“Izzy!” Rowan’s voice cracks in panic. “Take. Him. Back. Now.”
Still cackling, I reach out and scoop Slash from Rowan’s outstretched hands, fingers brushing against his wrist. Despite the hilarity of the situation, that brief contact sends an electric current up my arm.
“Good job, buddy,” I coo as I return Slash to his terrarium. “Perfect timing.”
Hands still hovering in mid-air, Rowan’s eyes narrow. “You knew that was going to happen, didn’t you?”
“Maybe, maybe not.”
Skin still a little green, he looks down at his hands in disgust. “Is it going to stain my hands?”
“Fuck’s sake, Ro. Of course not. It’s just pee.”
In a flash, the look on his face goes from queasy-disgust to one of pure elation. As his skin regains its healthy glow, I realize my verbal mistake.
Not wanting to rehashthatfaux pas, I quickly turn without another word and hightail it into the bathroom, slamming the door closed behind me.
When I emergefrom the shower wrapped in my oversized, fluffy bathrobe, I feel almost human again. All I need now is some food to settle my empty stomach.
Rowan is sitting at the kitchen island, scrolling through his phone with a weird smile on his face.
When he looks up, I can literally see the double take before he clears his throat. “Hey. Feel better?”
“Mostly.”
I take the seat kitty-corner from him.
“I fed Slash.”
My head turns in surprise. “You did?”
“Yup.”
“Thanks.”
When he slides a plate in front of me, the buttery scent of the warm chocolate croissant mingling with the savory aroma ofa bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich hits my nose, and my mouth instantly starts to water.
“Eat,” he orders. “Trust me, it’ll help with the hangover.”
As I eye the food skeptically, my stomach growls loudly enough for both of us to hear.
His knowing grin makes me scowl. “Fine,” I huff, taking a bite of the sandwich and nearly moan. The perfect combination of greasy, salty deliciousness is exactly what I need to soak up the sourness in my stomach.
He watches me eat for a few moments before sliding his phone across the counter. “So, this happened.”
I nearly choke when I see a photo of us from the lakeside restaurant. I’m leaning in with an actual smile on my face, while Rowan looks at me with what looks like adoration.
The headline above it makes me want to throw his phone out of the window.
ROWAN COLE RECONNECTS WITH HOMETOWN CHILDHOOD SWEETHEART
“What the actual fuck?” I snatch up the device, scanning the article. “How did they?—?”
“Remember the person I pointed out taking our picture at the restaurant? Turns out they’re actually a freelance photographer who sold it to TMZ.”
“TMZ?!” I shriek, wincing as my voice makes my head start throbbing again. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?”
“I told you it would happen fast,” he says with a shrug, though he doesn’t look particularly bothered by it. “Actually, it’s perfect timing. This confirms we’ve reconnected. And to make it even more believable, you should come with me to L.A.”
