3. Sterling

She's the most stunning,adorable woman I've ever met and she's all goddamn mine. I take a healthy sip of the wine before adjusting my cock, trying not to draw too much attention to the fucking bulge tenting the front of my dress pants.

Ginni, with her luminous green eyes and fiery red curls, is already brushing bold strokes across her canvas. I ignore the soft murmur of all the other couples engaging in the same awkward but amusing first-date painting activity. The air smells like acrylic paint and red wine, a cozy combination.

"I hope you like Picasso because I can assure you my artistic skills might make you resemble something of his style," she jokes, squinting at the canvas, and the maze of freckles dotting her cheeks and nose shift subtly, giving her a playful, ever-changing expression. It"s like watching an animated landscape of tiny, ginger specks that dance around her nose and cheeks, reacting to her facial movements.

I can't help but smile as I watch her little pink tongue peek out between her lips as she concentrates. "I love Picasso, so consider me forewarned and thrilled. Just no extra eyes where they don't belong, okay?" I joke, needing her attention back on me.

I don't know how, but this curvy little firecracker reached into my chest and stole my goddamn heart within seconds of our meeting.

She glances up at me and winks. "No promises, but I"ll do my best."

My goddamn cock steadily leaks cum as I watch her concentrate on her masterpiece. Turning back to my own canvas, I get my ass into gear. The sooner we finish these paintings, the sooner I can get Ginni alone.

As I finish up the outline of her face, I find my usual tension beginning to melt away. All the stress of dealing with my youngest brother's temperamental breakdown over the new amusement park rides fades to black.

Ginni chats about everything and nothing all at once—from her favorite mystery books to her love of cooking, which she claims usually leads to minor kitchen disasters. "So far this week, all I've managed to whip up is burnt toast, but I keep experimenting. I figure I'll eventually get something edible."

"I'd love to be your test dummy," I wince as my suggestion makes me sound like a fucking desperate moron.

"We can arrange a demonstration if you're sure your stomach can handle it." She glances at me over her canvas. The way her eyes crinkle when she smiles makes me want to capture every detail perfectly. This isn"t just about painting what I see; it"s about demonstrating the feelings she evokes in me on canvas.

"Burnt toast, mystery novels, and the company of a beautiful woman are quite the combo. I'm in." For life. I stare into her eyes, serious as hell. I haven't ever felt this way, and right now, I feel like the cartoon cat with birds flying around his head.

She leans over slightly to attempt to peek at my progress, and her delicate scent teases my nose. Fuck. She smells good enough to eat and I'm dying to devour her. That little taste of her wrist earlier only whetted my appetite. "Oh wow, Sterling, that really looks like me. You didn't tell me you're an experienced painter."

I'm suddenly grateful for all the extra art classes I took in college. "I dabbled in art in college, but I'm far from experienced." She glances at the canvas and back up at me with questions swirling in her eyes.

I turn back to my painting and stare at her gorgeous face staring back at me. "I guess having the perfect muse makes expressing myself on canvas easy."

"Oh." An adorable pink blush moves up her neck and she bites her plump bottom lip, causing my cock to grow impossibly harder as the air around us crackles with the chemistry flowing between us. "Thank you."

When she reaches for her glass of wine and takes a healthy swig, I back off a little, giving her time to examine what's happening between us and giving my cock time to calm the fuck down.

We talk more about art, slipping into a comfortable rhythm, and every so often, our hands brush as we reach for the wine or a new paint color.

Her laugh, bright and clear, fills the space between us, and I know this gorgeous girl is meant to be mine.

By the time we're finishing our paintings, I feel like I"ve captured something important, not just her image, but the essence of this evening. The reluctant pause as we both finish our wine speaks louder than words.

"So, shall we reveal our masterpieces?" I ask.

She nods, her expression a mix of nervousness and excitement. "On the count of three?"

"One. Two. Three."

We turn our canvases to face one another, and the room falls away for a moment. If I squint hard, I can see myself in the flesh-colored blob that appears to be wearing a French maid costume with a feather duster in hand. "You dared me to do my worst," she shrugs and snorts adorably, "and I think I outdid myself with it."

"I love it, Fate. I plan to hang this painting up in my penthouse so I can see it every day and remember this night." The night my life changed forever.

She scrunches up her adorable nose. "I don't really think it's good enough to hang up."

"It's fucking perfect." And so are you. When did I turn into such a goddamn sap? Oh yeah, when I let my assistant set me up on a blind date and ended up meeting my soulmate.

"If you say so." She turns to study my painting, a slow smile spreading across her face. "I can't believe how beautiful it is," she whispers. "I'm going to hang it in my apartment."

"I'm glad, Fate." I feel the ticking of the clock and realize our date is coming to an end. There's no goddamn way I'm letting our night end here. "Would you like to come back to my place and help me find the perfect place to hang your painting?"

"I'm pretty sure that thing should be hidden so it doesn't scare small children," she teases before adding, "I'd love to help you find a place to hide it."

I don't waste a second getting us out of Palettes and Vino after she agrees to come back to my place. I place both our paintings in the back seat of my truck before helping Ginni into the passenger seat. "Do you think my car is safe in the parking lot? Maybe I should drive myself to your place," she asks, and I wonder if she's having second thoughts about leaving with a man she just met.

"Your car will be fine." I take her soft hand in mine and place a kiss on the pounding pulse at her wrist. "If it makes you feel better, I'll text Sheriff Dillon Armstrong and have him send a unit out to check on it."

Ginni spins in her seat with a look of absolute horror written across her expressive face. "No." She shakes her head vigorously. "That won't be necessary. I know Silver Spoon Falls has almost zero crime."

I park in the underground parking lot and grab the two paintings before I help Ginni out of the truck. "Do you want me to carry one of the paintings?" she asks as I juggle them, trying not to smear the still-drying paint.

"I got this, Fate." I lean the two paintings up against the marble wall and reach into my pocket for my key card, making a mental note to get Lewis, the doorman, to make my girl her own copy so she can access the building any time.

I press the card against the matte black sensor on the wall and the elevator doors swoosh open. "That's a neat trick," Ginni mumbles and follows me into the elevator.

"It's a very secure building." The elevator doors close and automatically ascend toward the top floor. "And I take safety very seriously."

"Good to know." She smiles and the faraway look in her eyes tells me she's not completely comfortable with me.

"Is everything okay, Fate?" I ask as we step off the elevator right into my apartment's front foyer.

"Oh," she gives her head an adorable shake. "Your elevator reminded me about work."

"How so?" I ask and stand the two paintings up against the entry way wall.

"Uh..." her eyes widen, and I feel an invisible wall coming down between us.

Oh, fuck no. I'm not going to let anything stand between us. "Why don't we forget about work and concentrate on getting to know each other?" I suggest, needing her to forget about whatever pulled her away.

She stares at me silently for a few moments and I notice the vein pounding away at the base of her elegant neck, causing my lips to tingle with the urge to kiss and taste the little pulse point. "I have a better idea," my little love shocks the hell out of me when she wraps her arms around my waist. "Why don't you kiss me?" My nervous system short circuits at the feel of her luscious curves pressed against my body.

She doesn't have to ask me twice. Covering her soft lips with mine, I press her luscious body against the wall and devour her mouth. Our tongues duel as I start naming our future children, all ten of them.

When she pulls my t-shirt free from my jeans and slides her soft hand up my back, a shiver runs down my spine as alarms go off in my mind. "I'm not going to be able to stop if we go much further." My cock rebels at my words, telling me to shut the fuck up.

"I'm already past the point of no return." She drags her nails down my back and I almost come in my goddamn pants like a teenager.

"Thank God ‘cause I have plans for this luscious body," I whisper, my words barely more than a breath against her ear as we stand at the threshold of the bedroom. Eager anticipation envelops us as Ginni looks up at me, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of excitement and curiosity. "And I plan to love every inch of you," I add, brushing her lips softly with mine.

As our kiss deepens, I feel her melt against me, her arms winding around my neck. Our tongues meet tentatively at first, then with growing eagerness. The faint taste of the wine we had earlier lingers, blending with a sweetness that is uniquely hers.

Gently guiding her toward the bed, I kiss the side of her neck and the soft skin beneath her ear, barely resisting the urge to devour her. I unzip her dress and pull it over her head, leaving her in her delicate black lace bra and matching thong.

The tension between us builds as I run a finger across the skin above the lace of her bra. My lips follow, pressing small, adoring kisses on her newly exposed skin. Her breath catches slightly when I close my lips and teeth around one of her nipples and tease it through the lacy material.

"You"re absolutely stunning," I breathe out, overwhelmed by her. I lightly trace my finger around her belly button, watching as her skin responds to the slightest touch.

I give her a little push and she drops onto the bed. Resting on her elbows, she watches as I step back to rip away my clothes. When my cock finally bounces free, Ginni stares intently at me with wide eyes.

"Sweet baby Jesus, you're hot," she mumbles, then a blush moves over her cheeks when she realizes what she said.

"I'm glad you approve," I groan and crawl over her body, leaving little nibbles and kisses along the way.

Resting on her elbows fades into a languid sprawl across the bed as I continue my exploration. When she unfastens her bra and tosses it aside, I close my lips around one of her nipples and suck it deep into my mouth.

When I pause, she murmurs, "Keep going," with a soft sigh, pulling me closer by hooking her leg around my hip.

She"s confident and commanding, not at all shy about what she wants, a trait I find incredibly alluring.

"My pleasure," I reply, my voice low, my touch light as I kiss along her bare, sensitive skin. Time seems irrelevant as I savor the profound connection between us that's growing deeper with every breath.

"I need to tell you something." She digs her nails against my scalp and lifts my head so I'm staring into her concerned eyes.

My heart drops as my cock rebels at the thought of her stopping this. "Is this where you tell me to slow things down?" It will kill me, but I'll do whatever it takes to make her happy.

"No. This is where I tell you I've never done this before." I'm not shocked. My little Fate is a heady combination of steam straight ahead and shy wonder.

"Me neither," I admit my embarrassing secret.

Ginni leans back and stares at me through narrowed eyes. "What?"

"I've been too goddamn busy running Midnight Industries and keeping my two younger brothers out of trouble to look for love." It's the goddamn truth.

"Oh…" she drags my face up to hers and leans up to place a kiss on my chin, "you're pretty good at it for someone who hasn't done it before."

"I could say the same about you." I kiss her sweet lips and run my hands up and down her luscious curves, memorizing every square inch.

"I'm really enjoying this, but could you possibly get a move on."

I chuckle, low and husky, captivated by her sass that cuts right through the tension. "Impatient, aren't we?" I tease, returning to my worship of her curves, planting soft kisses as I make my way down her glorious curves.

Ginni"s eyes follow my every move. I tear her thong away and the air between us charges with anticipation. Leaning in closer, my breath teases her skin as I explore every goddamn luscious inch of her sweet pussy with my tongue, learning what she likes with every sigh and shiver that escapes her.

Closing my lips around her clit, I devour her sweetness as she arches her back and calls my name. Her pleasure builds as the grip she has on my hair tightens. I run a finger around her wet opening, memorizing the way her body reacts to my touch.

Once her sweet body stops trembling, my little love whispers, "Wow. You're really good at that." My girl's compliment goes straight to my cock, causing it to harden painfully.

"I'm glad you approve." I kiss her sweet lips, and our tongues tangle as I place my cock at her wet opening.

"You're definitely earning an A right now." She wiggles closer and my erection slips a little further into her tight core.

"I won't settle for anything less than a perfect score." I thrust slowly into her tightness, fighting my own orgasm.

With each thrust, her inner walls relax, allowing me to slide a little deeper. I call on all my control, fighting to take things slow and giving her time to adjust. Sweat breaks out on my brow as I battle the urge to come.

Before long, she's lifting her hips to meet my thrusts. I reach between us to rub her clit and she arches her back. She gasps my name as her inner walls tremble around my cock. I thrust a few more times before I join her in climaxing, pouring my heart and soul deep into her sweet pussy.