Page 141 of Along Came Amor
“You’ve never seen him without a shirt?” Ava asked, sparing Gabe a glance. The lights glinted off the silver bars in his nipples as he dragged a hand down his abs toward his jeans-clad crotch.
Jasmine dropped her hands in her lap. “When would I have seen him topless?”
Michelle’s smirk was wicked. “He might have inspired me to do mine too.”
Jasmine’s mouth fell open and she snapped it shut. “We are absolutely discussing this in more detail later.”
Michelle gazed up at Gabe fondly. “This isn’t the first time he’s stripped for me either. You wouldn’tbelievewhat I had to promise to get him to agree to this.”
“I see we have alotto talk about.” Jasmine sent Ava a meaningful look. Before Ava could decipher it, Ashton reappeared on the stage in front of them, and Jasmine’s attention returned to him.
Once all the men were bare to the waist, Taylor strode forward with her sparkly microphone. “Jasmine, have you chosen which bachelor to give your rose to for the rest of your life?”
Jasmine’s reply was immediate. “Ashton! I choose Ashton!” She was already reaching for him when Gabe and Roman came down to get her. Roman’s eyes passed over Ava, and she didn’t miss the way they heated as they trailed up her bare legs.Her skin felt tight and she squirmed in her seat as she watched him guide her cousin onto the stage, where a single chair had appeared.
The other dancers melted away, including Roman and Gabe, leaving only Ashton, Jasmine, and Taylor. The music and lighting took on a dreamy quality, a whimsical tune playing while mini spotlights swirled around them, cycling through soft colors—white, pink, and yellow.
Ashton took Jasmine’s hands and brought them to his lips. He whispered something to her, and there were tears in Jasmine’s eyes as she nodded, even though her mouth was stretched into a brilliant smile.
“Ashton, is there something you wanted to say to Jasmine?” Taylor held the mic up to him.
As Ashton spoke into the mic, he gazed into Jasmine’s eyes with such undisguised adoration, it made Ava’s heart hurt.
“Jasmine. Mi corazón.” His voice was husky with emotion and exertion, and his hands trailed languidly down her body. “You have the sweetest soul. The biggest heart. And the most amazing... ass.”
Jasmine giggled as he gave her butt a quick squeeze. Her hands were doing some exploring of their own, sliding up his chest.
“I love your smile. Your laugh.” He gripped her wrists and draped her arms around his neck, bringing their bodies closer together. “And the way you leave wet towels on the bathroom floor?” He let out a contented sigh, like he could think of nothing better. “It’s incredibly sexy.”
The guests laughed, and from behind Ava, Titi Lisa yelled, “Really, Jasmine?Still?”
“Before I met you,” Ashton continued, “I was living in thedark. You healed me and showed me that it was safe to trust. You are my light. My guiding star.”
Now the audience was swooning and making “aww” noises. Ava’s throat tightened, thinking of all the years Jasmine had searched for this kind of love, only to be hurt again and again. But she’d still put herself out there, still believed that the love she wanted and deserved could be hers. It had taken additional work—validating herself and demanding to be seen as her own person, separate from a relationship—but Jasmine had done it, and she and Ashton had built a solid foundation for their future together.
There was a lesson here, but Ava wasn’t sure she wanted to see it yet.
“My heart...” Ashton went on, then lowered his voice suggestively, “...and every other part of me... is yours. Forever. Para siempre.”
Tears leaked from Jasmine’s eyes as Ashton leaned in and kissed her, deep and passionate, right in front of their friends and family. When he pulled back, his eyes cut away from Jasmine’s and he muttered, “To my future mother-in-law, I am truly sorry for what you’re about to see.”
The lights flickered off, leaving only a red spotlight focused on the chair. The music changed abruptly, and in a forceful move, Ashton hoisted Jasmine up with an arm under each of her thighs. Taylor melted away as Ashton carried Jasmine to the chair, setting her down carefully and dropping to his knees in front of her. “Jeans” by Jessie Reyez and Miguel played while he proceeded to give Jasmine a lap dance that could have set the stage on fire.
It was more than a little awkward to watch your cousin’s soon-to-be husband mime having sex on stage. Worse, it justmade Ava wish Roman were there, climbing on top of her own chair and undulating his pelvis in her face.
Ava had never in her life hoped to receive a lap dance, but now, she wanted it with every fiber of her being.
From Roman, though. Only from Roman.
No offense to Ashton. He was doing a great job. A+ work, really. Jasmine was a lucky woman.
But so was Ava.And no one knew it.
All told, the lap dance lasted maybe thirty seconds, forty-five tops. By the time the song ended and the lights went down, Jasmine was on the floor with Ashton slithering around on top of her like a sexy alligator. Then the music changed to a party anthem by Pitbull with flashing colored lights. All the men, including Roman and Gabe, came running back onstage.
“Let’s hear it for Jasmine and Ashton!” Taylor called out. “The hottest couple in creation!”
Amid claps and cheers, Taylor joined the guys for a high energy dance with lots of gyrations. Ava screamed along with everyone else, but she couldn’t look away from Roman. The lights reflected off his muscular form as he moved, and if she hadn’t known better, she would have thought he was a member of the troupe. He hit his moves with rhythm and precision, a fuck-me grin spread across his handsome face.
