Free Rumor Has It (An Animal Magnetism Novel) by Jill Shalvis

slow, trouble-filled smile. “He told me that when a male honeybee mates, its testicles explode and the penis is left inside the queen bee.”
    She gave out a half laugh, half groan. “Okay, so he’s a little like me. But to be clear,
penis
is his favorite word, not mine.”
    “
Penis
is every boy’s favorite word.” He paused. “Also, I’m eternally grateful not to be a bee.” He tugged playfully on a stray strand of hair that had escaped its confines and was in her face. “And also, you smell much nicer than he does.” And with that, he got back on the motorcycle and rode off.

Seven

    T heygot back to school in time for lunch with no further problems. Normally Kate took her lunch break with a friend. At least once a week she ate with Holly. Other days she met up with Lilah, Jade, or the new vet, Olivia, when their breaks lined up. Olivia and Kate shared a love of cooking, so they always did a recipe exchange. Other days, Kate stayed at school and ate with Ryan in his office, but today she ran through the cafeteria quickly.
    “Hey, honey,” Glenna the lunch lady said in her no-nonsense voice. “What’ll it be?”
    “The Griffin,” Kate said, and then clamped a hand over her mouth. The Griffin? Good Lord, even the thought of a Griffin sandwich gave her a hot flash. “The Reuben! I meant the Reuben!”
    Glenna cackled. “I’d take a Griffin sandwich.”
    The afternoon went downhill from there. Mikey and Tasha got sick in the classroom—Mikey managed to do it right on Kate’s favorite Toms knockoff boots. Then, two minutes before she had to line the class up for play rehearsal, Tommy vanished again. But this time she knew it wasn’t a bird.
    It was the play.
    She found him hiding in the closet reading on his e-reader. Relief weakened her knees, and her heart clutched hard at the sight of him. Despite her best efforts, he was skinny as a stick, and his clothes were always just a little too big. Today, like most days, his hair stuck up in tufts, due to his aversion to a brush or comb. And damn, she loved him. She turned back to her class. “If anyone moves from their seat in the next three minutes, we’re going to skip recess.”
    This brought a chorus of promises that no one would move a single inch. Right. Hoping her threat had been enough, Kate crawled into the closet with Tommy. “Hey.”
    “Hey.” He hadn’t stopped reading, so she reached out and turned off the e-reader. Finally, he looked at her.
    “You know they’re not going to stay in their seats,” he said. “Recess or not.”
    “Then we’ll have to make this quick, won’t we?” She stroked his hair, trying to tame it. Impossible. “You know it’s just a rehearsal, right? There’s no actual audience yet.”
    “I don’t want to be in the play.”
    Every kid had a part, and his was as a tree. “You don’t have any lines,” she said.
    “I have to do a stupid tree dance. And it’s stupid.”
    “Everyone’s dancing, Tommy. Not just you.”
    Tommy stared at his dark e-reader screen as if he could still make out the words. “Everyone’s mom is supposed to make their costume.”
    Kate’s chest went tight. “You know I’ll make your costume,” she said softly. Fiercely. “You’ll be the best tree that ever danced.”
    He lifted a scrawny shoulder.
    She took in his slightly bowed head and averted eyes, and she knew there was more. “What?”
    He shrugged again, and Kate’s heart broke a little more. “How about I have Mrs. Garcia put you on the very back edge of the stage, okay? And then, after school, we’ll make pancakes.” She had no business promising pancakes. Holly’s rehearsal dinner was tonight, and as maid of honor, she had a bazillion and one things to do.
    “Offstage,” Tommy said, negotiating. Clearly, he’d been watching
Pawn Stars
with her dad again. “And chocolate-chip pancakes.”
    “Onstage.” She sighed. “But yeah, I’ll cave on the chocolate-chip pancakes.”
    They shook on the