Page 128 of Along Came Amor
Shit. Instead of letting go, Roman’s hands had tightened on her ass, the fabric of her skirt bunching to the tops of her thighs. There was absolutely no misreading the situation.
Gabe’s face went blank. Without a word, he backed out of the room and started to shut the door again.
With a speed that was nearly superhuman, Ava leapt forward and grabbed his arm.
“Don’t tell Michelle,” she ordered, still breathless from the kiss. “Do you hear me?Don’ttell her.”
Gabe was strong enough that he could have torn himself from her grip if he’d wanted to, but he froze. His featurestwisted and he made a pained noise in the back of his throat, something close to a whine. “Why are you doing this to me, Ava? That woman can sniff out secrets like a bloodhound. She’ll know I’m hiding something.”
“You owe me for staying quiet about you sneaking in and out of Titi Val’s house last year,” Ava hissed.
Gabe squeezed his eyes shut and grimaced. “Fuck. All right.”
When he opened his eyes, he shot Roman a warning look. Then he left and closed the door behind him.
“Drinks with the guys just got more interesting,” Roman said in a mild tone.
Ava pressed her hands to her face as horror doused her libido like a bucket of ice water. “This is a disaster. Now AshtonandGabe know.”
Taking her in his arms, Roman stroked a thumb over the curve of her cheek and looked deep into her eyes. “Would it really be the end of the world if everyone knew?”
Yes, she thought, but all she said was, “Just give me until after the wedding. Please? You said we could hold off until then.”
Something flickered across his face and she expected him to argue, but after a short nod, he dropped a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Anything you want, mi amor.” Then he stepped back and gestured to the door. “After you.”
She paused with her hand on the doorknob and turned back to him. “Wait a few minutes before you—”
“I know,” he said, and waved her on. His smile looked tired, sort of frayed around the edges, and she remembered that he’d just arrived that morning after a long flight. He worked too damn hard. They should’ve been lounging in his bed, watching movies and playing with Sinvergüenza, instead of sneaking kisses behind her relatives’ backs at a bridal shower. She wantedto hold him in her arms, to insist he take a nap, and then, when he was sound asleep, whisper to him that she loved him. Instead, she opened the door and slipped into the hallway.
She stopped in the bathroom first to make sure she didn’t look too mussed. While she was there, she stared at her reflection and whispered, “You dummy.”
This is your fault, that nasty little voice whispered.
A month ago, she would have freaked out and broken up with him. But New Ava or whomever the hell she was now didn’t want that. ShelovedRoman. And she wanted some kind of relationship with him, along with the time and space to figure it out without other people’s opinions or expectations.
Roman’s words came back to her.
Would it really be the end of the world if everyone knew?
Maybe not, but her family’s interference would put stress onto something that felt as fragile as the first blooms of spring, and, despite the fact that she’d been in love before, unfamiliar. Didn’t she deserve this? Something that was just hers, at least for a while longer? Didn’t she and Roman deserve the chance to find their way in this new and budding relationship without input from everyone else?
Except now AshtonandGabe knew, while Jasmine and Michelledidn’t.
Ava covered her face with her hands, unable to look at herself any longer. God, what a fucking mess.
She knew she should tell Jasmine. She absolutely shouldtell Jasmine.
But the wedding was just two short weeks away. Jasmine had more than enough on her plate without worrying about the possibility of her maid of honor ruining her big day.
Ava loved Roman. There was no denying it. And he saidhe loved her. While she did trust him, a teeny, tiny part of her still didn’t believe it. And that part could just imagine a world where in the next couple weeks, this thing between them turned bitter and sour and dramatic andmessy. It would put Jasmine and Ashton into an awkward position. It would turn attention away from the main focus—their wedding—and put it on Ava and her fucked up love life.
Be good, Ava.
She couldn’t cause a problem for her cousin. Which meant she couldn’t tell Jasmine about Roman. Not yet, anyway. Someday.Soon, she told herself.
They just needed to be careful. No more slip-ups before the wedding. After that, they’d figure it out.
Ava slapped on her Resting Pleasant Face and left the bathroom.
