Dear Roomie (Rookie Rebels #5) - Kate Meader Page 0,29
them came into the kitchen. Reid’s cheeks were flushed and his eyes were bright, making him look like a windswept, romantic hero just back from a walk on the moors. Very Heathcliff.
If Heathcliff wore a suit. They must have to dress nice for travel, which was weird. Dress codes for sports people made no sense, though she approved because Reid Durand looked amazing in a suit.
Dragging her eyes away from how the those pants clung fondly to his thighs, she managed to eke out, “How did it go?”
“Fine.” He went to the sink to wash his hands. His gaze fell to the counter. “You moved things around.”
“Oh, yeah, the mugs. That cupboard is kind of a stretch for me so I put a couple on the counter so I can just reuse them. Easier than having to grab a stool.”
He nodded, but his eyebrows formed a frustrated V. Drinking vessels out of sync. Does not compute. He was welcome to put them back as soon as she was gone …
… or right now. The cups were restored to their original location.
“Is there anything I need to know?” He poured coffee, asking this with his back to her. When he turned, she got the impression he was trying to school his expression to calmness. That cup move must have really pissed him off.
He was probably not going to love what she said next.
“So don’t freak out but yesterday, I had to take him to the vet—”
He slammed the cup down, splashing drops of coffee on the counter. “The vet? What happened?”
She held up a hand. “No big deal. He vomited yesterday afternoon and I was a bit worried that he might have swallowed something toxic because the cupboard door under the sink was ajar. That’s where the dishwasher packets are and the box was open.” She waved quickly. “But he was fine! The doc took a look and said that the food we’re giving him might be too rich. He’s not been fed so well for months, so it’s playing havoc on his stomach. That’s all, I promise. I moved the stuff from under the sink to the utility room for now until we can figure out how to dog-proof the apartment.”
He did not look appeased. “You should have told me when I called last night.”
“I could have but you would have just worried, maybe tried to get home sooner. It was all under control. You seem to be a bit, uh, emotional about this puppy so it was better this way. Trust me.”
“Trust you? Not sure I can if you’re lying to me. You should have told me the minute I got in.”
“And ruin your reunion? You guys needed to have some tension-free alone time. Now you have, and I’m filling you in on what’s transpired. No secrets, just timing, okay?”
His stare burned into her and if she wasn’t so sure he was absolutely pissed, she’d be getting a tad turned on. Her nipples tightened along with the muscles between her legs.
Reid Durand, better than Kegels. Imagine having that staring down at you while he was inside …
Nope. Not going there, especially with Hot Jerk. Not when she needed to ask him a favor.
“If something’s wrong, I need to know about it.”
“How would you have reacted?”
He bristled, clearly surprised at her challenge. Probably didn’t get much pushback in his blessed, all-hail-the-king life. “It doesn’t matter how.”
“Yes, it does.”
“I would have called the vet myself and spoken with him.”
“Her, actually.”
Blackest of scowls. “I would have been able to assure myself that he was okay. And I gave you the name of a vet I’ve already worked with. A male vet.”
“Who wasn’t available. This was his partner in the same practice. All this happened before your game yesterday. Should I have called you then? Right before you went on the ice?”
He folded his arms. Unfolded them. Placed his hands behind him on the counter, gripping hard. Sheesh, this guy needed a massage or anger management therapy or a good bout in the sack. Not that she was offering …
“If not then, right after.”
“So it would have been okay to delay telling you because it was no longer an emergency and you had a game to play?”
“Yes, that would have been okay.”
Game, set, and match. The look on his face was priceless. In the way of a bossy alphahole who realizes he’s lost the argument but absolutely hates it, he was evidently thinking about how to claw back some territory. “But last night