Page 155 of Mark

“I really am sorry,” I whisper, unable to meet his gaze.

He tilts my chin up until I’m looking at him. “You never need to apologise about it. You did nothing to be sorry for.”

I lean up on my toes. “Want to take a shower?”

He sniffs the air. “Depends. Will you wash my back and let me have shower sex with you?”

I chuckle. “I don’t think our shower wall would make it through you fucking me.”

He slides his hands down to my arse. “I’ll take it slow.”

“You said that when we had sex in the cabin shower and you broke the pipe off the wall.”

He rolls his eyes. “I fixed it, didn’t I? I can do slow and gentle.”

I cup his face, smiling. “I really have missed you.”

He leans in, kissing my lips.

He didn’t take it slow and gentle.

And I had to fix the broken shower door.

Epilogue

Mark

Family gatherings are always my favourite time. I’ve always found people’s hesitance about attending them to be dramatic. It wasn’t until Freya’s family on the cruise that I realised not everyone was being dramatic. They can be chaotic, argumentative, and one conversation can lead to a full-on brawl.

Yet the Carter get togethers are their own type of chaotic. My uncle Max is currently behind the grill wearing a nude woman apron, arguing with my dad about how to cook the burgers right.

My uncle Myles is currently trying to untangle himself from the net Max got him caught up in over an hour ago.

And I’m not even sure what Liam had done to make Hayden start beating him.

When I feel Freya’s gaze on me, I know exactly what’s she’s thinking. She’s thinking I’m a liar. A big fat liar. Because when we talked Summer into coming, I told her we are normal, and function like a hallmark family. Freya argued and said we were our own brand of crazy. But me, being a proud Carter and all, bet her I could prove her wrong.

It lasted all but ten minutes before chaos erupted.

Summer laughs when Hayden dives on Liam from across the garden. I turn to Freya, grimacing. “Okay, so they are a little crazy.”

“A little?”

“Okay, a lot.”

“Your uncle needs to stay away from anything flammable.”

I shrug. “I’m pretty sure he’s fire proof. Hayden set his trousers on fire with a sparkler as a child and he survived.”

She sighs. “Well, I guess it’s not as bad as my family.”

“Maya,” Summer greets.

I turn to find her walking in with Mason and Denny. She walks over, kissing her granddaughter first, then Summer, before coming to kiss my cheek.

“How are my favourite people?” she greets.

“Fantastic. How is your new home?” Summer asks.

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