Page 14 of Requiem for Love

“Joel, I don’t do lizards.”

“I’m well aware.”

Carlton took a few steps toward the mattress edge in the direction of the open doors.

“That’s it, buddy,” Joel coaxed. “Isn’t it nice outside? Sixty-eight degrees. If you leave now, you’ll catch the sunrise, and let me tell you, it’s beautiful.”

“Are you trying to negotiate with an iguana?” she asked.

“I’m talking him off the ledge, Ayesha. Maybe mating season didn’t go the way he planned.”

Much later, she would laugh about how she probably looked, clinging to Joel like a baby marsupial. Right now, the only thing she could focus on was getting as far away as possible from the prehistoric reptile.

Gage walked by the sliding doors.

“Gage!” She flailed her arms. “Help, please.”

Gage stepped inside. “What’s the matter?”

“He’s the matter.” She pointed to the mattress. “You’re not afraid of iguanas, right? There’s no way you’re afraid of iguanas. Do they have iguanas in Australia?”

Gage looked from Carlton to Joel. “Mate, didn’t you used to have—”

“It would help us out,” Joel said. “That thing’s, uh, terrifying. So terrifying.”

Gage frowned. “Lattimore, I’ve seen you pick up—”

“Gage, please,” she pleaded. “I’mdying.”

Without the slightest bit of hesitation, Gage walked over to the bed and scooped Carlton up off the mattress.

She tightened her grip on Joel.

Joel brushed the tip of his nose along her jaw and followed the path with a line of kisses, but she was too terrified to care that Gage might find out about them before they were ready to tell everyone.

Gage set Carlton on his shoulder. “Interestingly enough, iguanas aren’t native to Australia,” he said. “But one of my brothers did have a pet green iguana when we were kids. Can’t have them now, though. It’s prohibited.”

She flicked her fingers at the sliding doors. “Can you take him home now, please?”

“Why? You’re scared of this bloke, Eesh? But he’s so tiny.” Gage studied them, lightly stroking the top of the iguana’s head. “Hey, isn’t it a little early for you to be in here, sweetheart? And where’s the rest of your clothes?”

She tried not to look at the rumpled cover-up on the floor, but her brain took too long to send the message. Gage’s gaze followed hers, and then their gazes collided again, his irises a lighter shade of emerald in the increasing sunlight.

“It’s not what it looks like,” she said. “Tell him, Joel.”

Joel buried his nose in her hair. “Tell him what?”

“That I just got here. This morning.”

“God, you smell so good, Eesh.”

She groaned.

“Did the iguana do that?” Gage tapped his neck. “You’ve got some marks there. Some bites or something.”

She nodded. “Yes, the iguana did.”

“Eesh, iguanas carry salmonella. We should probably get you to a hospital.”

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