“I will,” Trick promised. “If I have to. I’ve been looking forward to watching you take her.”
Declan swallowed hard. “Watching? I thought we were taking her together.”
“We will. But I’ve been imagining this for a while now. Indulge me.”
“You just told me it’s her we need to indulge. She trusts you.”
“She should probably be involved in this conversation,” Jen said, her voice dry, but amused, “before you two start a sexy round of rock, paper scissors and ruin the mood.”
Declan had a feeling he might be blushing but refused to acknowledge the heat in his cheeks as he stepped away from Trick to look at her. “Did you enjoy the shower?”
“The shower was so good if I’d stayed in it a minute longer you’d never have seen me again.” Her hair was still in a ponytail and only slightly damp, but her body was heated and glinting with moisture. She had a forest-green towel wrapped around her, but that was all. Declan was thinking about how easy it would be to remove it when he noticed she was also holding a basket in her hands.
He frowned at it. “What’s that?”
“This is a basket. You have a beautiful home, Professor. I’m guessing it might have its own zip code, but it’s lovely.”
Trick laughed, the tension in his body uncoiling at the sight of her. “I’ve mentioned turning it into a disco or a home for aging stallions, but he always says no. I’m surprised you found us so quickly.”
Jen studied them with a mysterious smile on her face. “I could hear you talking all the way in the living room. I just followed my ears.”
Declan tried to remember everything they’d said. “I’ll have to look into sound proofing.”
Her smile widened. “Good idea.” She lifted her basket. “I found this in the bathroom doing nothing but looking pretty with a group of its decorative friends, so I used it to gather supplies on my long journey through your house.”
“Little Red Riding Hood,” Trick murmured. “You sure are looking good.”
Declan raised an eyebrow at the song lyrics, but Jennifer laughed in delight. “What big, cheesy lines you have, Trick. Let me show you what I brought.”
She held up a bottle of water. “Hydration is key in these kinds of situations. I found this in the kitchen. These, I found in your bathroom.” She showed them a bottle of lube and enough condoms to last them both three days.
“You have a lot of faith in our stamina, Miss Finn.”
“I’ve seen you in action,” she quipped before setting down the basket, her expression suddenly serious as she met Declan’s gaze. “Have you changed your mind again? Do you not want me to join you?”
“No,” he croaked, his throat tightening until he had to clear it. “I mean yes, I want you to join us.”
“Good. I have a few conditions first.”
“Uh-oh.” Trick looked at Declan with a grin and stepped closer to her. “More conditions.”
She kept her eyes on Declan. “I want to make sure there are no more concerns between us. You do say in class that communication is the key to all healthy forms of sexual expression.”
“What do you want to know?”
She shook her head. “I want to tell you what I know about this Kelley issue.”
Declan frowned. She’d heard that? “It’s not an issue for me, Jennifer.”
“This is all I know. My grandfather’s name was Ned. He was an Irish mobster who died before my mother and father were married. I know Dad and Uncle Sol had broken their ties with him before that and his father’s criminal record was one of the main reasons Sol decided to be a police officer.” She tilted her head. “I know every time my Dad hears the song Ned of the Hill he cries, and Seamus said it’s because it reminds him of his father. And I know he keeps a locket with a picture of his family when he and Sol were babies by his bed.”
Declan took off his glasses and folded them carefully. “That’s all?”
Jen nodded. “That’s it. At least, as far as I know. At no family dinner, no holiday, no crisis in our family have I once heard the last name Kelley—or anything about my notorious grandfather. Dad’s not a big believer in holding on to the past. He’s good like that.”
He shook his head. It was hard to believe, but she was obviously telling the truth. Declan wished he’d known that kind of family. The one she described.
She walked slowly until she was standing right in front of him. “Still, it would be interesting to find out what really happened to cause the rift. Ned and Rod were friends for life, then enemies until their untimely deaths.”
Declan’s lips curved. “That sounds like a song.”
“We’re Irish,” Trick reminded him with a shrug. “Everything sounds like a song.”