Page 54 of The Marriage Auction 2: Part 2

“I should have been…” I said at the same time Jack said, “I didn’t mean…”

We both stared at one another and laughed.

“You go first,” I instructed through my chuckles.

Jack wiped his mouth and sat back. “I was a dick today. When I found out what your business was, I didn’t handle it well, and for that, I’m truly sorry. I’m used to putting business before anything else in my life, and when I saw the magnitude of what you do…” he sighed. “…plain and simple…” He looked straight into my eyes. “I got scared. Of what being connected to your business might mean for Johansen Brewing. It had nothing todo with you as a person, or even the product itself. I’ve spent my entire career doing what’s best for the business. I just…I lost it a little, and I’m sorry.”

I reached out and took his hand. “You had every right to be concerned. I’m so used to fighting people about the benefit of cannabis that I didn’t really take into consideration what your situation might be. You’re right. It’s not legal where you do business. I can see how that would be a possible red flag. And after thinking about it, I can also see how it might be frowned upon in certain sectors. I’m sorry too. But the bigger question is: what do we do now?”

He squeezed my hand. “First and foremost, there is no way in hell I’m not marrying you.”

My heart beat a thousand miles an hour, and my bottom lip trembled. “You still want to marry me?” I gulped.

“More than anything,” he breathed the three words as though they were ripped from his soul. “You?”

I looked into those deep brown eyes and saw a future I wanted to jump into with both feet, closed eyes, while screaming “Wahoo!” at the top of my lungs. “I’d marry you tomorrow, Jack.”

Jack stood up, his chair falling back with the effort.“Takk Gud!”he barked, which I was pretty sure meantThank God!in English.

He extended his hand, and I stood. It didn’t take him long to pull me into a deep hug. “We’ll work though this,solskinn. I don’t want to lose you over something so stupid,” he murmured against my neck.

“I don’t want to lose you either.” I hummed as he placed a line of kisses down my neck, stoking a new fire.

“I’ll call my team tomorrow and explain the concern. It’s their job to handle this type of thing.”

“Sounds very big-man-in-charge of you,” I teased as I lifted the back of his shirt enough that I could run my fingers along his warm, bare skin.

“How can I make it up to you?” He nuzzled my skin where neck and shoulder met.

“I can think of a few things.”

“Oh?” He nudged his nose over to the string tie that held my dress up, and pushed it off so it hung at my bicep.

“You know what the best part of fighting is?” I whispered into his ear then nibbled on the cartilage there.

Jack groaned and gripped me tighter. “Uh, wh-what?”

“Make-up sex.”

Without another word, Jack looped his arm around my back, bent in half and caught my legs behind the knees with his other arm, lifting me into a princess hold. He bounded up the three flights, carried me to my bed and tossed me on it with a flourish.

“Get naked.”

Episode 48

The Little Death

MADAM ALANA

The morning brought with it the sense of peace and serenity. It had been a couple months since we’d been home. Sleeping in my own bed, with the sounds of the French countryside coming from the open balcony door, eased the tension I had when I went to bed.

Rhodes and Maia were on their way to France right now, even though Christophe and I made it clear that all was well here. Rhodes wasn’t comfortable with being away from his daughter after Maia and I had been threatened, which I understood completely. If somebody had threatened my Christophe, I’d be stuck to his side like glue. And that the authorities still didn’t know anything about who was behind them, was deeply concerning.

I rolled over in bed to face the open door. I could see Christophe with the morning paper open, a cup steaming on the small bistro set along with a plate holding a few sugar cookies. Christophe had a major sweet tooth and often paired treats with his morning cappuccino, espresso, or tea.

“I can feel you watching me,mon coeur. Why not come sit with me?” He spoke aloud but kept reading the paper.

I yawned, shifted the covers back, and reached for my black satin robe at the end of the bed. I slipped it over my shortmatching nightie and tied the belt. I gathered my long hair over to one shoulder and sashayed to the balcony.

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