Free C&A Novella (Marked Heart #2.5) by M. Sembera Page B

to carry the weight of emotion inside him. Reaching his hand out, he wrapped it around her hip. As he brushed his thumb over the tiny letter A that was marked on the inside of her hip, Auggie gazed up at her. Kneeling in front of her, Auggie kept his eyes focused on Charlotte’s as he placed a soft kiss against the inside of her hip. Slowly, he stood, taking her in his arms, swearing, “Because… You own me.”

 
    25
    Hours later, the afterglow of making love to her husband was far from wearing away. Swaying back and forth in Auggie's arms, while the wedding DJ played 'Fooled Around And Fell In Love' by Elvin Bishop, Charlotte reflected back on their moment.
    In the midst of the slow steady rhythm, that satisfied her every desire, she could feel Auggie handing himself over to her. With each stroke, they grew closer. As his movements intensified, so did her feeling of ownership. When the moment came, Charlotte was more than complete, she was whole.
    Brushing her lips against his, she wished the night was over and it was just the two of them.
      "I love you."
      Tightening his hold on her, he repeated, "I love you."
      "Would it be wrong for us to sneak out of here?"
      With a slight laugh, he replied, "After this song."
      Smiling, she teased, "Because this is your theme song?"
      "Our theme song." He clarified with a wink before asking, "You sure you're alright staying in the barn tonight?"
      Curling the corner of her mouth into a smile, Charlotte replied, "Only if I get to wear the rubber boots."
    Auggie appeared confused at first, then quickly took her by the hand and led her off of the wooden dance floor.
    Making their way through the wedding guests, with polite nods and smiles, Charlotte noticed Braden standing by himself outside one of the party tents.
    Tugging on Auggie's hand, she suggested, "We should see if he's okay."
    Nodding, he agreed as they made their way over to him.
    The closer they got the more it became clear that Braden was not okay.
      "Hey, Braden." Charlotte greeted, causing him to look over at her and Auggie.
    "Hey, Charlotte." He replied with a wide smile while reaching out to shake Auggie's hand.
      Shaking his hand, Auggie asked, "Ya alright man?"
      "Always." He assured, patting his brother on the back before turning and walking away.
    As they continued to the truck, Charlotte glanced at Auggie and saw him shaking his head with a deep scowl.
    By the time they made it to his truck, Charlotte couldn't keep quiet.
      "He's not okay."
    Opening the passenger door for her, Auggie scowled, saying, "I know."
      "Do you need to talk to him?"
      Shaking his head, he admitted, "I'm thinkin' I should listen instead."
      "It's alright if you want to talk to him now."
      Wrapping his arms around her waist, he kissed her before saying, "It can wait."
      "You sure?"
      Pulling her closer, Auggie shared, "Right now, there's a pair of rubber boots callin' me, and they've got your name on 'em, Mrs. Caffrey."
      "Is that so, Mr. Caffrey?" She questioned with a laugh.
      "Ya damn right." He confirmed, tossing her into the passenger seat of his truck.
    The End

 
    Acknowledgments
    Always, Family First! I have the best one in the world!
    Thank you to my readers! Without y'all my characters would never see the light of day.
    All the INDIE blogger/reviewer/supporters out there, I appreciate everything that you do to keep writers writing.
    Lucii my love ♥ this one would not have happened without you!
    A very special 'thank you' to my beta readers Susanne Lancello, Nicole Griffin, Kasey Fitzgerald, Katelynn Luna, Paula Genereau. I am honored to have each of you in my corner, loving my characters.
    To my Street Team, who spend countless hours, supporting and promoting so I can write, YOU LADIES ARE MY HEART!

 
    Playlist
    Music has a way of inspiring the smallest ideas. It allows me to create an entire scene or chapter from just the right song. For me, music is one of the most important creative