Riley’s hands caress my ass as I push inside her, face to face this time.
She is perfection.
Our eyes are locked together as we find our rhythm.
“I’m yours, Riley.”
She gasps as I thrust in, and her legs lock behind my lower back.
“Mine,” she says.
She’s so tight and perfect for me. But more than that, she’s my mate. She’s going to be my wife someday.
Riley demands that I go harder, and as I do, I reach between us and stroke her tight clit.
“I knew I needed you in my life, but I didn’t expect this.”
“I don’t need anyone else, Rowdy. I want to date you forever.”
I bury my face in Riley’s collarbone as I growl out my release.
She grips me so hard I might pass out.
At the same time, she shatters in a pulsing orgasm, sweetly pulling me in deeper.
Afterward, we sit together with her paints in the studio, naked and free.
She lovingly paints little birds all over my chest as we laugh about it.
“I can’t believe I’ve been upgraded to the bedroom, all because I told my district manager to sponsor a table and make high bids at the auction.”
“You’re a sneaky one, Rowdy. I’m going to have to watch out for you,” she says. “But really, I should’ve trusted you.”
“To be fair, I’m kind of a handful,” I say.
She laughs. “We’ll have to make sure you steer clear of the Wilson Rogers of the world.”
“Easy,” I say. I’ll stick to the people who like me, right here in Songbird Ridge.”
She lightly brushes black caps onto a little chickadee and smiles. “You don’t even have to leave the studio if you don’t want to. Because I’ll always be here, and I’ll always like you.”
I lean for a kiss. That sounds like the perfect plan.
Epilogue
Two and a halfyears later
Riley
Rowdy and I, along with the entire art guild, have gathered for one of the most exciting moments in the history of our little town.
Rowdy looks handsome in that same midnight blue suit from our first date as he cuts the ribbon for the Arthur Fraser Memorial Arts and Education Center.
Everyone claps and cheers, and thank goodness it’s the middle of summer so we can have a good old-fashioned outdoor party instead of something stuffy and indoors.
We stay put long enough for the newspaper photo shoot, and then we all take a tour of the new facility.
Evergreen Tools outdid anything I could have anticipated. The main hallway is partitioned into maker spaces, each accommodating workshops for painting, pottery, fiber arts, and more. Out back, we have kilns. Downstairs is an area for day camps and summer camps, catering to teaching art to areachildren. Upstairs, a gallery showcases local artists from across the state.
