Page 54 of Father of the Bride

“I do indeed.” He took a deep breath. “I don’t think I can say this enough, but I really appreciate you playing mother of the bride with Brook.”

She lifted her head to look at him, her eyes shining. “It’s nothing. I’m just standing in as best as I can. I’m sure her real mom is watching over her.”

Mark studied her, something heavy and grateful moving through his chest. “Thank you.”

Sunny smiled warmly. “She’s such a sweet girl. Very easy to love.”

“Ehhh…I don’t know about all that,” Mark said, chuckling, dodging another one of Sunny’s swats. “I’m just saying. She’s spoiled. You’ll see it eventually.”

“I told you before, I ain’t mad at it.”

He sighed, returning his fingers to her scalp. “I just hope she’s ready for this. Marriage is real shit.”

Sunny was quiet for a moment, listening to the steady pulse of his heartbeat. “Isanybodyever truly ready? I think you learn as you go. I think you just…grow into it. You fall, you mess up, and you get back up and figure it out.”

Mark stared at her, his gaze soft. “Yeah. I agree. You figure it out.”

A sad smile crossed her lips. “Or, in my case, you don’t.”

He brought his free arm to her waist, pulling her in closer. “I like to thinkwewould have figured it out,” he murmured, the words slipping out before he could stop them.

Sunny’s throat tightened, emotion swirling just beneath the surface. She closed her eyes, leaning into his touch for a moment before gently pulling away. “I’m just glad we have right now,” she whispered.

His hand moved to her face, knuckles grazing the soft curve of her cheek. “Are we ever gonna talk about it?”

Sunny stilled. For a long, stretched moment, she said nothing.

Finally, with a soft exhale, she looked up at him. With tenderness in her eyes, she said, “No.” Just like that. “I don’t want to.”

Mark nodded, understanding her without needing to hear more. His hand slid slowly up her thigh, slipping between her legs with easy familiarity. She shuddered when his fingers found her wet, slippery folds, gasping when they touched her clit. He caressed her in slow, gentle strokes. Lovingly. Reverently.

“You sure you have to go?” he murmured again, his voiced tinged with well-earned cockiness.

She debated, even as she spread her legs wide open for him. Even as she subtly rolled her hips, chasing his touch. Even as she felt the orgasm creeping up on her.

The debate ended when he dipped his head and sucked her nipple into his mouth.

He remembered how she liked to be suckled…gently. He remembered how much she loved it when he strummed her clit like a guitar, and how she only lasted two minutes when he did this—atmost.

Sure enough, she shattered again, and he remembered to cup her pussy while it spasmed, applying just enough pressure to prolong her pleasure.

But when he brought his hand to her mouth, swiped a finger across her bottom lip to paint it with her essence, leaned in to slide his tongue across, then sucked it all off—well,thatwas new.

“Shit,” she whispered, her head spinning. She felt hungover. 2:36 a.m. She frowned as she watched him suck the rest of her off of his fingers, confused about how much time had passed and why she couldn’t move. She was supposed to have been gone by now.

“Alright,” he said as if he’d read her mind.“Nowyou can go.”

It was almost 3 a.m. when she finally slipped from his clutches. Mark propped himself up on his elbow, shamelessly admiring her as she slipped her coverup back on.

“Tomorrow,” he said lazily, his voice a soft caress, “try not to look too good when you’re on that other man’s arm. I can’t be responsible for what I might do.”

Sunny slid her feet into her sandals. “Responsibility is overrated,” she said with a wink.

Mark laughed, already missing her presence, aching for her as she moved further away.

She smoothed her hair, checked her appearance in the mirror, then turned to blow him a kiss. Mark smiled warmly as he watched her go, his heart thudding painfully against his chest. He’d fallen right back in love with her in the two days since she arrived. Insane, but he knew it was true. And a part of him knew it was only gonna get messier from here.

But for her, he’d burn it all down.

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