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very naked female body pressed tightly against her.

“Ohhh shit,” she breathed, lifting the sheet to find that she was as naked as her guest. “Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.”

She looked around her room, trying not to turn her head too much, and found various articles of clothing strewn about. Very briefly she wondered if that

was her bra hanging off the mini basketball hoop over the bathroom door.

The phone rang again. “What!” she growled into the mouthpiece, and immediately regretted it. Her head spun from the sound of her own voice.

The mocking tones of the dorm’s RA, Cookie Reese, filtered through the handset, adding nausea to the list of complaints Hodge’s body was voicing. “Hate

to disturb you and your ‘date’, Kitty.”

“Don’t call me that.”

A snicker. “There some guy named Mac here to see you.”

Hodge looked down at her bed mate, who was finally coming awake. “Your boyfriend no doubt, here to kick my ass.”

Another snicker. “Wrong, sweetie. This guy says he’s from some basketball team or something.”

She sat up ramrod straight, her face paling to the color of curdled milk. “What?!?!?”

Cookie heaved a dramatic sigh. “For goodness’ sake, Kitty, were you so hot to get laid last night that you didn’t listen to the message I left you? I told you

he would be here this morning.”

Slowly turning her head, Hodge looked down at the phone whose red message indicator was flashing urgently. “Ohhhh shit.”

“Better get some clothes on, love. I’m sending him down right now.”

Click.

Hodge stared at the phone as if it had suddenly grown fangs, then slammed it down. “Shit! Shit! Get up! Get up now!”

Jumping out of bed, Hodge grabbed the tangled sheets and pulled. The redhead tumbled to the floor with a startled squawk. Hodge ran around the room

gathering up her guest’s clothing, then pulled the indignant young woman up by her arm and shoved the bundle into her chest.

“Closet! Now!!”

“What?!?”

“Get in the closet and don’t make a sound till I tell you it’s ok.”

Turning away without waiting for an answer, Hodge grabbed her own clothes and started shoving her limbs into them, almost tripping herself as she tried

to stuff two legs into the same hole. “Shit!”

Finally she managed to dress herself in wrinkled clothes that stank of smoke and stale beer. Grabbing her brush, she pulled it through the tangled mess of

her hair, then gave up and pulled it behind her head in a ponytail. She stiffened as she glanced quickly into the mirror and spied the redhead, still naked,

and still staring at her, bewildered.

A knock on the door sounded a split second later.

“Just a minute!” she managed to get out in a voice that sounded more like a frog’s dying croak than anything else.

Turning on her heel, she grabbed her date’s clothing bundle and shook out the dress she’d been wearing the night before. “Put your arms up.”

“What?”

“Arms up! Now!”

Still bewildered, the young woman did as she was told, and Hodge yanked the material down over her arms and head. “There. No go sit down at my desk

and pretend you’re studying or something.”

“Cat….”

“Please, please do as I say. Please!”

The knock sounded again.

Praying she’d somehow wake up from this nightmare she was trapped in, Hodge walked over to the door, twisted the lock, and pulled it open.

A huge man filled the open space, staring down at her with a polite smile on his face. “Catherine Hodges?”

“Um…yes. Yes, that’s me. Can I help you?”

“My name is Mac MacKenzie. I’m with the Birmingham Badgers.” His voice trailed off as he looked into the disheveled room. “Have I come at a bad

time? Your Resident Assistant told me you’d be available this morning.”

“Oh. No…no….you’re fine. We were just…studying.” She looked over her shoulder at the redhead, who hadn’t moved an inch. “Right….?”

“Phyllis.”

“Phyllis, right.”

There was a sick smile on her face as she turned back to the door. “We have finals next week.”

Mac looked at her doubtfully. “I can come another time, if….”

“No! No, please, it’s fine. Phyllis was just leaving. Weren’t you, Phyllis.”

Finally, the redhead moved from her spot. “Yes, that’s right. Just leaving. We’re all through…studying…for today.” Walking forward, she made sure to

brush by the sweating Hodge. “Give me a call later if you want to study some more, ok?”

“Yeah. Sure. Fine. Just…go now, ok?”

“My pleasure.”

Mac stepped out of the way, and Phyllis left, but not before bestowing a lewd wink on Hodge.

“Please,” Hodge said sickly, “come in.”

Hodge pulled the door wider and moved aside as Mac ducked into the room. Once he had fully entered, she swung the door closed, only to find its forward

progress halted halfway. Angered at the thought that her pushy bed mate had returned to embarrass her further, she swung around the door, ready to

raise hell.

And stopped dead in her tracks.

Pallas Dylan Lambert stood in the doorway like a vision from a fevered dream. Wearing black slacks, a crisply starched white shirt, and her everpresent

black leather trench coat, her glittering eyes were the only points of color to be seen.