Page 125 of Wicked Serve

She squints at me. “What? Did I wake up late?”

“Nope.”

“I have that meeting with the florist—”

“My mom is handling it.”

She crosses her arms. To my satisfaction, she’s wearing the Rift T-shirt. If we didn’t have a plane scheduled, I’d have peeled it off and woken her up with my tongue. “What do you mean, she’s handling it?”

“She’s taking over things for a few days so you can have a break.” I gesture to the suitcases. “We have somewhere else to be.”

She narrows her eyes, but rises to the bait. “Where?”

“To hang out with koalas, obviously.”

She blinks. “What, at the zoo?”

“Anyone can go to the zoo. We’re going to Australia.” I grin at the wide-eyed look on her face. I ought to surprise her more often. “There’s a koala conservatory in Brisbane, and they’re excited to meet their newest donors.”

A beat, and then she throws her arms around me, moving so fast she nearly knocks both of us off the bed. “Are you serious? You donated to a koala conservatory for me?”

“Technically, I think we’re supporting one koala in particular. Her name is Lovey.”

“Oh my God. I love her already.”

“Then let’s go meet her.”

She shakes her head with a little laugh. “This is—”

“Ridiculous?”

“As long as you know it.”

“You need a break.” I brush my lips against her cheek. “A real one. Run away with me for a few days.”

She’s quiet for a moment, but then she nods. “Okay. Let’s do it.” She unwinds herself from me, bouncing on the bed a few times. “Seriously, I can’t believe you. How are we getting there?”

“I convinced my grandfather to lend me the jet for a few days.” I slide off the bed, stretching. “But we have to go to a dinner party he’s hosting right when we get back.”

It’s always something with him. Quid pro quo. At least Cricket will be there. She can finally meet Isabelle.

She does a double take at the mention of the plane, but I just shrug. “Beats commercial.”

“I need to pack,” she says, staring at her closet. “And find my passport.”

“The black suitcase is yours. And Cooper already gave me your passport from the safe. And before you ask, Ryder is taking Tangy, since we’ll all be out of the house.”

She stops in her tracks. “You packed for me?”

“I know what I like to see you in.”

By the way she flushes, she’s having fun imagining what I picked out for her. I saunter over, cupping her jaw. She breathes in quickly, eyes searching mine. I lean down and kiss her, morning breath and all. She smiles against my lips.

Ridiculous, yes, but so worth it. A girl like her deserves more than half measures. Hopefully, this trip can be a reset—for both of us—and by the time we get back, she’ll be rejuvenated. Hugging a koala has to release a special kind of dopamine.

“Come on, sunshine. Let’s go hold some koalas.”

Chapter 59

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