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“Ah, Flynn,” he breathed. “Baby, I wondered why you’d wandered down this row three times already.”
I stopped in the center of the aisle. “W-what?”
“Sweetheart,” he said in a gentle, affectionate voice, the kind of voice that poured warm honey down through my chest and into my soul. “Turn around.”
I closed my eyes and pivoted, almost scared to hope, but when I opened them, I saw the Honeybridge Mead display—literally fifteen feet away and looking incredible—and, even more amazingly, the handsome man standing out front in a Honeybridge Mead shirt.
“Jon?” I choked, lurching forward until I was safe in his arms. “You’re here. Thank god.”
He squeezed me tightly, one hand wrapped around my waist while the other sank into my hair. His scent—that expensive designer cologne that had become as comforting to me as any of Willow’s candles or the yeasty oatmeal scent of the Meadery—made me want to shove my nose in his neck for the rest of our lives.I wanted to crawl inside him and sleep for weeks.
“I missed you. Missed you so much.”
“Flynn, is PJ okay? Is he…”
“He’s home. He’s with McLean. I… I feel like I dropped the ball and let him down, Jon. But he’s safe.” My voice broke on the last word.
“Shh.” JT’s voice rumbled through his chest, and my fingers tightened. “Ah, Christ, baby. You’ve had a shitty few days, haven’t you? But I’ve got you now. I promise I do. And you don’t have to do anything alone anymore if you don’t want to.”
I sniffed, annoyed at myself for dissolving so completely in his arms—though not annoyed enough to break away from his hold. Ithadbeen a shitty few days. And I was so damn tired of being strong. It was nice to let myself be held, especially by JT.
“Firecracker, I’m sorry,” JT whispered. “I should have told you right away about the Fortress deal. As soon as I knew that you and I had understood things differently. But I swear, it wasn’t because I don’t believe in you or respect you—”
“I know. And I’m sorry I pushed you away. I’m going to work on that.” I pressed my forehead to his collarbone and let my breath coast over his skin. “Every single thing you’ve done this summer was about empowering me and setting me free, Jon. I should have put my faith in that instead of knee-jerk reacting.” I gave a watery laugh. “Thank you. For being here. For apologizing. It means a lot.”
“So… you forgive me?” he demanded, his body sagging in relief. He pulled back just far enough to see my face. “Shit, baby. I thought I was going to have to make some kind of big speech. Write you poetry. Declare youKing of BrewFest. Promise you a million blowjobs—”
“Well, I mean.” I dragged the heel of my hand under my traitorous, leaking eyes. “Let’s not take those things off the table just yet.”
JT’s lips quirked, and then he full-on grinned, and—damn that smug, sexy, adorable, wonderfulasshole—when he started laughing, I couldn’t help laughing, too, right in the aisle of the expo center…
Because JT always knew how to make things better.
He was on my side. And whatever challenges life had in store for us, I would never doubt that again.
JT pushed my hair back from my forehead and grinned down at me. I swear I could see my future in those Wellbridge-blue eyes. “Only you, Flynn Honeycutt, could make me feel this chaotic and this fucking incredible. Loving you is going to be the wildest ride.”
My heart skipped a beat. “L-loving?” I sucked in a breath. “Wait, you… what do you meanlove?”
“Ah.” He nodded with exaggerated seriousness. “Good call. Too many misunderstandings in the past. Let me make sure I communicate this clearly so there can be no doubt. I’m saying thatI—as in, Jonathan Turner Wellbridge III—”
I choked out a startled laugh. “You,” I repeated, annoyed and amused and ridiculously aroused, all at the same time. “The world’s most aggravating, completely un-sexy Frog—”
“Uh-huh.Love—as in, feel an overwhelming, life-altering, there-will-never-be-anyone-else for-me passion—”
My throat made a clicking noise as I swallowed.
“Foryou,Flynn Honeycutt. My archnemesis. My soul mate. My unreasonable, prickly, gorgeous Firecracker. Is it clearer now?”
My stomach swooped and dove like a kite in the breeze, and I clung to him tighter. “Christ, you’re an asshole. Seriously,suchan asshole,” I said with a sniff, lifting on my toes to press a hard, thorough kiss to his mouth.
And fuck, did I like him exactly as he was.
Jon’s face went serious as he pulled back. “I love you,” he whispered in a low voice. “You’re the only man I’ve ever said that to, Flynn. The only one ever I want to say it to.”
I bit my lip. When he looked at me this tenderly, it was impossible to stay prickly, even for me. “Well, that’s good, then,” I said, the words coming out hoarse and low. “Because I love you, too, Jon. So damn much.”
He buried his face in my neck and held me so tightly it was nearly painful… and entirely perfect. “Just remember,” he whispered in my ear, “who said it first.”
