Page 69 of The Marriage Auction 2: Part 1

Mine. Not just my wife because we were entering an agreement, but mine.

She reached out and ran her fingers over the sides of my hair, adjusting the longer layers into place. “You are one handsome man, Giovanni Falco. I think I’m going to enjoy being married to you.” She leaned closer. “I’ve even got a surprise underneath all of this lace.” She winked.

Arousal tore through my body, making me grit my teeth and fist my hands. If I let myself respond the way I wanted, she’d be up against that wall, her knee hiked around my hip, my hand on her juicy ass, and my tongue down her throat, in two seconds flat.

I cleared my throat and swallowed. “I look forward to what awaits.”

“Are we getting this party started or what?” the teenager asked. “Uncle Christo promised me I could pick all the numbers on the roulette wheel after you two got married.”

“Shhh, you weren’t supposed to share that part,ma douce,”my sweet, he tsked as Alana gave him the side-eye.

Julianne smiled. “I’m ready.”

I extended my elbow, and she looped her arm through it. “Let’s make you Mrs. Julianne Falco.”

“Uh, that would be Julianne Myers-Falco. I was Julianne Myers when you met me, and I’ll be Julianne Myers when you marry me. I’m adding you to my family, not losing my identity. You should think about adding Myers to your name too.”

I chuckled at her ballsy, take-no-shit attitude I knew all too well. “Maybe I will.”

“Let’s gooooooo! I’m dying to experience a Vegas wedding in real life. My friends are going to think this is sooooo cool!” Emily prattled. “Oh! I’ll be your photographer.”

Alana nudged the girl. “Chéri, you were not asked to do such things. And that is not how you offer your services.”

Emily frowned, her excitement waning. “Um, would you like me to take photos for you guys?” she asked, her spirit lightening up as Julianne smiled and nodded.

“We’d love it. And my new hubby will toss you a hundo or two for a job well done. Right, honey?” She blinked at me grinning and fluttering her long eyelashes playfully.

“Definitely. Just don’t get in the way. I plan to have my eyes on nothing else but this beauty becoming my wife.”

Julianne gave me that look again, and I melted where I stood. The only thing I would have changed about this moment would be having our parents here to witness the unbelievable…Julianne and Giovanni’s wedding.

No one was going to believe it.

Episode 26

Pure Chaos

NAOMI

We held hands as we left the ballroom where I’d signed away three years of my life and ten million dollars. I couldn’t help the silly ass grin on my face.

Memphis lifted our hands and kissed the back of mine, his warm brown gaze on me. “I feel like I’m walking on air.”

“Oh?”

He grinned and nibbled on my pinky finger, his top lip teasing against the ring he’d presented me. It was an emerald cut, two carat diamond with almost no inclusions, maybe a VVS1 on the clarity scale. The color wasn’t anywhere near as flawless as I’d demand for my elite clientele, but there was something unbelievably charming about the slight yellow hint in the natural stone. It was attractive and rather dazzling against my skin. I wouldn’t have ever pictured myself with such a dainty engagement ring that couldn’t have cost more than ten thousand retail. Being in the precious gems business, bigger and meticulous quality was always better, but there was something extraordinary about seeing this ring on my finger that made my heart beat faster and a shiver run down my spine.

Had he been thinking about me when he purchased it?

“I’d fallen on some hard times recently, but finally, today, all of that changed. For me and my family.” He smiled gently.

My eyebrows rose as I processed his declaration and remembered that he had a big family. Five sisters, if memory served. “Is that why you entered into the auction? For your family?”

He nodded as we moved toward the elevator to make our way down. Neither of us were staying in this casino hotel like the other candidates or bidders. Even with the excitement and arousal flowing through my veins, the time it took to get back to The Alexandra where we were both staying, would allow us to cool off a bit. Gather a little perspective on what we had just entered into.

Me, I’d thrown out the rule book. He’d had time to make this life-altering decision. And technically, I could have been anyone. Ultimately, it wasn’t me that he chose, regardless of our connection before the auction occurred.

My heart squeezed as I thought about another woman winning this man as her husband. I gritted my teeth.

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