My heart thumped in my chest. “I’m sure I’ve missed you more.”
“Hm, I doubt that.”
I grinned to myself like an idiot. “Probably a stupid question, but there’s no chance of seeing you later?”
Rowan sighed heavily. “I’m afraid not, but I can come over after the gym again in the week?”
Though I was a little disappointed, I couldn’t help but grow hotter remembering the last time Rowan had come over after the gym. My eyes were drawn to his tie, now draped over the hook on the back of my door.
“I’m definitely up for that.”
“I bet you are.”
I laughed. “Dirty boy.”
“Mm, only for you. Listen, I’ve got to go. I’m sorry we couldn’t spend today together. I’ll speak to you later?”
“Yeah, sure. I’m just going to quietly curl up and die from shame.”
“Oh, please don’t. I’ve grown rather fond of you,” Rowan replied.
“Hm, I’ll try my best, seeing as I’ve grown rather fond of you too.” There was another pause. “Have a good rest of your day.”
“You too, Magic Max. Happy Valentine’s Day.”
Before I had a chance to complain or reply, he’d hung up. I fought a grin.
I looked at my phone, trying to work up the courage to watch the video Rowan seemed so keen on. I grumbled under my breath, navigated to my album and pressed play.
Surprisingly, I had to admit it wasn’t as bad as I’d thought. The lighting was good, it made me look far more muscular than I actually was, and Tori had put on a good show. If I hadn’t known better, I’d have sworn she really was desperate to rip my clothes off.
Perhaps strip clubs weren’t so bad, after all.
Chapter Thirteen
Months passed, and soon the bitterly cold winter weather began to pass. The sun shone a little brighter, and so long as you were out of the wind, it had begun to have the familiar warmth of summer once more.
Rowan and I continued to brush along nicely, managing to avoid any more slip ups or drama. Nothing much had changed, but I often found myself daydreaming of a not-so-distant future where Rowan would have everything sorted and we could finally go about our business without worrying about who might be looking.
As it was, I sat staring at patient details on a screen. I scrolled through them, simultaneously trying to suck some part of my lunch from my tooth. Becca had treated us to some fancy sushi and now I had something stuck somewhere at the back, near my gum. It hurt, and I could already feel the flesh beginning to swell around the foreign object. Rowan sat behind me, fiddling with one of his tools. We worked alongside one another in a comfortable silence.
“Who’s next on the list?” he asked, frowning at the drill in his hand as he attempted to adjust one of the settings.
“Uh, hang on.” I clicked through a few menus. “Ms Benson.”
“Alright. I’m almost finished here, why don’t you—” Rowan glanced up at me. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.” I shook my head. “I’ve got something stuck in my tooth; I think. I’ll get it with some floss later.”
“Want me to have a look?” The expression on my face must have said more than words, because Rowan smiled. “I’m a dentist, Max.”
“It’s fine, I’ll—”
“Sit.” He tapped the chair, putting the drill down. He grabbed a pair of latex gloves and snapped them on. “It will only take a second.”
“But—”
“Sit.” He wasn’t asking. I sighed and obediently climbed onto the examination chair.
