“Business that involves PDA?” Logan asks all innocent and shit.
Dick.
I kick him hard under the table, a satisfied grin splitting across my face when he winces.
“PDA?” my mom parrots, her smile growing impossibly wider.
“Jesus Christ,” I mutter, burying my face in my hands.
“It’s just part of the arrangement,” Rowan explains, keeping his voice steady despite the tension. He is a great actor after all. “We need it to look convincing.”
“And how long is this ‘arrangement’ supposed to last?” my dad asks, folding his arms across his chest.
“Six months to a year,” Rowan replies, meeting my father’s gaze head-on.
My dad’s eyebrows shoot up. “That’s a long time to fake a relationship.”
“Ugh.Dad?—”
“Sometimes things that start out as fake become all too real,” my mom cuts in with a knowing smile. “Just like in those smutty romance books you like to read, honey.”
Pretty sure I want to melt into the floor. Definitely want to throttle Logan. Maybe both.
“We’re flying out to L.A. tomorrow,” Rowan announces, clearly trying to steer the current subject’s trajectory elsewhere.
Mom’s eyes widen. “For how long?”
“Just the weekend,” I mutter, pushing my lasagna around on my plate. “Rowan has some meetings, and I’m... tagging along.”
“And staying at his house,” Logan adds with a smirk.
This time I kick him so hard he yelps.
“Ow! Jesus, Iz!”
“Kids,” my dad warns, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “Behave.”
“And you’re staying with Rowan?” my mom asks hopefully.
Fuck’s sake. She’s practically quivering with delight.
“In the guest room,” I clarify quickly, shooting her a look that says, ‘Don’t start.’
The mischievous twinkle in her eye tells me she’s not buying it for a second. “Of course,” she shrugs innocently as she takes another bite of her lasagna.
Rowan clears his throat. “Actually, there’s a gallery owner I want Lizzy to meet. He’s interested in her work.”
This catches my parents’ attention. More than grateful for the deflection, my heart softens towards him a little more.
“Really?” My dad’s expression softens as his gaze flicks from narrowly eyeing Rowan to look at me. “That’s fantastic, baby girl.”
“It’s nothing set in stone,” I say, heat creeping up my neck. “It’s a dream I’ve thought about pursuing. Just not the way it’s currently playing out.”
“Don’t sell yourself short,” Rowan says, voice warm as he exchanges a look with my brother. “He was really impressed with what he saw online.”
The genuine pride in his voice makes something flutter in my chest.
Damn him and his gorgeous fucking face.
