Page 96 of Riot of Autumn

Ezra stares at me for so long, I worry he’s going to tell me I’m an idiot for even thinking about the possibility. Before I can tell him to snap out of it, he plucks me off the couch and drags me onto his lap, wrapping me in a hug so tight my bones ache.

“I fucking love you, Ruby Laurens. We’ll make that happen. I promise you.”

Ezra and I worked with Archer and Davis to find the right building and rehab it. The front is gallery space, where I’ve already had three shows. Two were artists from New York who wanted a different venue to show off their latest collections. And one was my own work. It was the scariest and most exhilarating night of my life, including that time I sucked all the magic out of a bunch of Fae and helped save Wild Haven.

I had pit stains the size of grapefruits by the end of the night. I passed out the moment we got home that night, exhausted from the stress leading up to the show and the excitement of revealing my work to the public.

Behind the main gallery space is a workshop area where I hold after school art classes a few times a week. I’m no teacher and I never went to school for art, so my philosophy is all about giving the kids a place to play around with different art mediums. They just have to show up, and I provide all the supplies. My next move is to have artists in residence lead some classes. One of the guys who had his show here already agreed to come out for a week and teach watercolors.

Skeeter works here a few days a week, doing crafts with the kids, which tickles me to no end. He’s so gruff and rough on the outside, but the kids absolutely adore him. After I got the insurance check, I nearly rebuilt the duplex just for him. It gutted me that he lost his home. When I went to go see him about it, he’d hummed low in his throat and said he was just fine staying with his lady friend.

The gallery is small and I’m still finding my feet, but for the first time in my life, I feel like I’m doing something good. It feels right.

The crow squawks and rustles his wings at the front of the room. I look at the clock and realize we’re at the end of today’s time.

“Alright, everyone, clean up your stuff and pack it up for the night. I’ll see you on Thursday.”

When the last student leaves, I lock the door behind them and head back to the workspace. The crow is gone. In its place is a hot as fuck man wearing a pair of low-slung sweatpants and a best friend’s forever necklace around his neck. Ezra’s clothing doesn’t make it through his shifts, but for whatever reason, my necklace always shifts with him.

Magic is weird and I don’t always understand it.

Since last Halloween, when I sucked all the power out of the Fae who wanted to set up a new kingdom in Wild Haven, I haven’t done much magic. I was left with a residual buzz of energy under my skin for months after that night. The clearing has turned into a field of wildflowers that almost glitter. They haven’t died yet, even in the winter, and the ground out there has a low magical hum that hasn’t gone away.

“Has anyone told you that you’re an excellent teaching assistant?” I bite my lip as I close the space between us.

“I’ve offered to be a nude model for the owner of this place, but I keep getting told no.” Ezra’s eyes drift down my body and he licks his lips like he sees something tasty. He pushes off the desk at the front of the room and slowly stalks toward me.

“Are you sure? I don’t remember hearing anything about that?” I tap my bottom lip and cock my head to the side like I’m thinking hard.

“Yeah. The big guy, bushy beard, who only speaks in monosyllables, told me no.”

I snort with laughter. “You asked Skeeter if you could be a nude model?”

“Well, he has seen me in some really compromising outfits. It seemed like the next step in our relationship.” Ezra takes a step toward me, his hands sliding around my waist.

“I might know some people. If that’s your dream, I can probably make it happen.” I thread my arms around Ezra’s neck and lean into his powerful body.

We’ve been together for over a year now and every day gets better. We still argue about stupid shit, but that’s half the fun with him. He’s made me a happier, more daring person, although he won’t take any of the credit for that. Ezra claims I just needed someone to nag me to death to finally go after what I really wanted. He’s not wrong, but I wouldn’t have him or the gallery without his pushes.

Ezra’s head dips, and he nuzzles under my jaw. His teeth scrape lightly over my skin and goosebumps break out all over my body.

“There’s really just one person I’m interested in sharing my dreams with, Cube.” Ezra grabs a handful of my hair and tugs my head back as he lowers his mouth to mine.

He can be so damn sweet sometimes, and yet completely dirty. His kiss owns me, his tongue tasting me and making my knees weak. His free hand slides down my back and grabs my ass, pulling me tight to his body so I feel his hard dick pressing into my stomach. I work my hand between our bodies, fumbling to open his fly and grinning into Ezra’s kiss when I get my hand wrapped around the rigid length of his cock.

He’s so hot and hard, practically pulsing in my palm.

“Fuck,” I gasp as I break the kiss. I wasn’t planning on an afternoon quickie, but who am I to say no to this? Plus, I’m actually wearing a skirt today. My timing never works out like this.

“Oh, I intend to.” Ezra sucks on my bottom lip as his hands cup my ass and he lifts me. I wrap my legs around him and he walks us until my back hits the wall.

“Have I mentioned how much I love this little skirt?” Ezra groans into my neck as his fingers push aside my panties.

There’s no time for foreplay, and there’s definitely no need. All Ezra has to do is look at me and I’m soaked. He’s not messing around either. With an agility that blows my mind, he hitches me up and then lowers me onto his cock.

“Fuck,” Ezra hisses, his chest heaving as I stretch around him. “Always so fucking amazing, Cube. Never get enough.”

Ezra’s body is so hot, and I’m so full. Every part of him takes over my senses. His smell, the taste of him on my lips, the heat radiating off his skin, even the sound of his breaths drives me wild. I squirm, trying to move my hips, but I’m at his mercy.

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