Page 59 of Meeting Mr. Adorkable
Lucian gasped as Arlo pulled him in, crushing his mouth to his. Tasting the sparkle of champagne on Arlo’s lips, all he wanted was to savor every drop.
Oohhsandaahhsfrom those around them broke the kiss, but Arlo kept his arm tight around Lucian as though afraid to let him go.
“You look incredible,” Arlo whispered in Lucian’s ear. “So damn beautiful. Your glasses—”
“I feel a bit exposed without them in front of everybody, if I’m honest, and I keep trying to push them up my nose even though they’re not there. Bibi knew they were fake. She told me it was time to break the habit.” He offered a nervous smile. “I guess two of you can’t be wrong, so I’ve decided to try and be brave.”
“Are you feeling brave right now?”
“Yes, because that’s how you make me feel.” And safe and secure, appreciated and valued. Everything he’d never felt with any other man. Arlo made him feel it all. He made him feel loved. Lucian’s breath hitched and his pulse raced as the word blossomed in his heart.
Love…
He swallowed hard, and dipped his head, no longer able to meet Arlo’s eyes.
“Hey.” With a finger under his chin, Arlo tipped Lucian’s head up. “Bravery comes from within. You just need to find it. Only you can make you feel brave.”
“If you say so.”
“I do. Never hide those beautiful eyes, or anything of who you are, ever again. Throw ‘em in the trash, because you don’t need them anymore. Come on,” he said, a wicked smile lifting his lips, “let’s make a run for it, because everybody’s looking at you and I don’t like it. You’re for my eyes only.”
Lucian shivered, the growl of possessiveness in Arlo’s voice waking up his dick and igniting his blood. Yes please…
“But this is your big night. We can’t go, not yet.” God, had that been a squeak? He coughed. “You’re selling loads, Jonas said.”
Arlo sighed. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Still don’t want you out of my sight, though, because folks are liking what they’re seeing. Like Jonas.”
Lucian followed Arlo’s gaze. A little way off, Jonas, a foxy smile on his lips, raised a glass before taking a sip, his focus never leaving them. Arlo’s fingers dug into Lucian’s waist, pulling him in tighter, but his determination to keep Lucian close was thwarted when a young woman, a near clone of the one who’d inspected Lucian’s ticket, came and whisked him away to give an interview with the local newspaper.
Lucian wandered around, squeezing through the press of bodies. Jonas had been right. Many of the paintings had discreet little red stickers stuck on the frames, showing they’d been reserved, next to their just as discreet price tags. Lucian smiled. Arlo had been open-mouthed when Jonas had said how much they would sell for. By the end of the evening, even if he sold just a few, Arlo was going to find himself considerably richer.
Through a break in the crowd, he spotted Francine and Hank. Deciding to say hello, he’d only taken a step or two when Jonas reappeared.
“Lucian.” His voice was a soft purr. “From the moment I met you, when you dragged a very reluctant Arlo into the gallery, I said to myself, there’s a diamond in the rough if ever I saw one.”
“Oh. Right. Okay.” He couldn’t decide if that was a compliment or a veiled insult. He was so busy trying to work it out, he didn’t notice Jonas move in closer, until he felt the discreet press of the man’s body against his.
Instinct made him step back, but the wall left him nowhere to go. Lucian ran his finger up his nose, pushing up his absent glasses. So much for being brave.
“Arlo has a bright future ahead of him. As I said, he’s a very, very lucky man.”
A flame of pride flared in Lucian’s chest. “It’s not down to luck, but talent.” He smiled up at Jonas, happy and relieved a professional had confirmed his own amateur assessment. His smile froze on his lips.
Jonas was laughing softly, his focus laser-like.
Oh… Jonas was a bird of prey and he was a tiny mouse, and directly in his line of sight. Lucian scanned the surrounding crowd, looking for an escape, but the gallery was busier than ever. Pressed against the wall and with Jonas blocking his way, he was cornered.
“Yes, his artistic career is very bright indeed. But it’s not his lucky break I’m talking about.” Jonas widened his eyes, inviting Lucian to make the connection he absolutely, no way, wanted to connect to.
“Hey, babe. Sorry I left you for so long.”
Thank god… But Lucian’s relief vanished as soon as it appeared. His breath stilled in his lungs. Arlo was smiling, not at him but at Jonas, and Lucian prayed that smile would never be turned on him. Like an animal preparing to attack, Arlo’s teeth were bared.
Jonas’ own smile was bright and breezy, as if unaware of the tension crackling in the air. Clicking his fingers for one of the roving waitstaff, they appeared with a silver tray crowded with champagne flutes.
Arlo shook his head. “No, I’m—”
“Arlo, this evening is a triumph. This level of interest — marked in the number of reservations and the cold hard cash that comes with them — is unprecedented for an unknown artist. Or unknown until tonight. Mark your success, because believe me in this world you’re now a part of, it’s as rare as hen’s teeth. I was telling Lucian, just before you arrived, that you’re a very lucky man.”
