Look After Us (5 page)

BEFORE THE BACHELORETTE PARTY
commences, I have Alana show me where Ashton and I are staying so I can freshen up and change into something less uncomfortable. Ashton suggested he come up with me, and with the wicked gleam I saw in his eyes, I knew without a doubt he wanted to show me his cooling down techniques we discussed earlier. Knowing we didn’t have the time for an afternoon rendezvous with ice, I left him with a flirtatious, “later,” before following Alana upstairs. I also said this with a newly grown confidence since Riley had vacated her seat beside Ashton and was talking to Tyler and Mia on the other side of the table.

Once I change into a long, flowy, summery high-low dress, a pair of cute sandals, and spritzed myself with a little body spray, I head on back downstairs. As I walk back onto the veranda, I stop still in my steps. The confidence I was feeling only ten minutes ago is now almost non-existent. Instead it’s been replaced with a burning jealousy when I see Riley directly in front of Ashton on the table, with her luscious long legs resting on the arm of his chair.

Ashton’s eyes immediately find mine, and seeing how they darken with a sudden lust, I’d say he likes what he sees. Still not comfortable with Riley’s bare legs resting so closely to
my
fiancé, with a shuddered breath I head over to him. “Excuse me,” I say, staring Riley dead in the eyes, wanting her to move her legs so I can sit down since she’s blocking my path.

“Sorry,” she says, happily removing her legs but still remaining seated on the table. I go to sit down, but Ashton suddenly drags me down on his lap, his handsome face smiling at me.

“You look beautiful, baby.” Caressing his hands along my bare thighs, he leans in and presses a fierce kiss on my lips, one that leaves me breathless.

“I just changed outfits.” I shrug as my fingers trace his face before brushing through the tendrils of his silky hair.

“And you look sexy as hell. So sexy that I just want to keep you to myself. I say fuck the bachelorette party.”

I smile, brushing my lips along the tilt of his mouth.

“You guys are so frigging cute!” The sound of Riley’s voice causes me to flinch. I had forgotten for a moment she was behind us. I pull away from Ashton and reluctantly turn to her, a little flushed that she overheard what was supposed to be an intimate conversation between Ashton and me.

“Sorry, Ashton, but she’s coming with us for some girly bachelorette fun.”

Ashton smirks, his fingers tightening against the naked skin of my legs. “Girly fun? How girly are we talking here? Because if it’s the girl-on-girl fantasy I currently have playing in my mind, then I’m definitely not letting her go.”

“Ashton!” I gasp, playfully slapping his chest.

“What? You scared of a little competition, Ashton? Scared I might take your girl away?” she asks with a flirtatious glint in her eyes. I laugh when I see the alpha-male glare heading Riley’s way.

“Hell no,” he says seriously before the corner of his mouth turns up in a smile.

Humored, Riley stands to her feet, her eyes solely on Ashton’s. “Well you of all people know I don’t bat for the other team, so lucky for you your girl is safe.” She walks off and I’m left reeling over the reminder that she was his high school sweetheart. And with that known fact comes the jealousy.

“Stop it.” I shiver as the words brush lightly over my ear.

“Stop what?” I ask confused.

“Whatever insecure thought you have roaming around in that head of yours.”

I’m left stunned; surprised he can read me so well. I gently smile, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Sorry,” I sigh. “I just … I wasn’t expecting your ex to be here … and I don’t like the way she’s all over you,” I say honestly.

“What are you talking about?” he snorts, clueless.

“Her legs. They were inches from you, on the arm of this chair …”

His eyes squint with bewilderment. “Her legs?”

“Yeah, her Barbie-smooth legs. They were so close to you that they were almost on your lap.”

He bellows out with amusement. “Baby, are you jealous?”

I scowl at him, not appreciating the way he’s laughing at me. “Ashton, it’s not funny.”

His laughter fades away and he penetrates my eyes with his stare. “You have no reason to be jealous. Riley and me happened a long time ago.”

I begin to trace my fingers along his t-shirt, my vulnerability oozing from my pores. “Why have you never mentioned her before?”

“Because I didn’t think I needed to. She isn’t someone I have thought about, not since high school anyway. She means nothing to me.” He pauses for a brief moment, his stare intensifying. “The way I feel for you is something I have never felt before, ever. Not with her, not with anyone. I may have experienced a few firsts with her, but they’re nothing compared to my first love.”

I lean my head against his and the way his breath wisps against my lips makes me shudder. “I guess I’ve let my insecurities get the better of me today.”

“I love your insecurities. They’re what make you
you.
And I love being the person who helps to ease them.”

My smile grows wider at his incredible words. He always knows the right thing to say to me.

“I love you,” I whisper against his lips.

Ashton captures my words with a tantalizing kiss before pulling away. “I love you, too.”

He closes the space between us and presses his lips back to mine. I can’t keep the whimpered groan from escaping as the feel of his tongue tracing the tip of mine sends a bolt of electricity through my body. For a moment, I get lost in all things Ashton … until Alana’s voice interrupts our tender moment.

“Sorry to interrupt you two lovebirds, but the limo has arrived.” Ashton reluctantly tears himself away from me staring at me in frustration. He hates it when he doesn’t get to finish things … and I get the feeling this kiss was far from over.

“I’ll be right there,” I say to Alana before turning my attention to a grouchy Ashton.

“I better go.” I press one last kiss to his lips before removing myself from his lap. I step away, but in a millisecond he takes hold of my hand and drags me back down. I feel the tips of his fingers caressing along the edge of my flowy dress.

“This dress looks incredible on you, but as much as I love you wearing it, I’m going to love it even more when I get to take it off at the end of the night.” My insides clench at his seductive remark and I suddenly wish it were the end of the night, so he could strip me from my dress and make love to me all night long.

“Go. Have fun.”

I blink at his comment, and on a gasping exhale I weakly stand to my feet. He laughs throatily; obviously amused at the lust-filled trance he’s put me in with a few simple words. I go to walk away, but when I lose my footing he catches me in his arms.

“Do you need a minute to compose yourself?” He gives me his signature smile and I playfully push him away. He slaps my ass and says, “I love you.”

Turning to him and his mischievous grin, I give him my sexiest smile—in the hopes of leaving him wanting more, the way he’s left me wanting more. “I love you, too.”

And before he can rein me in again and torment me with more sultry words, I hurry into the house and out of the front door towards the waiting limo.

After we’ve picked up the rest of the bachelorette party, we finally come to a stop at a salon. Upon entering, we are greeted at the door by several beauticians who hand us luxury bachelorette gift bags before ushering us to our designated area. Giggling can be heard around the salon, specifically from both Tyler’s and Mia’s moms who are currently waving around florescent pink dildos in the air.

“Oh my God, Riley! What the hell did you buy us?” Mia shrieks with laughter, looking at the array of goodies in her gift bag before pulling out what appears to be love balls. “Oh God, are these anal beads?”

Everyone laughs out loud at Mia’s question, including me, and the look of horror on her face is priceless. Her eyes are almost popping out of their sockets.

“No, they’re Ben Wa balls,” Riley spits through hysterical giggles as she witnesses the alarmed look on her best friend’s face. Curious, I look into my gift bag and I also have a bright pink dildo, love balls, and what looks like a bullet vibrator. The bag also includes a bright pink sash and some accessories that are mostly in the shape of penises.

Hearing a light buzzing sound, I turn to Jo beside me, and I can’t keep the laughter from bubbling from my mouth as I see she’s already ripped open the packaging from the bullet vibrator and is gently touching it to her nose.

“Jo, what are you doing?” I question, laughing hysterically. More laughter sounds throughout the salon, until all you can hear is high-pitched cackles.

“Yeah, baby … I think you’re using it wrong,” chirps Alana with a giggle.

“Your nose is supposed to be as sensitive as it is downstairs. They say test a vibrator at the tip of your nose, to give you a taste of what it’ll be like, when you’re … you know—”

“Flicking your bean?”

All eyes whip to Mia’s mom.

“Mom!” Mia cries with a serious tone to her voice, but her mouth tilts with amusement, almost as if she’s trying to hold in her laughter.

“What? I thought that’s what you kids called it these days.”

My eyes fill up with tears, barely able to breathe through the hysteria.

“No! Oh my God, Mom!”

“No, Lauren,” Riley addresses Mia’s mom. ‘It’s just good old masturbating.”

As a few minutes pass by, the laughter simmers somewhat. Finally trusting we’ve calmed ourselves down, we’re each handed a glass of champagne. But just when I go to take a sip, I inhale the bubbles up my nose as laughter erupts from my mouth when Alana, who is holding up a penis straw, blurts out, “I feel sorry for the poor bastard who had to model for this. Can’t have much of a sex life!”

The howling madness begins again and I’m left having to try and catch my breath as sweet champagne dribbles down my chin. Then, in the classiest of ways, Alana drops the straw into her champagne flute and takes a sip. She continues to drink, seemingly oblivious to the women around her almost wetting themselves with hysterical laughter.

“But I have to say, I’m one lucky gal. I’ve had forty years of toe-curling sex thanks to Samuel being hung like a horse!” My eyes bulge out of their sockets, thankful that I don’t have a mouthful of champagne, or I would have just spat it out with shock. “And if my boys are anything like their father …” She looks over to Mia then to me. “You’ll have a lifetime of amazing sex!”

I stare at Alana in disbelief and as I look over to Mia, I see she’s wearing the same horrified expression with an added pink coloring to her cheeks.
Is Ashton’s mom really talking about our sex life right now?
Trying to stifle a giggle, I turn my attention back to Alana who now has her glass raised in the air.

“Everyone raise your glasses to my beautiful soon-to-be daughters-in-law. I hope you both are blessed with a lifetime of happiness … and hot incredible sex. And babies! Lots and lots of babies. I want more grandchildren!”

Well if that isn’t pressure, I don’t know what is.

Once she’s finished with her impromptu speech and everyone has toasted mine and Mia’s happy marriages and
hot incredible sex,
she chugs the last of her champagne with her penis straw before asking for another glass.

I turn to Jo who is looking at me with a knowing smile. She raises her glass to her lips, but before she takes a sip of her sparkling champagne, she says, “Welcome to the family.”

Yep. Welcome to the family.

I’m almost a
little
too terrified to find out if she means that in a good or a bad way.

Once we have all been pampered and our nails have been splashed with a little color, we head to this cute little Italian restaurant for dinner before we’re driven to a club in central Dallas.

The whole group is definitely a little buzzed, especially Ashton’s mom, who spent the entire limo ride throwing back champagne while singing the chorus to ‘Build Me Up Buttercup’ on a repeat. I have a feeling we’ll be carrying her from the limo at the end of the night.

I’m also a little drunk and after the few cocktails I had at the restaurant, they are definitely flowing in all the right places. It’s been a while since I’ve really been able to let my hair down and it feels fantastic. Well … except for the sinking pit in my stomach every time I look in Riley’s direction.