"I'm picturing your stepbrother watching us," he whispered. "And Josiah, since you seemed curious about him. I'm picturing them with their cocks hard, waiting for their turn with you."
His words pushed me right over the edge. I couldn't have stopped myself from coming if I wanted to. Not even if Connorordered me not to. I could see exactly what Riley was describing and it was hotter than hell. Josiah and Brooks, fisting their cocks, aching to slide them inside my body.
I have to admit, it wasn't the first time I had that fantasy about Brooks, but Josiah was something new. So fucking complicated but that didn't matter in the moment. All that mattered was the wave of bliss that washed over me, taking me and Riley with it, losing ourselves in each other.
37
LEAH
The cleanup was neveras fun as the setup, but most of Aurora Hollow turned out to help, making it quicker than it would otherwise have been. I kept an eye out for Brooks, even quietly asking around, but I saw no sign of him. No one could remember seeing anyone who fit his description.
I was starting to think I imagined seeing him at all. He might have been a trick of the light or something like that. Either way, he didn't come knocking on my door or turn up beside me to pick up discarded paper cups, or pull down streamers.
By the middle of Monday afternoon, the town was cleaned up and all the food trucks and amusement rides were gone like they'd never been there. If it wasn't for indents on the grass, they might also have been figments of my imagination.
"Thank goodness that's done." Louisa wiped her hands on her jeans. "Thanks a lot for pitching in. It's very much appreciated."
"You're more than welcome," I said honestly. "I feel like it's the least I can do given how nice everyone's been."
"I heard Holly sold both of the paintings she had at her table." Louisa bent forward to tie up the top of a bag of trash.
"She did," I said. "Early in the day too." I didn't know who she'd sold them to, but I was grateful for the money.
"I'm not surprised one bit," Louisa said. "You're very talented. It won't be long before people are coming up here just to buy a Leah Kent original."
My face heated. I glanced down at my shoes and muttered, "I don't know about that."
She finished tying the bag and stood up straight to rub her back. "I do. I know what people come to Aurora Hollow for. Some come to the atmosphere. Some come for the adventure tours. And some come for things they can't get anywhere else. The craft items, made by local folk. I've seen it a bunch of times. They buy up everything they can, take it to a gallery in the city and put up the price. Sooner or later, the artist figures it out and sells directly to the gallery themselves." She smiled. "Eliminate the middle man, as they say. Middle person is probably more appropriate these days. At any rate, there's been muttering about setting up a gallery here for years. Sooner or later, someone is gonna do that. Maybe it'll be you."
"It's crossed my mind a few times," I admitted. "If I had an investor or two, maybe then…"
I had no illusion I could do it on my own. Physically or financially.
"There might be some rich city folk ready to invest in something like that." She picked up the bag and hefted it higher before carrying it over to the pile ready for trash collection.
I watched her for a moment, lost in thought. Was that really something I could do? Set up my own small gallery here in town? Rent out space to other artists, so they could reach buyers of their own?
The place could have rooms at the back for art classes for people of all ages. That would mean putting down roots here in town. Cementing my place as a member of the community. Whatwould the rest of the town think of that? Living here was one thing, indicating I planned to stay was another.
I decided to put that in the back of my mind for now. I'd barely begun doing the administration work for Riley and Connor. That and my own art deserved the bulk of my attention at the moment.
I caught a hint of black slipping out of the store opposite the pub. I hadn't seen Josiah Lachance for a couple of weeks. Presumably he stayed up the mountain, keeping away from aggressive, prying eyes in town.
Without realising it, I crossed the road and hurried after him.
"Josiah, wait," I called out.
He glanced back over his shoulder. Scowled. "What do you want?"
"I—" What did I want? "I just want to talk. See how you are."
He stopped and squinted at me. "Why do you want to know?"
He reminded me of a wild animal, wary, but eyeing a handful of food. Certain he should run, but something kept him there.
"Because I don't like the way you've been treated," I said. "You deserve to walk around town as much as anyone else."
"Yeah, right." He clearly didn't believe a word I said. Waiting for the punchline as if this was some kind of sick joke.
