and it looks like the page is bleeding.”

Jennifer’s flesh broke out in goose bumps as Steve closed the notebook. He flipped his wrist so he could see the face of his watch. “I’ve got a class starting any minute.”

“So do I.”

Steve sighed, his eyes flipping between her and the notebook as though he were debating whether to go to class or take the time to analyze the problem.

“I missed my first class. I can’t miss the next one,” Jennifer said, reading the look on his face. “Neither can you.”

Steve nodded. They walked without talking and when they both turned into the same lecture hall, Jennifer raised an eyebrow.

“Public relations?”

“I guess my boss thought I needed it.” He shrugged and took the seat next to her in the back row.

Jennifer put her hand over her mouth to stifle the laugh.

“Fuck you,” he whispered. He looked at his notebook. “Do you have a piece of paper?” He didn’t want to open the notebook again.

Jennifer ripped off a sheet from her pad and handed it to him.

The class surprised Steve. It was actually interesting. He glanced at Jennifer and raised his eyebrows, nodded and shrugged at one point. She just smiled in return. He slid the notes into the notebook without opening it and stood at the end of class. “That wasn’t bad.”

“Communications classes aren’t all fun and games.”

“Yes they are,” he said. He walked outside. “You should try criminal law sometime.”

Jennifer hit him in the arm with her pad and stopped when Steve sent a glare her way.

“We have company. It’s time to act, babe.”

“You have got to be the cockiest son of a bitch I ever met,” Jennifer said, loud enough to be heard by Tracy and Bill, who were now less than thirty feet from them.

Steve stopped and turned toward her. “Look who’s talking.” He took a threatening step toward her. “Princess.” He spat the words at her. “You’re just a pampered bitch.”

Jennifer went to slap his face and Steve caught her hand easily. Tracy and Bill sprinted to reach them.

Steve dropped his notebook and yanked her to him, wrapping his arm around her waist and looking into her green eyes. “You should try a real man some time.” He planted a kiss on her, crushing her lips under his.

Tracy and Bill stopped short, their mouths hanging open. Jennifer’s free hand slowly slid up his arm and around his neck.

Jennifer could feel his heart beating against her as he kissed her in mock anger. He slowly released her wrist and plunged his hand into her thick hair. The kiss deepened. Jen lost herself in the heat of it, forgetting she was supposed to be acting, forgetting the words she read in the notebook. She just melted into him.

Steve pulled away and the edges of his lips curled in a slight smile as their eyes met. He stepped away and picked up the notebook.

Jennifer’s face flushed and her chest rose and fell noticeably. The urge to fly into his arms again overwhelmed her, but she resisted. Tracy and Bill misinterpreted the intensity of her stare, thinking she was livid.

Bill reached to grab Steve. “Son of a bitch.”

Steve reacted, knocking his arm away. “Don’t even think about it,” he warned Bill and glanced back at Jennifer.

“Fuck you,” Jennifer blurted, her voice hoarse, her chest heaving a little less.

Steve raised his eyebrow and in two strides was standing over her again. “When?”

Jennifer saw Bill start toward Steve. “Back off, Bill, I can handle this,” she said, her eyes returning back to Steve’s. Steve winked down at her and she had to suppress the smile that wanted to surface.

Bill stopped short and exchanged a look with Tracy.

“You couldn’t handle it,” she shot up at Steve.

“Want to bet?” he asked, his voice low and sultry, making her break out in shivers of anticipation.

“You aren’t man enough.”

“Oh, yes I am.” He took her in his arms and kissed her again. This time it was slow and seductive, his hands sliding around her waist, pulling her close. “I can handle you any time I want,” he said, pulling his lips away from hers. “Right, babe?” He smiled down at her.

“Like you did yesterday?” She smiled up at him and they turned to look at Bill and Tracy. They looked identical, arms hanging by their sides, mouths agape and eyes wide. “Or last night.” She grinned at her roommate.

“You bitch,” Tracy gasped, staring at Jennifer. “I was so worried about you last night.”

Jennifer smiled at Steve. “I was in good hands.”

“So this was all a game?” Bill asked, gawking between Jennifer and Steve.

“Pretty much,” Steve answered.

“You let me hit you?”

“I didn’t see it coming; otherwise you wouldn’t have touched me.” Steve looked down into Jennifer’s eyes. He moved so he stood next to her with one arm around her waist, facing Tracy and Bill.

Tracy kept swinging her gaze back and forth, digesting the information.

“I have half a mind to belt you again,” Bill said. He put his arm around Tracy’s shoulders.

Steve shrugged. “We got tired of people trying to set us up on blind dates and when you told me who you wanted me to meet, well…,” he paused, shrugged, and glanced down at her. “We were neighbors as kids and our parents kept in touch. I called her and gave her the heads-up.”

“You knew each other?” Tracy gasped.

“Yep,” Jennifer said.

Tracy put her hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes. “So you planned this all along?”

Jennifer just smiled.

Steve glanced at her. “Yes.”

Jennifer looked up at him, knowing her fondness was visible in her eyes.

“So we were right,” Tracy said smugly.

“As much as I hate to admit it, yeah, you were right,” Jennifer said to her roommate.

Bill looked at his watch. “Trac, we have to boogie.” He glanced at the two of them and shook his head. “I’ll see you back at the frat house.” He pointed at Steve and broke out in a wide grin.

Steve escorted Jennifer to his car, his arm firmly planted around her waist. “You do improv pretty well.” He grinned as he opened the car door for her.

Jennifer hesitated. “My car is over there.” She pointed.

“I know. Get in,” he replied, and watched her slip into the passenger seat.

He drove back to the cottage. “I’ve got to clean up the mess from last night,” he explained, turning off the car. “You can go down on the dock or whatever while I take care of the food, okay?”

“I can help, you know,” Jennifer said.

“If you come inside with me, I won’t do what I came here to do.”

“So you can’t handle it.” She smiled, daring him to shirk his duties.

Steve returned her salacious grin. “I can handle you just fine.”

“Really?”

Steve looked at his watch and then up at her. “Really?” He headed to the door.

Jennifer followed and watched him flip the light switch. The light went on in response and he looked over his shoulder at her. “They finally turned my service back on. I got all the modern conveniences now.”

He grabbed a garbage bag and dropped the barely-touched to-go containers in, tying it closed. He put the silverware and wine glasses in the sink and looked at the half-empty bottle of wine. Shaking his head slightly, he poured it down the sink. As he walked out of the kitchen, he picked up the cuffs on the edge of the table, walking toward her with a wicked smile.