Seeking to salvage her academic reputation, graduate student Carissa Yarborough is visiting Male Order, studying menageamy for her thesis. Through her research she meets Perry Williams and Del Jacobsen, who are both eager to introduce Carissa to the practice of menageamy, rather than the theory. But Carissa resists their temptations, unwilling to compromise her objectivity. Perry and Del have been best friends all their lives, though in recent years their friendship has been on the rocks. Their common interest in Carissa starts to make them close again, especially as they work together to stop local resistance to her project. Just as Carissa is learning how to strike a balance between love and work, both her thesis and her life are threatened. Afraid to trust her new lovers, she needs to learn to let go of her past and open herself up to love if she's going to survive the summer.