Page 57 of Lustful Nights

“I always saw myself getting married. Maybe moving farther out of the city with some land. Maybe getting a few animals and let them run wild. Possibly add a few kids to the mix.”

“Yeah?” I ask excitedly, knowing that’s exactly something I want for myself. “And do you, um…would you ever see that future with me?”

Jensen takes hold of my hand, interlocking our fingers, and placing them onto his lap. He grabs my chin, holding me in place. “Is that the kind of future you would want?”

My breath stutters as a soft “Yes” falls from my lips. I clear my throat, wanting him to hear me more clearly. “Yes, I want a future like that. A future with you.”

“I can’t think of anything better than marrying you and starting a family with you, Lennox.”

“Of course, not anytime soon, but one day.”

“Yeah, sweetheart. One day.”

EPILOGUE

Jensen

2 yearslater

I’ve been waiting for this day for so long. I have been prepping and scheming alongside Nick, trying to guarantee everything was perfect for Lennox. I’m only planning to do this once, so I have to be certain I get it right the first time.

“Shit, where is the ring?” I turn in a circle, patting my pockets before dashing over to the counter. I lift the stack of magazines, the bowl of fruit, and hell, even the paper towels, but the ring is nowhere to be seen. “Fuck.”

“Are you looking for this?” I spin around and Nick is standing right in front of me, holding the black box.

“Damn, where was it?”

“Right next to your keys. You gotta calm down, man. Everything will go smoothly. You know Lennox and you know he’s not going to say no. Jeez, he’ll probably complain about you taking too long.”

“Hell, especially with the not-so-subtle hints he’s been leaving around.”

For the past few months, Lennox has been dropping clues left and right about getting engaged. At first, it started out pretty simple; he would comment on other people whose wedding were coming up. Or he would start talking about color choices, saying they would make a ceremony more beautiful. But then he began getting bold, sending pictures of rings, even venues with cute emojis attached. Each time I would laugh and try to act like it was a joke, but I kept each picture saved, knowing I would do anything it takes to make him happy.

“Relax. You’ve got this. Make sure you call me after he says yes.”

Nick leaves, and I pace around the house waiting for Lennox to come over. I told him Nick and I were watching the game tonight to give me a little time to get everything ready. The lock on the door clicks open, my heart racing at the thought of it happening so soon.

“Jensen?”

“In here!” I yell, pacing in the living room again.

“Are we still going out for a ride?” Lennox asks, entering the room. He stops short when he sees me, tilting his head. “Are you okay?”

“Never better. And yes. A ride. Let’s go now.”

Lennox stares at me before slowly drawing out an “Okay.”

We ride on my bike all the way to the beach. He holds onto me tightly, and every so often, I take my hand off the handlebar to pat his hands that are wrapped around my waist. My stomach feels as though it’s in my throat and I’m a nervous wreck. Even if I know Lennox isn’t going to say no, I can’t help but be nervous.

I drive down toward the familiar parking lot Lennox and I frequent, pulling into the spot closest to the walkway. We both get off the bike and start heading straight to our cliff. The ring box is burning a hole in my pocket, and I keep patting it lightly, making sure it doesn’t go anywhere.

“I’ll never tire of coming here with you. It’s always so relaxing.” Lennox tells me, hopping up onto the cliff.

“Uh, do you mind if we stand?”

“Oh, um. Sure,” he says, scrunching his eyebrows together. He hops back down, standing in front of me. “Are you okay? You seem a little off.”

“Yeah, sweetheart. I’m more than okay. You know how much I love you, don’t you?”

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