Page 92 of Meeting Mr. Adorkable
Arlo smirked as he leaned on the doorjamb and watched as Lucian scraped the toast over the sink. Lucian was getting better in the kitchen. After six months of living together, now only one thing out of three was some charcoal edged offering.
“Should have waited for me, babe.”
Lucian scowled. “It’s only a bit… singed.” He looked down at the lump of coal in his hand before sighing and chucking it in the food waste bin. “Who needs carbs? And anyway,” he said, dishing up the rest of their breakfasts, “I’ve got to get to the store early. We’ve got a busy day today — and I’m going to be playing catch up since you lured me away for the afternoon.”
Arlo huffed. “You lured me in the end, I seem to remember.” He dug into his food; he was hungry, and no wonder, when he and Lucian had spent all afternoon, half the night, and again this morning… his dick twitched. His eyes narrowed. It was still early, they could—
“Oh, bollocks.”
Across the table, Lucian mopped up runny egg yolk from his chin. A golden blob also sat on his bottle green polo shirt, next to the discreetly embroidered Floristry by Lucian Blaxston. He rubbed at the mess, making it worse.
“Don’t you dare say anything,” Lucian growled, not looking up as he continued to spread rather than clean off the stain.
“It honestly never even crossed my mind.” Or not if he wanted to keep his balls attached. “But you have a whole pile of them upstairs in the closet, so maybe throw that one in the laundry?”
Lucian glared across the table.
Arlo met his gaze and fought to tamp down the grin that was scratching at his lips. Lucian’s attempt to look fierce was so damn… adorkable.
Lucian was the first to crack as a smile broke out across his face. “I told you before that I was feral,” he said, as he dashed out of the kitchen.
Arlo put on some more coffee, his thoughts settling on the day ahead.
Spring had come to the town and the surrounding mountains, decorating them in the bright colors that made the world fresh and new and full of hope. He had a landscape that needed some final touches, but later, when the working day ended for them both, he’d suggest they take a ride up to Jake’s Lookout to gaze up into the night sky and count the countless stars. Maybe they could get the blanket out and—
His cell, in the hip pocket of his jeans, pinged as a message dropped in. Abandoning the coffee, he pulled it out, his lips pressing into a tight line as he stared at the number that was part of his past. After a moment’s hesitation, he opened up the message, bracing himself for what it might contain. He read it, re-read it, and re-read it again, before letting go of a long, deep breath. This was the final dottedi, the last crossedt, the turning of the last page in the book that was his life before Lucian.
“I suppose I better get off,” Lucian said, rushing into the kitchen as he tucked his clean polo into the waistband of his jeans. “I’ve got a delivery of…” Lucian’s hands stilled. “Arlo? What’s the matter?”
Arlo held out the cell. Lucian took it, worry creasing his brow.
Arlo said nothing, only watched as Lucian, just as he’d done, read the message before re-reading. The creases in Lucian’s brow melted away.
“He’s… Tony’s agreed to sell the beach house? It’s the best news!”
Arlo took the cell back, glancing at it before he closed the message, relief flooding him as he thrust it back into his pocket.
“Yep.” He couldn’t keep the smile from his lips or his voice. “It’s taken him long enough to come around. Guess his lawyer finally drummed some sense into his head.”
“I’m so glad.” Lucian wrapped his arms around Arlo and brushed a soft kiss over his lips.
“Me too, baby, me too.”
A shaft of golden sunlight lit up the kitchen, bathing them in its soft warmth as the final clouds of his old life were, at last, chased away.
“This is an incredible day, and one we should celebrate,” Lucian murmured into his chest. “You can take me up to Jake’s Lookout tonight and make me see stars.”
“The weather report says there’ll be clear skies, so—Ouch! Why did you pinch me?”
Lucian glared up at him. “Because the stars in the sky are not the ones I’m talking about.”
Arlo grinned as laughter bubbled up inside of him. Lucian glared some more, still trying, and still failing, to look fierce before a wide, sunny smile shone from his face.
“Okay, I guess I deserved that. Come on, I’ll give you a ride into work.”
Together, they left the house, walking into the warm, bright morning.
Yes, it was going to be an incredible day.
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