***

His heart was beating wildly. He was sweating inside his costume to the point that he risked drowning.

But he felt crazy alive. Sure, it had all happened because he had to dig up some real dirt on Jamie Vayne, but on the other hand…

He had sucked and licked a gorgeous ass for the first time in his life. And that was something no one would ever know. His brother knew nothing about his fursona, nor his strategy to get close to Jamie.

It all left him with a single problem, but it was a hefty one. What the hell was he going to write tomorrow for all the campus to read? He needed a good topic, and it couldn’t be Jamie. His subject needed a lot more research before launching into a new – and ‘deadly’ – campaign.

***

“Oh, don’t tell me you’re disappointed that you’re off the hook,” Janet teased him once she noticed he was checking his phone again.

“Not at all. I’m just keeping an eye out for any sign that this scumbag is picking another fight with me.”

He had expected something weird to appear on his screen as soon as he opened the Xpress page the following day. Something like how exactly his ass tasted, but either Cottontail had half a brain not to risk exposing himself like that, or he and Xpress were two different people.

He shrugged. The guys that had kept telling him that Xpress did stupid shit that never mattered were right, after all.

With that being put to rest, he could now focus on getting back in the saddle. Because of all the weirdness that kept happening lately, he had missed on many chances to mend some broken hearts on campus.

Wait, a little voice nagged him right away, but they don’t see it that way. Right. It looked like his lack of emotional availability was cramping his style, and all the sweet college dudes he tried to help actually considered him a bit of a bastard.

He needed some third party opinion on the matter. He thumbed his phone screen and dialed.

“Hey,” he began as soon as the other answered, “can I see you and your boyfriend? I need some hard honesty in my life.”

“Hard honesty?” Rusty chuckled and tsked. “You’re practically made of it, Jamie.”

“That’s what I think, too. But it looks like there are some dudes who don’t think so. Since I failed in seducing your boyfriend even when he was brokenhearted over you, I need to hear his opinion on the matter.”

“As long as you promise that it’s not going to lead to a threesome, I’m game.”

“You’re totally no fun, straight boy.”

“Who’s straight?”

“Right. I suppose you bend over nicely for your cute boyfriend?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Rusty guffawed loudly into the phone. “Okay, I suppose I owe you one because you didn’t jump at the opportunity to ruin my chances with Matty when I was a dumbass.”

“I would have stolen him from you if he had been available. Nice work making a smart guy like that fall for you. Stuff like that doesn’t happen every day, so don’t disappoint him. Otherwise, I’ll be right here, ready to catch him.”

“Not a chance in hell,” Rusty protested. “I learned my lesson. We’ll drop by your coffee shop later. Good for you?”

“Yep. I’ll fix you your favorites. That’s how much I love you two.”

Rusty laughed. “Okay, man. See you soon.”

***