I let my mother go and embraced my father. He slapped me on the back several times and squeezed my shoulder, showing his love physically as further words escaped him.
It had been a while since I’d been home. Almost six months. I knew they worried relentlessly about their only child, but they respected my need to go off on my own path of discovery. To find myself and my purpose once again. And that path had led me to Savannah.
Speaking of… I released my parents and turned around to find my beauty standing by the side of the vehicle looking a little lost and out of place but still unearthly beautiful.
I moved the few steps it took to get to her and curved my arm around her. “Mother, Father, I have someone I’d like you to meet.”
My mother’s entire face lit up as though God himself had sent a golden ray of sunlight down from the Heavens and made her glow. She brought both her hands to prayer position and rested them against her lips.
“This is my fiancée, Savannah McAllister. Savannah, these are my parents, Henrik and Irene Johansen.” I smiled widely, but that was nothing compared to seeing my mother’s extreme joy as she jumped up into the air and clapped her hands. My mother had just gotten every wish and dream come true she’d ever wanted, save for future grandchildren. Though seeing and meeting Savannah would put that dream right back on the table.
“Gratulerer, s?nn!” My father said congratulations as my mother ran toward us. She pulled Savannah into her arms and spoke rapid-fire Norwegian about how happy she was. How pretty Savannah was. How she couldn’t wait to get to know her.
“Mother, slow down.” I chuckled. “Savannah is American. She speaks English.” I laughed as Savannah hugged my mother her face pale as a ghost.
My mother backed up, still holding on to my girl. “Then I shall teach her Norwegian, ja?”
Savannah grinned. “Ja. Yes! I know that one!”
“See, she’s already learning. My daughter-in-law is smart. I can already tell.” She hooked her arm around Savannah’s waist and directed them toward the house. “Come, skatt, you’ll want to get a warm drink and sit by the fire. I’ll bring out some food. We want to hear everything. Don’t we, Henrik?” she gushed as she dragged Savannah away from me.
My father clapped me on the back. “She’s beautiful, Erik.”
I nodded. “She absolutely is.”
“Are you happy, s?nn?” he asked with a tinge of sorrow, knowing I’d been struggling to find myself for a while.
I cringed at hearing the tentative way he approached me. As though I was breakable. And maybe for the past two years I had been. But I had more to live for now. So much more than I’d ever thought possible.
“I’m getting there, Papa,” I admitted. I lifted my chin toward Savannah, who was entering the house with my mother. “She’s helping.”
“I can already see a new light shining in your eyes. I am pleased for you. Come, let’s intervene before your mother scares her off.”
By the time we’d finished eating and drinking the enormous spread my parents had put together, Savannah had curled herself next to my side on the couch with her feet up, knees falling over my lap, and fell asleep. For a long time, I just let her sleep while I caught up with my parents, telling them bits and pieces of our journey and that we fully intended to get married within the month. They didn’t need to know the particulars—that we were officially contracted to marry within the predetermined timeframe of thirty days, or the money involved, but they didn’t question it.
It made me realize how very closed-off I’d been from the people who loved me the most. The fact that I could bring a woman home, claim I was marrying her at month’s end, and have them be perfectly accepting showed how much I’d changed. How our relationship had changed. For the last couple years, they’d hoped and prayed I’d find the thing that brought their son back to their lives.
To them, my coming home and getting married answered their prayers. It also made me feel like shit. I may have been going through the motions since the accident, but I’d also pushed everyone I loved away. Letting them watch me disappear with each new day I lived under a dark cloud .
This was the end of that time. I was going to live for each new day. And Savannah made that decision all the brighter.
I ended the conversation with my parents, lifted Savannah into my arms, and smiled as she mumbled something unintelligible against my chest. I carried her down the long hallway that led to my half of the home and brought her straight to my bed. My mother had already taken the liberty of prepping clean bedding for me while Savannah and I cleaned up after dinner, so I was able to set my precious girl on our bed.
She woke just as I was tugging her sweater over her head.
“Bra on or off?” I asked, seeing her beautiful pale skin on display and wishing I could touch and taste every inch of it. But she was dead on her feet. Between Las Vegas and traveling across the world, the park visit, and dinner and drinks, she was done.
I left her where she sat, eyes closed, and got her one of my clean T-shirts.
“Off,” she mumbled, unsnapping her pants and lifting up just enough that she could shove her jeans to the floor.
I reached around her body and unclasped the lace and metal enclosure, and the fabric released into my hands. I glanced away and worked the T-shirt over her head. She pushed her arms through, and the fabric fell over her bare body. I helped her lean back and get settled in bed, covering her with the fluffy blankets.
After I got her situated, I turned on the fireplace so it would stay warm and give off enough light in case she woke in the night confused about her surroundings. Then I removed all my clothes aside from my boxer briefs and crawled into bed with my woman.
No longer caring about the distance between us, especially after those two kisses, I tucked my body to her back where she slept on her side. I looped an arm over her, and curled around her form, feeling the most content I’d ever been in my life .
She hummed sweetly and pushed her rounded ass against me, getting closer. “I had the best day,” she mumbled, sleep taking her further under.
“Me too, elskede,” I murmured against her hair, closing my eyes. “Sweet dreams.”
“Mmm, goodnight, Jarod. I love you.”
My eyes shot open.
Who the fuck was Jarod?
Continue along with the entire cast in book two of The Marriage Auction, available now! Click here to purchase.
Madam Alana
A Marriage Auction Novella
By Audrey Carlan
Click here to purchase.
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Audrey Carlan comes a new story in her Marriage Auction series…
I run the most elite auction in the world.
Candidates and bidders come from all over the globe hoping to change their lives.
And I deliver.
I’m in the business of bringing couples together in a mutually beneficial and legally binding marriage. The terms are three years for no less than a million dollars a year, not including my commission. Once a pair signs on the dotted line, the contract ensures there is no going back.