LUV U
Epilogue
“Now, you know I’m not one to say I told you so…” I let my voice trail off as I stare pointedly out at the expanse of cleared land before us. “But I for sure told you so.”
Adam lets out a throaty chuckle and folds his hand over mine. “It’s funny because I feel like most people who hate to brag do it a lot less.”
I shoulder check him, but he barely budges. The man is solid muscle, completely immovable. And he’s mine. Has been for so long now that the Earth has warmed and the trees at the edge of the clearing have turned a vibrant green. Summer is here and in full swing. And soon, this ribbon cutting ceremony will be, too.
“I’m just saying, if it hadn’t been for my beautification initiative, we’d never have convinced a luxury chain like Whitman to build a resort in Heartsong of all places.”
Adam squeezes my hand and glances down at me with an arched brow. “Is now a good time to mention that their proposal to the council included a road widening project to ease the burden of traffic coming into town?”
My lips audibly pop open. “It did not!”
“You’ve been slacking on your reading, Cora.” He taps the tip of my nose gently. “Page sixty-nine of the proposal.”
“Oh, that’s why I missed it.”
That adorable wrinkle forms between his brows. The one I love to bring out with my asinine questions and taunting observations. It only works because he gives as good as he gets. Which is why… “Saw the page number and immediately got distracted with thoughts of you.”
It takes a beat, but he lets out a bark of laughter that startles the nearby crowd of townsfolk and council members, including Councilman Roberts, who has his toupée pinned to his head in a death grip meant to ward off the brisk breeze. Sturge scowls at us mid-conversation with the representative for Whitman Hotels and Resorts, a man I recognize from my internet deep-dive as the son of the founders and heir to their fortune: Everett Whitman.
Adam tugs at my hand, drawing my gaze back to him. He’s smiling wickedly, gray eyes now thick as smoke. “Might I be able to cash in on that fantasy later tonight?”
“Sure,” I say, my grin forcibly demure. “Your place or mine?”
He releases my hand to trail his fingertips up my forearm, leaving a line of goosebumps in their wake. I’m wearing a sleeveless dress in celebration of the warmth finally filling the air, and by the way he hasn’t been able to keep his eyes off me, I’d say Adam loves it.
“Mine. I got some of that new white blend Lauren was talking about last week, and the ingredients to make carbonara. Thought maybe we could watch a movie after, or even go out dancing.”
I squint up at him in confusion. “What’s the special occasion?”
“Nothing,” he answers too quickly. “Can’t I just plan a romantic evening for my woman?”
“Oh great; Channel Four is here!” Sturge shouts, his voice piercing the bubble around us. “Places, everyone! Let’s get this show on the road so we can all get back to work.”
My gaze cuts back to Adam, and I hold up a finger. “Let’s put a pin in this. I fully intend to interrogate you further once the big man has cut the shiny ribbon with the even bigger scissors.”
Adam finds Everett Whitman in the crowd and scoffs. “He’s not that big.”
The man is easily Adam’s height, if not a little taller, but there’s no use arguing with pride. I pat him on the shoulder and step up to join my boss for the photo opp. Adam follows suit, standing at Sturge’s other side.
Sturge gives an exceptionally dry speech about bringing new visitors to our town—one I wish he’d asked for help with because I’d have written something much better—and concludes by telling Everett how much he looks forward to our new partnership with his family.
Somewhere in the crowd, an annoyed scoff cuts through the murmurs of welcome. I lock eyes with Lauren, who I hadn’t even realized was present until now. She waves off my questioning gaze and turns to walk away before the ribbon cutting is even over. A glance to my right tells me Everett is more intent on watching my friend leave than doing his duty with the giant scissors.
After we all shake hands and finish with pictures, Adam slips an arm around my shoulders and pulls me into his chest. “Is it just me, or did you get the impression that Lauren and that Everett guy have some weird thing going on?”
I try to shrug, but it’s impossible with the weight of him on my shoulders. “I’m not sure how they’d even know each other.”
Adam turns his wrist against my chest and we both glance at his watch. “When’s the next book club?”
My eyes widen, and I spin in his arms to face him. “Shit, it’s tonight. Adam, I completely forgot. Aubrey’s hosting, and I’m in charge of snacks this time. I can’t miss. I’m sorry!”
He deflates like a popped balloon. I’ve never seen him look so sad. He attempts to recover quickly, but he still has the appearance of a kid who thought today was Christmas only to find out it’s next week instead.
I step back and cross my arms. “Okay, what gives? Is there something going on tonight that I don’t know about? You’re being really strange.”
He shakes his head, reaching for me in an attempt to pull me back in, but I take another step. He grumbles his disapproval. “I was just excited to spend time with you, that’s all. And there was a mention of sixty-nining…”
I waggle my finger pointedly. “No deflecting with humor. I’m not leaving till you tell me what’s going on, Adam Sullivan.”
His hands land on his tapered hips as he lets out an exasperated sigh. The crowd has thinned, and what remains of it is huddled closer to where our cars are parked. Out here, it’s just me, Adam, and a limp ribbon on the ground. That, and the breathtaking view left by the clearing that will soon house the resort.
“Are you determined to do everything your way or the highway?”
I can’t help my responding smirk. “Highway was your way, remember?”
“This is so very like us,” he says with a breathless grin. “I can’t imagine any version of me telling you I love you for the first time where you don’t give me hell the whole way through it.”
My heartbeat stutters to a stop, then the whole organ drops like a stone into my stomach. Or soars into my throat. I’m not sure which. The only thing I’m certain of is the seriousness in Adam’s eyes as he takes me in with a cheek-splitting smile and a shake of his head.
“I love you, Cora. I love that you challenge me and make me better in the process. I love that you’re smarter than you have any right to be and work so hard it’s giving me a complex about my own self-discipline.” He chuckles at that, then takes a step forward. I hold stock still. When he’s finally closed the distance, he traces his knuckles over the hollow of my cheek, and I suck in a breath that’s full of the spice of him. “I love you when you’re completely undone beneath me, the most honest version of yourself. In fact, I think that’s when I love you the most.”
“You love me?” I whisper. Then I blink back someone’s tears. My own, I guess.
He nods. “I do. Love you, that is. And I was planning to make it a whole romantic thing this evening, but I must say, this feels much more like us. Wouldn’t you agree?”
I can’t speak, so instead I rise up on my tiptoes and cover his mouth with mine. It reminds me of the very first time we kissed, in that hotel room we were never supposed to end up in together. Now I’m so damn grateful we did. Because Adam loves me. He loves me. And better yet?
“I love you, too.” I’m hovering a breath away from him, leaving just enough space for the words to leave my lips and land on his. “I love you so much I don’t know what to do with the feeling. And I don’t want to. It’s so much better like this, being so consumed with it that I can’t imagine what it was ever like before I loved you. I love you. Did I say that already?”
His eyes are alight with joy and adoration and amusement all wrapped up in the prettiest bouquet of grays and steels and silvers. “You did. But I could stand to hear it a couple thousand more times.”
I let out a childish squeal. “I may have to miss book club, actually.”
“No way. Those women will hunt me down with pitchforks.” He kisses me again, so hard I see stars, then lets a hand trail down to give my ass a quick squeeze. “Plus, we’ve got to find out what’s up with Lauren. Tomorrow I’ll wine and dine you, and we’ll just have to do a whole re-enactment.”
“But with sixty-nineing?” I ask suggestively.
He winks. That sexy, infuriating gesture that I can never get enough of now that he’s mine. “Count me in.”
“Things were a lot more interesting when you two hated each other,” Sturge grumbles as we wade dreamily back to our cars. I hadn’t realized he was still there, leaning against his sensible Honda Civic with that permanent frown in place.
“Sorry to disappoint, because now we love each other!” Adam singsongs.
Sturge rolls his eyes and slips into his car while I gape up at Adam. “What was that?”
“What?” he says, throwing a hand over his heart. “I was just making up for not disclosing our relationship to him before the Valentine’s event like I should’ve. Figured you’d like that.”
Now it’s my turn to roll my eyes. And not because I’m annoyed, but because he’s right. I did like it.
In fact, I loved it.