Page 88 of Meeting Mr. Adorkable
“Am I too late?” Arlo’s whispered words cut through the silence of the crowd as he looked up, his gaze finding Lucian’s. “Am I too late to put this right? I was wrong, so damn wrong, and I want to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I love you, Lucian, I’ve loved you from the moment you crashed into my life.”
Lucian’s lips lifted in a small, quivering smile. “You’ve loved me from the moment I drenched you in cheap beer?”
Arlo nodded, his smile matching Lucian’s. “Yeah, I reckon so. And you still owe me for the dry cleaning bill.” He jumped down from the SUV, landing in front of Lucian to the gasps and excited chatter of the watching crowd. “Please stay. Maybe we could have that incredible life here, together, in Collier’s Creek?”
Hope and love, so much love, glittered in Arlo’s eyes. Lucian nodded. An incredible life… it could only be incredible if Arlo was in it.
“Yes,” he whispered. “I’ll stay.”
Arlo pulled him close, and Lucian sank into the warmth and strength that had made him feel safe from the very start.
“I love you, baby, I love you so much, and I was such a fool for almost letting you—”
Lucian stopped his words with a kiss.
“Oh, my god. He said yes, everybody, he said yes,” Bibi cried out.
The crowd whooped. Car horns blasted. Cheers erupted. Claps gathered strength, rising like a wave rushing to the shore.
“Oh, my, this is like a movie,” somebody shouted, as more cell phone cameras flashed.
“I, erm, think we’ve made a spectacle of ourselves,” Lucian muttered as they broke the kiss, before burying his face against Arlo’s chest to hide the pulsing heat in his cheeks.
Arlo’s chuckle rumbled through him as his arms tightened around him. “They’ll be telling their grandkids all about the happy ever after they witnessed. They won’t believe ‘em, but all that’s important is that you believe. Do you?”
Lucian nodded, his throat too thick to talk.
“Okay, folks, we’re going to be getting you going any minute now.” A burly traffic cop pushed through the crowd. “Please get back into your vehicles. Everything’s back to normal, nothing more to see. Apologies, folks, for the inconvenience, but you’re now free to carry on with your day.”
“Do you want to carry on your day with me?” Arlo smiled down at him.
“I’ve not got anything better to do, so might as well.”
Arlo huffed. “The car’s — somewhere.”
“Bibi?” Lucian said, turning to find his friend.
“Go. I’ll drop your stuff off later at Arlo’s.” Blowing him a kiss, she hopped into her car.
“Ready to go home?”
Lucian smiled. Yes, he was more than ready.
EPILOGUE
SIX MONTHS LATER
“Hey, what are you doing here? I thought Jonas was keeping you tied up all morning. In a manner of speaking.” Lucian couldn’t keep the smile from his face or voice as Arlo sauntered into the flower store.
“He did keep me tied up, and very satisfying it was too.”
“Not sure I like the sound of that.”
Arlo barked out a short laugh. “Want to get lunch?”
Lunch? How could it be lunchtime? Lucian looked at his watch, and his jaw dropped. When did one o’clock happen? His stomach growled, a reminder breakfast had been a long, long time ago.
“You’re on. Jed!”
