Page 121 of Only and Forever

He sniffles and shakes his head as he stares at Ashbury again. “Goddamn, he looks good.”

I stare at Viggo, drinking him in. “He really does.”

Viggo does a double take, noticing my appreciative gaze, realizing my meaning. “Don’t you look at me like that, Clarke. We’re in a public place.”

“Not that that’s stopped us before.”

He blushes fiercely.

“Well,” I tell him, “we don’t have to be in public much longer, if you’d take us home already.”

He lifts his eyebrows, pointing to his chest. “Who, me?”

I step up to him, arms slinking around his waist, staring up at the man I love. “Yes, you. Pandora’s going to be out of commission for a couple days. Guess you’ll just have to drive us in Ashbury.”

Viggo shakes his head, smiling. “Lula. What am I going to do with you?”

“Take me home. What do you say?”

He cups my face, thumbs sweeping across my cheeks. That breathtaking, adoring gaze dances over my face. “I’d say nothing would make me happier.”

THIRTY-THREE

Viggo

Playlist: “Home,” Drew Holcomb

“Hey, Bergman.”

My head snaps up from where I’ve been watering my plants scattered throughout the bookstore. I glance toward the threshold of the store to the house, where Tallulah stands, backlit, freshly showered, wet, ice-blue hair and a swingy T-shirt dress. This one is pale pink, like the dress she wore opening night. Aching want tears through me. We’ve only been home for a couple of hours, dividing and conquering the tasks of taking care of the animals, unpacking, prepping baked goods for the store, which I’ll open back up tomorrow, showering off the plane ride, making dinner, and I’ve missed her. I’m a lovesick mess.

I couldn’t be happier.

“Hey, Clarke.”

She smiles, but it’s nervous. “The plants make it through okay?”

“Yeah.” I set down my watering can. “They’re okay.”

“One day,” she says, pushing off the threshold, “we’re going to take trips that last longer than forty-eight hours, and you’re going to have to trustsomeonewith watering Lisa and Beverly and Tessa.”

I scratch at the back of my neck. “I know. They’re just... finicky. They need very specific care.”

Tallulah’s smile widens as she walks up to me and wraps her arms around my neck. I tug her close, my hands gliding up herback. “You know something about meeting the needs of a finicky lady, do you?”

I grin, then bend for a kiss. “I might know a thing or two.”

“Hmm,” she hums against my mouth. When she pulls away, she bites her lip and slips her fingers through my hair. “I have... something to give you.”

I frown. “I told you no more birthday gifts. I’m still reeling from Ashbury.”

“It’s not a gift,” she says carefully. “Well, it mightfeellike a gift. I hope it will. But it didn’t cost anything. If anything, it was a gift tome.”

“What do you mean?”

“Come on,” she says quietly, tugging me by the hand.

I follow her through the store, across the threshold to the house, greeted by Romeo and Juliet, who are so happy we’re home.

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