All Summer Long (Fool's Gold #9)

Dominique wasn’t in New York? “I don’t understand.”


He took her hands in his and stared into her face. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I was wrong and selfish and I hurt you. I didn’t want to. I wasn’t thinking about you or anyone except myself. I was scared, Charlie. So damned scared. That fire. You could have died.”

She didn’t know what he was talking about. Part of her wanted to hope but the broken bits hurt too much.

“I’m not making sense, am I?” he asked, then released her only to turn her gently. “Look,” he said, pointing at the massive electronic billboard in Times Square.

The picture shifted. Lights went on and off, finally reassembling in a picture. A photo of the two of them, together.

Clay was beautiful, she thought, staring at the image of him twenty or thirty feet high. His face, his smile. Then she blinked, not sure she was seeing what looked like—

“I love you,” he told her, standing behind her, his arms wrapped around her. “Can you see it? I should have realized it sooner. I should have known you’d get to me. I should have been prepared. But I thought I knew how love happened. I didn’t know it was also something that could grow from friendship and respect. I wasn’t looking, so I didn’t see what was right in front of me.”

He turned her toward him. “I love you, Charlie. I’m sorry I got scared, but I won’t again. I’m here for you. I want to be with you always. I want to marry you and give you those babies you were talking about. Please give me a chance. Please say you still love me.”

She stared at him, afraid to believe but knowing she would never let him take the words back.

“I’m a forever kind of guy,” he murmured, right before he kissed her. “That’s how long I want.”

“Me, too,” she whispered and pressed her mouth to his.

They were still kissing when the billboard lights changed to three words.

Marry Me, Charlie.

Around them the crowd started cheering. People were yelling.

“Did she say yes?”

“Are they here?”

“What did she say?”

“I’ll marry him if she doesn’t.”

Charlie raised her head and laughed. “Sorry,” she said, staring into his eyes. “He’s taken.”

Clay grinned. “You got that right. For always, Charlie.”

“For always.”