Chapter Sixteen-Gloria
T he gallery is beautifully decorated and packed from wall to wall.
There was something about the photographs hanging on the walls that made me shiver. It was like I recognized them, but I’d never met this artist and aside from one email, I’d never seen their work.
“Whoever this mysterious B.D. is, they’re fabulous, darling! I have one of their Studies of the Urban Animal hanging in my parlor,” an older woman whisper-screamed to someone standing close to me.
I had no idea what collection she was talking about, but judging from all the red stickers I’d noted as I passed, it looked like B.D. had a hit on their hands.
“There you are, Gloria, you genius!” Susan, the gallery owner, grabbed hold of my hand and started pulling me towards the back of the room.
“Susan, is everything okay?” I asked, racing to keep up with her.
It wasn’t easy since she was about a foot taller than me, and my boots had heels, dammit.
“Everything is fabulous! You were right about this show. It was exactly what people wanted. Come on, he wants to meet you.”
“He who?” I asked, not quite following.
“Why B.D. of course, and let me tell you, honey, the man is fine as fuck!” She turned her head and winked before slowing her pace.
I froze.
No way.
Shivers raced up and down my spine as Susan called out a cheerful, “Found her!”
The renowned recluse and brilliant photographer, B.D. was standing five feet away from me. He’d been facing the other way at first. But I’d know him anywhere.
Those shoulders.
That hair.
The tailored shirt I drooled over the whole ride into the city.
It couldn’t be.
But it was. My breath hitched as Bo turned to face me, his hands in his pockets.
“B.D., allow me to introduce the woman who made this all possible, Gloria DeSoto,” Susan said proudly.
“Hey, Slick,” Bo murmured, and I covered my wobbly lips as tears pricked my eyes.
“Y-You’re B.D.? How long have you known? Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked, assuming the worst.
Concern darkened his emerald eyes and two seconds later he had his hands wrapped around my upper arms and he pulled me into a hug.
“I only put it together when I heard you talking to your assistant. But if I hurt you, please forgive me. I thought it would be a nice surprise, but I’ll kick my own ass if I made you cry, Baby,” he murmured, kissing my temple as I clutched his sides.
“No! I mean, I’m not mad, I just can’t believe it,” I whispered, tilting my head back so I could see him.
“Believe it, Gloria. We’ve been destined from the start. If you hadn’t come up my mountain, I would have run into you sooner or later, seeing as how I’m your client. But I’m glad we met when we did.”
“You are?”
“Hell yeah, Slick. How else would I be able to propose to you on Christmas Eve so we can have enough time to fly to Vegas and tie the knot before the new year?”
“Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack. What do you say? Put me out of my misery, Slick, say you’ll be my wife.”
He nuzzled my nose with his, and that woodsy scent that was all Bo filtered into my nostrils, making me dizzy with desire.
“So bossy,” I whispered, claiming his lips with mine.
“Ouch!” I yelped, feeling the sting of his teeth on my bottom lip. “What was that for?”
“You didn’t say yes,” he growled, mock-frowning at me.
“Okay! Sheesh. Yes, I’ll be your wife!”
“Damn right you will,” he said and lifted me in the air, sealing his lips to mine and spinning me in a wide circle.
If you expected him to put me down and mingle with the crowd, I’m afraid you’d be disappointed. My Mountain Man did no such thing.
In fact, I found out later as he carried me fireman style, over his shoulder and out the gallery door to thunderous applause, plucking a small, familiar blue box out of the hands of a woman who had the same eyes as he did, Bo couldn’t even wait for the ring to propose.
He gave it to me later, though.
Much later.
After he made love to me up against the door of a condo he owned right on Central Park West.
We finally made it to the bedroom with Moose and Frou-Frou, taking over the living room area for the night. I lay there, half-draped over my new fiancé and feeling more content than ever before.
“You know, I almost stopped believing in miracles before I met you,” he whispered, kissing my head.
“Me too,” I replied just as softly, afraid to break the spell.
“You must carry some kind of Christmas magic, Slick.”
“Me? I was going to say you did.”
“Nah. It’s all you, Baby. And you are all mine. I love you,” he said, cupping the back of my neck and squeezing until I tipped my head to look into his big, handsome face.
“I love you too, Bo. You’re the best Christmas present ever.”
“I’m gonna have to disagree with you there, Baby,” he said, smiling widely as he flipped us over and started kissing me with intent.
To think I never thought I’d ever find lasting happiness with anyone. All it took was a Christmas miracle, and a sexy mountain man, to unbreak this city girl’s heart.
“Where are we gonna live?” I blurted as he slid down my body, licking his way down to the apex of my thighs.
“You wanna talk about that now, Slick?”
“It’s kind of important, no?”
He grinned and dropped his head to my pussy, kissing it gently before looking back into my eyes.
Fuck. I was an idiot. Why did I start asking questions when my man had better things to do with his mouth than talk?
“Baby, I don’t care where I live as long as I am with you,” he said and damn, but I believed him.
“Good. I think we should live at the cabin full time and use the condo when we need to make appearances. Will that work for you?”
“Yeah, Slick. Now lay back. It’s time for my midnight snack.”
“Oh, Bo.” I whimpered.
“So slick for me, Baby. That’s it. Be a good girl. Squirt for me.”
His tongue circled my clit while two fingers pushed inside, curling and stroking along the top of my sheath.
Like he was stoking the flames of my internal fire.
“So wet. Come on. Let me see this pretty pussy come for me.”
“Oh God. I never. I don’t think I can—oh my! Bo!”
But I did. Wet warmth flooded my sex, dripping down my thighs, and Bo growled, a possessive animalistic sound as he licked every drop.
I couldn’t believe it, I squirted.
“Merry Christmas, my love. Now, I’m going to start all over again,” he said.
“Bo, I don’t think I can do that again.”
“Sure you can. Just trust me.”
“I do trust you. With my body, my mind, and my heart. I love you so much, Bo.”
“I love you too, Slick. Now. Feel.”
He was so right. I did just as he said. I laid back, and I took everything he gave me.
And yeah, I did that thing again.
I squirted.
Twice .
“That’s my perfect girl. So fucking sexy, Beautiful. Gonna fuck you now. Gonna fill this pussy full of my cum.”
“Yes, please.”
I opened my arms and kissed my man, circling his waist with my legs as he slid into me, making me whole as no one else ever had.
The city that never sleeps carried on down below us, but none of that mattered. I had everything I needed right here.
I was finally getting my happy ever after, and it wasn’t too late at all. It was just the right time.