Page 11 of My Only

“To Ayla and Hassani, may your love always find its way home.”

Another hour passed with speeches, eating, cutting cake, and taking pictures before the dance floor—or the stretch of beach we had cleared for dancing—was finally open.

“Favorite Girl,” Aunt Laurie called as soon as the music started.

She pulled me into a tight hug, one so full of warmth I closed my eyes to soak it in.

Then she stepped back, cupping my face with both hands.

“Best wedding on the planet for the best girl on earth,” she whispered.

I smiled, emotion heavy in my throat.

Aunt Laurie took my hand in hers. “And now that the mushy stuff is over…”

I laughed.

“Let’s go dance!” she shouted, dragging me toward the dance floor.

The resort had provided us with a live wedding singer and a steel drum band. They performed reggae renditions of everything—from Jagged Edge’s Let’s Get Married to other R&B classics.

But when the band transitioned into reggae staples like Bob Marley and the Wailers’ “Turn Your Lights Down Low” and Dennis Brown’s “Here I Come,” Hassani unapologetically stole me away from Aunt Laurie.

“I’ma be needing my wife now,” he said, spinning me around before pulling me into his arms.

“Aht!” Aunt Laurie hollered, laughing. “I know that’s right!”

Beneath a bright moon and an open sky, with the warm ocean breeze on our skin, Hassani rolled his waist to the rhythm of the steel drums—effortless, fluid, completely intoxicating.

He danced to reggae so damn well.

His waist moved, slow and controlled. His body swayed, pulling me in, making it impossible to focus on anything else but him.

The heat of the night had nothing on this.

He was such a great dancer, and I couldn’t keep up.

I leaned back, laughter spilling out of me as he ground his hips against me. His arms wrapped tight around my waist, reminding me that he was just as skilled on the dance floor as he was in bed.

“You better stop,” I whispered against his ear, wrapping my arms around the back of his neck. “I am not above starting on that baby, your mother wants, in front of everybody.”

Hassani’s eyebrows lifted. “Oh word?!”

Before I could react, he grabbed me by my thighs and lifted me off the ground.

I screamed, clinging to him as I instinctively wrapped my legs around his waist, breathless with laughter.

I pressed a kiss to his lips.

“I mean…” My best friend Sunni’s voice rang out behind me. “Should we leave now? Should we go?!”

Hassani and I laughed against each other’s lips.

“Right?!” One of Hassani’s friends, Raphael, chimed in. “Save that for Saint Lucia.”

Hassani smirked. “I can’t wait to get you alone.”

“Neither can I.” I winked. “So, let’s go.”

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