She replied almost immediately, which made my blood race to watch a message from her pop up. What? No ‘please’? I don’t feel very inspired to say yes.

Damn, that was such a smart-ass Caroline retort. Why had I not let myself realize that?

My cock pulsed hard. I wanted it to be her so bad, and then again, I didn’t. Everything would change if she was Caroline. It’d no longer be fun, meaningless hot sex. But then, it was already more than that, wasn’t it? This woman had captured my complete attention without me even realizing what was going on. And I still wanted more from her.

Gritting my teeth, I began to type.

I’m already throbbing for you. Don’t wear panties unless you want me to rip them off in inventive new ways, because I’m going to take you HARD as soon as you step into my room. You wanted it dark. Well, prepare for the darkest, grittiest, most sinful sex of your life.

After I shot that note off, I waited, chewing on my bottom lip. When she answered, I blew out a relieved breath.

Okay, I’m inspired.

I grinned. Prepare to be sore tomorrow. Lick you later, baby.

She didn’t respond, and I didn’t want her to. I was too busy scrolling back up to the C’s in my contact list. When I pulled up Caroline’s information, I typed in a new message. What’re you wearing…I mean, doing?

If she was Midnight Visitor, she’d already have her phone open, unless she had two phones. I shook my head. Nah. She’d probably just gotten one of those Google Voice numbers.

And, shit, why the hell hadn’t I thought up that idea before?

Twenty seconds passed and disappointment filled me. Maybe Caroline wasn’t Midnight Visitor after all.

Shit. I’d just been getting into the idea, too.

But then my phone dinged, and my heart lurched.

Why? she said.

“Because I’m about to figure out all your secrets, woman.” A smile slipped onto my face. But instead of telling her that, I wrote, I’m bored.

I envisioned her reading this and giving an irritated sigh. My delight grew.

I’m at the library with Zwinn.

Zwinn?

Quinn and Zoey. You know...Zwinn.

Hmm. I liked that name shipped for them. Jealous I hadn’t thought it up myself, I started toward the library even as I keyed in a reply. A threesome? Kinky.

A typical smutty Oren answer? Unimpressed.

I laughed. Damn, I loved her smart-ass wit. Give me twenty-four hours, and I’ll find a way to impress you. Guaranteed.

Not interested, she wrote back.

“Oh, but you will be,” I murmured. Pocketing my phone, I bounded up the steps to the front door and pulled it open. I’d never been in the campus library before, so I wandered aimlessly for a minute before I found her and the two love doves cozied up at a study table together. After approaching her from behind, I leaned in and whispered into her ear. “Too late, little girl. Prepare to have your mind blown.”

Caroline jumped and whirled around to gape up at me. “What? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Our phone conversation just now.” When her eyes flickered, I wondered which conversation she was thinking about. I blinked innocently and added, “I believe you issued me a challenge to impress you. And I’ve accepted it. I am going to amaze you...probably before you even get to sleep tonight.”

“Oh.” She rolled her eyes. “I thought you were talking in your usual, uncouth sexual innuendo speak.”

I winked at her. “Wow, you have a dirty mind today.” I watched her face as I uttered those carefully chosen words. No memory of our other phone conversation flickered across her expression, though. She merely blinked at me.

Unfazed by her refusal to react, I unzipped my bag and instead of pulling out textbooks to study from, I found a banana and bottle of Powerade. The appetite Gamble had killed minutes ago suddenly roared back to life. Not surprising; I always felt vividly alert around Caroline.

“You know, not everything I do or say revolves around sex,” I told her, picking our conversation back up.

Her gaze tracked the banana’s progress as I unpeeled it and stuck the end into my mouth. Her eyebrows lifted as she watched. “Really?”

I almost choked as I chewed. “Jesus, are you sure everything’s not a sexual innuendo with you? Wow, I was just eating a snack, not giving some imaginary guy head. And FYI, I only get, not give blow jobs.”

Grinding her teeth, she slapped her book closed and glared. “Why the hell are you here, bothering us?”

I turned to Zwinn for the first time since arriving. They were staring at me quite openly, probably wondering why I was being even more annoying than usual. “Am I bothering you two?”