Page 53 of Low Down & Dirty

“Next week if you’re okaywiththat.”

“Hell yes, I’m okay with that.” She buries her face in her hands a moment before looking up at me. “All my life it felt as if every step I took led to disaster, and here you are, proving me wrong. The day I stepped into this bar was the best move Ievermade.”

“Bailing you out of jail was the best move I ever made.” I give a quick wink before landing a kiss to her lips. “And those bedroom moves,” I whisper hot into her ear. “You know all the right moves inthere,too.”

“I learned from the best.” Low reaches up and takes a bite out of my bottom lip before sealing her mouth over mine. We finish up that song and dance through the next three just like that, conjoined at the mouth, at the hips, at theheart.

Key Largo isevery bit as beautiful as we thought it to be. Low and I spend our days diving the coral reefs, our nights walking along the white sandy shores hand-in-hand. It’s a dream come true—one I didn’t even realizeIhad.

She gives my hand a squeeze on this navy balmy night as we walk along the shoreline. “Have I told you how relaxedyoulook?”

“I guess I needed a vacation.” That may be true, but I’m not feeling so relaxed at the moment. In fact, I’ve been sweating bullets all day long, and it has nothing to do with theweather.

“I needed this vacation.” She pulls us under a palm tree, and we gaze out at the moon as it dances over the crystal blue water. “This is paradise. Not only is ‘Key Largo’ our special song—I think it’s our special place. I foresee many a vacation spent here.” The dirty grin I love so damn much floats to her lips as she pulls me in by the collar. “In fact, I think when it’s time to make those babies, we should come down and kick off baby making seasonrighthere.”

“Mmm.” I kiss a line from her lips to her ear. “I think I’d like to practice. I’d like to have six or seven forstarters.”

Low belts out a laugh while smacking me over the chest. “You are insane. Try two—okay, maybe four, but just becauseyou’recute.”

“I think you’re pretty cute, too.” I swallow hard as the waves lap the shore in what amounts to a perfect tropical setting. Perfection is something I wanted for this moment. It’s the real reason I flew Low down here to begin with. I drop to one knee and pull a box out of mypocket.

“Oh my God, are you okay?” She slaps me over the face three times fast before I can get to the good part. “You’re not having a heart attack, are you? Oh my God, I’ve killed you!” she howls as if her luck somehow played a part in all this. It did, but in agoodway.

“I’m not dead.” I can’t help but laugh. The moon kisses her features, and she glows in this soft light. “I’m more alive right now than I’ve ever been.” I open the tiny velvet box and hold it between us. “Harlow Hartley, I love you more than words can say.” She gasps and falls onto her knees in the sand next to me. “I love you more than I ever thought humanly possible. I already know I want to spend forever with you. I don’t need another moment to decide that. Would you do me the honor of becomingmywife?”

Low drops her head in her hands and instantly sobs. “Yes.” She struggles to blink back the tears as she tackles me into the sand. “Oh my God, the ring! Give me that rock right thisminute!”

“Yes, ma’am.” I pluck it out of the box, three solid carats of princess cut perfection for none other than my princess. I slip it onto her finger, and it fitsperfectly.

“Levi.” Her gaze is still set on that rock. “My God, this must have cost you a fortune. You could have given me a wire, and I would have gladly worn it.” She pulls me down and covers my mouth with hers, and we roll around on that sand, laughing, showing one another all of the affection you can on a public beach inparadise.

“Long or short engagement”— I rub my thumb over her cheek—“it’s entirely uptoyou.”

“Short.” Her eyes light up like pinwheels, and I can practically see a million ideas rolling around in there. “I say we hold the reception—andthe wedding at ThePelican.”

“Really?” It hadn’t even entered my mind, but I like it. “If that’s what makes you happy, then consideritdone.”

“I already have what makes me happy.” Her fingers float to my cheek as she gives a light scratch to my stubble. “That would be you, Boobear.” Her hand slides up my shirt, and her nails graze over me with promise. “I’m thinking we should head back to the room and celebrate our newly engaged status. I don’t want to let anyone else in on our secret until we get back to Hollow Brook and we can tell themourselves.”

“I’m thinking you’re full of good ideas tonight. Correction, every night. You single-handedly saved ThePelican.”

“So that’s why you want to marry me—my ninja marketing skills have youcaptivated.”

I pull her on top of me, and her blonde curls rain down on my shoulders. “You remember that first night you walked into the bar and I said I hoped to own your heart? I knew exactly what I was saying. Every last part of you had me captivated right from the start. I love you,Peaches.”

“Peaches and Boobear forever.” She bubbles with a laugh, and I laugh right along with her through our open-mouthed kisses, teeth bumping over one another as we roll closer and closer to the waterline, until that next wave washes right over us, baptizing us—we are indeed born again, new without blemish, starting over with one another in this weary world on a perfect beach in KeyLargo.

Some might say it’s a perfect ending to our story. But it sounds more like a perfect beginningtome.

Low and I spend hours on that beach with our arms wrapped around one another, dancing in the water, our mouths fused together as the future rolls out before us as certain asthetide.

Low and I each walked through a fire in our lives and came out on the other end, unsinged, without the hint of smoke on us, hand-in-hand the way I believe it was always meant to be. We took the pain life gave us and molded it into something beautiful,ourlove.

This isn’t howweend.

This is how webegin.