Epilogue

" I now declare the Barbara Vann Art School officially open."

Sofia cut the thick, red ribbon stretched across the front of the new building with great aplomb, before spoiling her regal act by grabbing a glass of champagne from Chelsea and guzzling it.

Ariel chuckled and leaned back, content in the circle of Cooper's arms as they watched Sofia and Chelsea take charge of the milling crowd and guide them through the glass doors of the new school.

"You made this happen," she said, snuggling into her husband's arms as a cold gust of wind blew up Brunswick Street.

"We both did," Cooper murmured against her ear, hugging her tight as his hands skimmed the sensitive underside of her breasts and made her shiver more than any southerly wind.

She turned in the circle of his arms and looked up, amazed that the man staring down at her with stars in his eyes and a wide, content grin was her husband.

"You've done an incredible thing honouring Barb this way." He stroked her cheek with gentleness. "She would've been so proud of you."

Ariel blinked back sudden tears, remembering a morning many years earlier when a compassionate woman had taken pity on a down-and-out street kid. "She took a chance on me when no one else would." She managed a wan smile. "Barb saw something in me I never knew existed. I owe her so much."

A flicker of remorse shot through Cooper's eyes. "I had no idea about your past and how much the gallery meant to you. I hate how I came on so strong, pushing you relentlessly, forcing you to sell—"

"Shh…" She placed a finger on his lips, a shiver of delight rippling down her spine when he nibbled it. "That's old news. Look how far we've come."

He glanced around, noticed the crowd had moved inside, and pulled her into the shade of an old oak. "Tell me, Mrs. Vance. Exactly how far have we come?"

He kissed his way from her finger to her wrist and slid his lips up her arm until her head fell back, yearning for his masterful touch on the sensitive spot between her neck and collarbone.

"Ooh…we've come very far," she murmured, melting into his arms, knowing she'd never felt so safe, so treasured, as she did in his embrace.

A tooting horn disrupted their encounter and Ariel chuckled at the mortified expression on Cooper's face as he straightened.

"What? Don't big shots get caught making out with their wives?"

"I have a reputation in the business world to uphold," he said, aiming for a haughty expression that fell flat considering the smug smirk on his face.

"Yeah, you're a real tough guy," she said, gesturing towards the art school over her shoulder with her thumb. "Not only did you throw yourself wholeheartedly behind the new and improved Colour by Dreams, you find this delightful row of old terrace houses, pay the owners ten times what they're worth, and develop them into an art school for underprivileged kids in the area."

Cooper's warm, tender smile never failed to set her pulse racing. "Hey, it wasn't all me. My dad's a ‘tough' guy too. After all, it was his idea to get Vance Corporation's employees volunteering down here once a week as part of their better-employee-relations policy."

Ariel noted the pride in Cooper's voice when he mentioned Eric and she couldn't be happier. She'd watched the two of them re-establish a strong father-son bond over the last few months and had been touched when Eric included her in a boys' weekend away when her husband and father-in-law had gone camping.

That weekend had been particularly poignant because listening to Eric's anecdotes—how Cooper had kicked a football through the back window of their house and broken a TV, how Cooper hid marshmallows in his room as a kid, how Cooper read under the covers late some nights that he fell asleep at school—she'd learned more about her amazing husband.

As Aunt Barb would've said, ‘all's well that end's well.' Her surrogate aunt had never been short of a cliche or saying, one of the many things Ariel remembered on this special day when the art school dedicated to her aunt's memory opened.

"What are you thinking?" Cooper slid his hands around her waist and locked hands behind her back, bringing their lower halves into tantalising contact and making her wonder how soon they could escape to the cosy confines of her studio, one of their favourite places for making love.

It had all started there, and thankfully, Cooper had agreed to pose for her again, completely naked this time, though she never quite got around to painting him. He had a way of distracting her that made every colour she'd ever imagined coalesce into brilliant, startling clarity as he took her to the stars and back every time.

Smiling at her adorable husband, she said, "I'm thinking you and I are one heck of a team, Mr. Big Shot."

"I love it when you call me names."

He proceeded to show her exactly how much.

If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review.

Each review counts and helps new readers find Nicola's books.

Next in the REDEEMING A BAD BOY series is

THE BEST FRIEND.

Abby's on a mission.

Nail the shoot on a luxury Whitsunday island and launch her career into the stratosphere.

She's on track until her best friend and teen crush Judd shows up.

Judd, a famous wildlife photographer, has travelled the world for eight years so once this job is finished, settling in Sydney holds appeal.

But what if a scorching island fling with his best friend changes everything?

Abby and Judd know that crossing the line from friends to lovers is one giant screw-up waiting to happen.

Will they reveal their secret desires and ultimately find happiness?

Get THE BEST FRIEND now!