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Hunter stood up quickly, checking his phone. “He’s right. We can’t be late for this.”

It had taken a long time to arrange the Dean’s meeting. One last chance to plead our case, maybe save our chapter. It was a long shot, but if anyone could smooth-talk the Dean it would be Colin and Hunter.

Hunter ran upstairs, presumably to get ready. Colin glanced my way.

“You sure you’re not coming?” he asked.

“Nah. You guys should do the whole good cop/bad cop routine by yourselves. I’d only get in the way.”

I watched as he absently stroked Claudia’s hair. Comfortably, too. Almost a little too comfortably…

Realization dawned. I let out a short laugh.

“You guys boned, didn’t you?”

My fraternity brother stiffened. Claudia squirmed her way just a little deeper into Colin’s lap.

“W—What?” he asked.

“You heard me. I said, you guys…”

My voice trailed off. Colin’s face was beet red now. Claudia’s mouth was curled into an undisguised smile.

“You did!” I exclaimed. “Holy shit, you actually fucked!”

“Shhh!” Colin admonished, looking like a tomato. “You don’t have to announce it to—”

“To what?” I laughed. “The house? You remember the deal: no secrets. No hiding anything. We act on our desires without apology, remember?”

Hunter’s footsteps padded across the upstairs hallway. As he reached the landing, Colin and I looked at each other.

“Damn bro,” I laughed. “You work fast, I’ll give you that.”

I let him off the hook as Hunter reappeared in the living room. “You ready?”

Claudia rose to let Colin up, and together we wished them luck. Standing on her tiptoes, she gave each of them a goodbye kiss.

“Knock em’ dead,” our girlfriend said with a wink.

“We will.”

The door opened and closed, the wind sending a bitter chill through the foyer. Claudia and I retreated to the warmth of the living room, where the television was still on. Neither one of us sat down though. We stood there for a moment, just looking at each other.

“You don’t have a team meeting,” she said. “Do you?”

“Nope.”

She laughed her musical little laugh. “Pretty slick.”

I grabbed the remote. Turned off the television.

“Yup.”

She slid into my arms and I met her halfway, my hands going around her waist. Our mouths met, our tongues danced. Somewhere in the middle of it all, she moaned softly against my lips.

“So you stayed behind just for me, huh?”

I nodded.