title: The Love Auction
author: Ashford, Mary Stone
description: Download for FREE with Kindle Unlimited This is a 8,000 word EROTIC stand-alone story with an HEA, so no cliff-hangers
   Cassandra's father is a pastor, and he doesn't understand her. When he finds her birth control pills, they get into a shouting match like never before. It escalates out of control, and her anger causes her to create a website auctioning off her virginity in order to callously get back at her father. Owen is a glass blower who lives alone on a two hundred acre ranch. He comes home one day to find two of his drunk friends at his house. He does not know the auction they bid in. That evening, Cassandra unexpectedly shows up at his house. He does not know why she is there, but thinks she needs help. They fall helplessly in love and vow to see each other again. But when Owen's friends tell him about the auction, he is freaked out and thinks she was only playing him. He retreats to his cabin to think things over. Cassandra is heart broken. Will they be able to work things out? ----------------------------------------------------------
  EXCERPT FROM BOOK
   His doorbell rang just as the Duke was having a gunfight from the jail in El Dorado. It was one of Owen's favorite scenes in his favorite John Wayne movie, so he wasn't thrilled about the timing. But more than anything, he was confused as to who was calling at his door at this time of night. He sighed. It was probably Mark and Rylie, unsatisfied that he had decided not to come out with them. They were probably trying to "take the party to him," despite the fact that he had adamantly told them he didn't want the party to come to him that night. To his great surprise, it was not Mark and Rylie at his door. In fact, it wasn't even someone he recognized. It was a young woman. She was probably two or three years younger than him and very pretty. She had the look of someone who had not yet realized that she was pretty, and was trying a bit too hard. Still, her wavy brown hair pulled back with a school girl headband, hazel eyes, and her sparse makeup were all very appealing to Owen. But he still had no idea who she was, or why she was there. "Can I help you?" he said. "I believe you can," she said. "Okay...how?" Cassandra appreciated his tact. He was playing it cool, and not acting like some kind of John. If he wanted to play it this way...she would play along. "Can I come in?" she said, stifling a very obviously fake yawn. "I feel like I may need to lie down." Cassandra's concept of what sexiness looked like was derived purely from movies, television, and books. She was twenty two, but she had never had a boyfriend. She didn't have anything to measure her thoughts against. Still, Owen opened his door wide and stepped aside. "Uh, sure," he said. He didn't know who this woman was, or what she needed, but she seemed harmless and needed his help. He could give her a place to lie down. She'd nap for awhile and be on her way. His good deed for the month would be done. He lead her into the living room. He sat back down on the couch. Cooper looked up for a moment, noting that a stranger was in the house. He laid back down, too lazy to actually do anything about it. "You can lie down there," Owen said, pointing to the chaise lounge he never actually used. "Sure," she said.
  AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a 8,000 word stand-alone story with an HEA, so no cliff-hangers  Story contains mature themes and language, and is intended for 18+ readers only.