Page 71 of The Marriage Auction 2: Part 2

Summer’s eyes were closed with a dreamy afterglow that made her look ethereal and sun-kissed.

I dipped my head and dropped soft pecks to each of her eyes, her rounded cheekbones, the tip of her nose, and finally her lips.

She sighed into the kiss and stroked my back. Little shivers raced down my spine and I chuckled against her lips.

Summer opened her eyes and smiled. “Jack…that was…” She hummed. “I don’t know what that was, but I want to do it again and again.”

I shook my head as I laughed. It sounded completely cliché, but I also felt different somehow. Better. And not because of the sex, though that did go a long way toward relaxing me, especially after the fight we’d had.

I eased my hips back, gently disconnecting from her body and slid to the side. Summer instantly turned and curled up against me, then traced my pecs and each abdominal muscle with the tip of her finger.

“You’re awfully quiet, Jack. Feel like sharing?”

I curved my arm around her shoulders and nuzzled her forehead, my lips against her skin. “It’s odd, this feeling flowing through me.”

“Try to explain it to me.”

“It’s not just about the sex, though you’re incredible in bed. The way you let go and are free with expressing what you want and how what I do pleases you,” I hummed low in my throat. “I’ve had none better, and that’s saying something,” I admitted.

“Because you’re a big ol’ player.” She snickered.

I kissed her forehead. “I’m not going to lie. In the past, I hooked up with women for one thing. For the most part, it was completely mutual. I made my intentions known from the moment things started to escalate toward the possibility of a physical relationship.”

“Okay, so what changed?”

I made a noncommittal shrug. “At some point, I just wanted more. A person I could share my life with. Someone who looked forward to me coming home from work, and someone I looked forward to seeing as well.”

Summer continued to lightly stroke my skin, creating gooseflesh in her wake. “That’s pretty normal, Jack. Most people mature and want to settle down. Find more meaning in their lives than the daily grind and meaningless sex. I sure as heck got tired of it.”

“Yeah?”

“Of course. All work and no play makes Summer a dull girl,” she declared and then placed a kiss on my pec.

I tunneled my fingers into her hair, playing with the soft, golden locks. “With you, everything is different. Bigger. Brighter. Things have more meaning somehow. It’s hard to explain.”

She turned her head, so she was resting her chin on my chest. “Your explanation sounds pretty good to me.”

I stared into her stunning face, loving those kind, honest eyes, and the way her lips moved, just as expressive as the rest of her.

“You’re constantly surprising me, and that’s unusual. I can figure out most people within ninety seconds of speaking with them. You, on the other hand, keep me guessing. It’s refreshing.”

She grinned, her entire face lighting up in that way that was all Summer.

“Then I shall keep doing it.”

I clenched my fingers against the roots of her hair and nudged her forward so I could take her mouth in a deep, wet, ridiculously long kiss.

Summer sighed as she pulled back. “I’m going to go clean up and get ready for bed.”

“What exactly does that entail? Do you need to be alone, or can I brush my teeth while you do it?”

She sat up, completely unfazed by her nudity as she got out of bed. “Mi casa es su casa.”The almost universally known Spanish phrase my house is your house. Permission granted, I followed her into the surprisingly small bathroom.

There was only one sink, a bathtub and shower combo, and a toilet not enclosed behind a door. And there she was, naked as the day she was born, sitting on the toilet, peeing.

In front of me.

I covered my eyes and spun around. “I thought you said I could follow you.”

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