The Marriage Auction: Book One(90)

I ran my thumbs over her nipples through the fabric, and she gasped and cried out, so I did it again and again. She was vibrating with need, her skin flushed as I ran my tongue down her skin to the scoop neck of her shirt. Her breasts were heaving, plump in my hands as I lifted them and tongued between the fleshy bits not covered by her undergarment.

Things were getting out of hand and a little wild when a loud knock banged against the car window.

Savannah screamed and clung to me, crushing my hands to her breasts while looking over her shoulder.

Two individuals stood next to the car, my mom’s blonde locks glistening off the garage lighting as she waved.

I removed my hands and rested my head against Savannah’s shoulder as the laughter took over.

“It’s my parents, elskede. They must have been overly excited to see my car come up the drive. Come, let’s meet them.” I kissed her forehead, discreetly removed my hands from underneath her shirt, then turned and shoved open the car door. I made my way out and around the boot of the car before my mother tackled me in a hug.

“Min s?nn!” My son! my mother exclaimed as she tucked her head to my chest. “You have been missed,” she continued in Norwegian.

“S?nn.” My father approached, his deep kind voice a balm over the chaos that had been the last few days. “Velkommen hjem.” Welcome home, he said as he cleared his throat, his words carrying a note of deeper emotion within them.

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.