“I can’t believe you made me chase you across a lake.”
He opened his eyes. “I can’t believe I’ve got such a bossy girl to love me so much.”
“I love you.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“Now you say it too.”
He kissed my nose, my eyelids, each cheek, then my chin. And then he whispered, “I love you.”
My toes pointed. “Kiss me, Hotel Boy.”
He really just did.
The peanut gallery, an entire hotel full, cheered.
We swam back to shore. Our friends were waiting for us on the dock.
“I mean, when you go big, you fucking go big,” Natalie cried, throwing a towel around my shoulders.
“I love him,” I said, beaming up at my guy.
“C’mere, Bossy.” He laughed, tucking me under his arm. He looked up at the third-floor balcony. “Did no one else jump?”
“No way, man, everyone just watched to see what was going to happen,” Leo replied, clapping Archie on the back. “Maybe you can do a Labor Day Porch Jump instead.”
“I might sit that one out.” I looked up and saw how high that balcony really was. “Good lord, that’s high.”
“Esther Williams over here.” Roxie laughed. “But you weren’t going to miss out on your man.”
“I love him,” I repeated. It didn’t get old, hearing those words coming out of my mouth. Thrilling.
“I know you do, sweetie.” She laughed, then waved at someone in the crowd. “Hey, I’ve got someone for you to meet.”
“Can it wait? I kind of want to go kiss on Archie a little bit.” And without waiting, I reached up and tugged his very willing mouth down to mine, not caring a bit who was watching or who I was supposed to be meeting.
“Ahem, uh, Clara?” I heard Roxie say.
“Yeah yeah, in a minute.” I sighed as Archie’s hands snuck around to the small of my back and pulled me closer.
“No worries, Rox, we’ll meet up with her later, they both look a bit busy, yeah?” I heard an oddly familiar voice with a distinct British accent say.
My eyes blinked open even though I was still kissing Archie. I looked to my left even though I was still kissing Archie. And saw none other than Jack Hamilton standing there, looking a bit embarrassed . . . while I was still kissing Archie.
“I love you,” I said to him, while still kissing Archie. “I mean—”
“Ow!” Archie said. “You bit my lip!”
“Why is Jack Hamilton standing there looking at me?” I asked Archie out of the corner of my mouth. I looked at the gorgeous redhead standing next to Jack. “Shit, and Grace Sheridan is looking at me too, what is happening?”
“We caught your porch jump, brilliant, wasn’t it Crazy?” Jack asked Grace, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
“If I hadn’t seen it, I wouldn’t have believed it,” Grace replied with a naturally warm smile.
“Someone tell me what’s happening,” I said, not able to take my eyes off the Hollywood royalty standing in front of me. “Also, Jack, I love you.”
“Okay, quit it,” Roxie said, jumping in. “Remember how you were talking about trying to drum up some celebrity clientele here, bringing some new blood to Bryant Mountain House? Well, I mentioned to Archie that I might have a couple that would fit that bill exactly, and he invited them up for the weekend, isn’t it great?” She linked arms with the two of them. “I haven’t seen these two since I left Los Angeles last year.”
“She said she’d be back to cook for us, but she stayed away forever,” Jack said.
“And now that I’ve met Leo, I can see why,” Grace said, flashing another movie-star grin in Leo’s direction.
“Grace is doing a show in New York for a few weeks so we thought we’d pop up here, see Rox, and check out this hotel she’s been raving about. Which is great by the way, cheers, mate,” Jack said, reaching out to shake Archie’s hand.
“We’re glad to have you here,” Archie said, and I suddenly realized I was meeting the star of Time, one of my favorite movie franchises ever, while wearing a soaking wet dress after throwing myself into a lake to kiss the man I loved.
Best. Day. Ever.
“I just wish someone would have told me, is all I’m saying,” I said again, from underneath the towel. Archie and I had finally managed to step away from the gaggle of well-wishers, guests and staff alike, who’d been gathered around us down by the lake and escape to one of the rooms to clean up a bit. I was scrubbing at my hair, trying to get most of the wet out, and when I emerged from underneath, it stood out around my face in spikes. “I mean, it’s Jack Fucking Hamilton. That’s like not telling someone, hey, by the way, Robert Pattinson is picking apples in your front yard, no big deal.”
Suddenly, warm hands slipped around my waist and tugged me back against a warm body. “They’ve been here for a few days already, Bossy. It’s not really a big deal anymore. Remember, royalty has stayed here. You get used to it.”
“Royalty,” I scoffed, turning around in his arms. “They’re Hollywood royalty, and I still think someone could have told me. I looked like a fool.”
“You looked amazing,” he replied, kissing me on the nose. “Especially when you were telling him you loved him.”
“I do.” I grinned. “But not like I love you.”
“Let’s hope not,” he warned, lifting my chin with his hand. “How much time do you think we have up here before they come looking for us?”
“Fuck ’em,” I said, reaching up and taking his hand in mine. Turning the palm up I pressed a kiss in the center. “They don’t know what room we’re in, and I have no idea where my phone is so they can’t call me and . . .” My voice trailed off as I stopped cold, looking at his hand.
“Clara?”
I held his hand in mine. “Your ring. You’re not wearing it.”
“No.”
My heart beat faster. “When did you take it off?”
He lifted my chin once more so he could look into my eyes. “The day you left. I haven’t worn it since.”
“Oh.”
“I’ve only loved two women in my entire life, Clara.” Those indigo eyes, feathered with the most beautiful auburn lashes, began to deepen.
“To be clear, I’m one of them, right?”
“Ridiculous,” he murmured, softly brushing my cheek with his fingertips.
I reached up on my tiptoes to kiss him. “Want to stay here and not watch TV?”
He lifted me up off my tiptoes. “I thought you’d never ask.”
He had me naked in seconds. And the way he looked at me told me we weren’t going anywhere anytime soon. “We’re going to miss the fireworks,” I said as he carried me to the bed.
“We can watch them from the balcony.”
“Sort of like a new tradition, huh?” I threw my arms over my head as he began to kiss down my body.
“Exactly what I was thinking,” he told my belly button.
“I love you.”
He lifted my leg over his shoulder. “Never stop saying that.”
“I love you. I love you. I love you. I . . .
“Oh,
“Oh,
“Oh,
“. . . loooooove you!”
Epilogue