Epilogue
Asher kept his eyes locked on Jessica, unable to look anywhere else even though Luke and Eva, and Owen and Samantha, were tying the knot right now.
Jessica looked gorgeous in a long, strapless pale pink dress that touched the ground, hiding her heels. But it was her blue eyes—pinned to his—that captivated him.
Their op: a double wedding. Not too incognito with the entire Hollywood Reed family present, but it was pulled together pretty damn fast since both couples had decided wedding planning was overrated.
They’d rather duck away to Vegas with a few friends and family members and then jet off to honeymoon in Hawaii after.
He didn’t blame Luke and Owen, but he’d been surprised the idea had come from the brides.
But now that Asher was standing alongside his brothers-in-arms at the altar, all he could think about was how much he wanted to marry Jessica, to make her his, officially and forever.
She’d shown up to Boulder less than a month ago, and yet, he didn’t need any more time to know what he wanted: her. Of course, he wouldn’t drop to his knee tonight. After Owen’s epic proposal, he’d have to up his game, but he knew for certain a wedding between them would happen.
The woman loved him for him. She didn’t want to change him, but she damn sure made him a better man, whether she realized it or not.
He coughed into a closed fist as emotion gathered in his throat, and he finally swept his gaze to Luke and Eva as they shared their first kiss as husband and wife. Next, Owen and Samantha.
Two of his best friends had fallen in love, but Asher was pretty sure he’d fallen long before they had. It hadn’t been the right time for him and Jessica then, but it was their time now.
He found Jessica’s blue eyes again, his chest tightening. “I love you,” he mouthed from across the way, where they stood at the Venezia pool gardens beneath the dark sky, the moon glowing above.
“I love you,” she mouthed back, and then they clasped hands to follow the brides and grooms down the aisle after the ceremony ended.
He caught sight of baby Lara atop Eva’s dad’s lap in the audience as he walked, and he’d swear Lara smiled at him. Being a father was an idea that had never crossed his mind. Not until now, at least.
“Are you okay?” Jessica whispered as they walked.
He held on to her hand even tighter and looked over at her, her long blonde hair swept up, showing her long, slender neck. “Never better,” he said when his attention drifted from the pearl earrings he’d given her to her beautiful blue eyes.
“Me, too,” she said as they entered the hotel.
After the introductions, food, and a few hilarious speeches—especially when Wyatt and Liam took control of the mic—Asher pulled Jessica onto the dance floor.
“Did you know your brother was as romantic as Owen?” He slung her arms around his neck and then held on to her hips as they started to dance.
“I had no idea.” Her white teeth flashed. “But I think this night suits them. They’re not exactly ostentatious kind of guys. An impromptu trip disguised as an op to Vegas is much more their speed.”
He twirled her around, which elicited a gasp of surprise, and then she pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “Keep that up, and we’ll be bailing on this night early.”
A few seconds later, she turned her back to him and rotated her hips, her ass cheeks grinding into his cock. “Payback later,” he said into her ear before spinning her back to face him.
She slung her arms around his neck again. “Promise?”
He kissed her bottom lip, sucking it between his teeth before whispering, “Ti amo tanto. Voglio essere sempre con te.”
“Mm. Love it when you talk Italian to me.” She briefly lifted her eyes to the ceiling as if in thought before capturing his focus again. “Senza di te non posso più vivere,” she said. “How’d I do?”
“Molto bene.” He winked and stared deep into her eyes, losing himself. “What kind of wedding do you want?” The question had drifted from his lips before he’d realized what he’d asked.
“I never thought about it before,” she softly replied. “But if the right man were to ask me, I’d say on a beach somewhere. Alone.”
“No family?”
She lifted one shoulder. “Fine. Family only.”
“Everyone here is family, though.” All the Teamguys—they were the same as blood, so . . .
“Okay, we can make more room on that beach.” She chuckled.
He flashed a grin. “Are you saying I’m that lucky guy, then? The ‘right man’?”
“Oh, no. That guy is upstairs, waiting in my room. You’re just too damn hot in this tux to pass up at the moment.”
He leaned in and brought his mouth near hers. “I’m pretty sure you’ll forget about him once you’ve been with me.” He could tell she was fighting either a laugh or an eye roll.
“You feel like making a bet?”
He raised a hand to his head. “I’m growing my hair back out.”
“Mm. I miss it, actually.” Her fingers raced over his hair. “A different wager.”
“What do you have in mind?” He nuzzled his face into her neck, smelling her delicious scent, and then he brought his mouth to her ear. “Please tell me it involves you naked.”
“It does, in fact. Also involves the belt to my robe.”
“Oh, does it?” He pulled back and smiled.
“If I can make you come within sixty seconds—you move in with me.”
“And if you don’t?”
“I won’t lose.” She bit into her lip.
His eyes narrowed. “How about we buy a place together instead?”
“A fresh start?”
He lost his hold on her and rubbed at his chest, his heart close to exploding, which seemed to happen whenever he was around her. “I like that idea.”
She gave a slight nod, and then her gaze drifted over his shoulder. He tracked her eyes to Harper—the latest recruit. “She’s alone,” Jessica murmured. “We should go over there.”
“And leave my balls blue?” He reached between them to adjust his pants.
“Well, you’re the one who wouldn’t let me finish going down on you in the bathroom between songs twenty minutes ago.”
“Because your cock-block brother knocked on the door.”
Her lips stretched into a smile, a reminder of how she’d deep-throated him earlier while cupping his balls. And there went his cock again. Hard. Hard. Hard.
“Rain check?”
“Mm. It’s gonna be one hell of a check.” He cursed under his breath as they walked toward Harper, chuckling as a few of the Teamguys twirled their jackets over their heads near her. Tequila had to be the culprit.
“Not what you expected for your first op, huh?” Jessica asked Harper once they were within earshot of her.
Harper’s dimpled cheeks lifted as she smiled. “No, but can all ops be like this?”
Asher loosened his bow tie. “I’m not a huge fan of this getup, so that’d be a no from me.”
“You look so hot, though.” A smile teased Jessica’s lips before she rolled her tongue over her teeth, seducing him—challenging him to take her right there.
But shit, her dad was about twenty feet away, so he’d be on his best behavior. He’d try, at least. But if she shook her ass against his crotch again while on the dance floor, no adjustment of his slacks would ever ease his erection.
“Surprised to see you guys in tuxedos and not your dress blues,” Harper said.
“Yeah, well, Luke’s not a fan of standing out as SEALs. Owen’s the same,” Asher pointed out.
“Right. You guys are more secretive than I had to be in my previous gig,” Harper said before Emily came up alongside them.
“They’re going to throw their garter belts, I think.” Emily tipped her chin to the center of the dance floor, now clearing out.
Eva sat on a chair next to Samantha. She braced her hands against Luke’s shoulders and laughed when he ducked his head under her dress to search for her garter belt.
And, of course, Owen used his teeth for his turn.
“Come on. Ninety percent of you guys are single,” Luke hollered to the crowd of SEALs. “Get your asses over here.”
Owen tossed the white strap of lace first—and Wyatt nearly dropped it when he caught it.
“That’s why you should take an interest in football—the American kind,” Knox teased. “You could learn to catch.”
Wyatt tipped his chin. “Funny,” he grumbled and twirled the lace around his index finger.
“You’re not going to go out there?” Jessica asked as Asher remained standing on the outskirts of his semi-inebriated brothers.
“No, I don’t need one of those to know I’m getting married.” He stole a quick kiss from her and threaded their fingers together.
“Confident, huh?”
“Damn right.” He winked before catching sight of Luke chucking the garter into the crowd.
Liam caught it and tossed it right away. “Hell, no,” he said with a laugh.
“Our turn,” Harper announced.
“I’m good. The flowers are all yours.” Jessica leaned against Asher, and he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her tight into his side. “Who do you think Harper will end up with?”
“Why? You think she’ll have one of our guys falling at her feet?” he asked as the few single women stood before Eva and Samantha to catch the flowers.
“Oh, come on. Look what happened with us working together.” She whistled and clapped when Harper scored the first bouquet. “See?”
“Hm.” He looked at his buddies in the crowd, wondering if Jessica was right. But he also knew they were as stubborn as he was, so it’d take a lot for them to change tunes.
“Emily caught the other one,” Jessica said a moment later as the DJ walked onto the dance floor.
“Gentlemen, how about a dance with the ladies who caught the bouquets?” the DJ suggested.
“Oh, um.” Harper shook her head as the DJ approached her. “We don’t need to—”
“Come on,” the DJ insisted and motioned for her to head toward Wyatt.
“She reminds me of someone,” Grace, Jessica’s best friend, said as she came up alongside them.
“Who? Harper?” Jessica looked at her.
“Yeah”—Grace snapped her fingers—“Meghan Markle. The one who married Prince Harry.”
“Wyatt’s British,” Asher said with a laugh. “A match made in heaven.”
“Yeah, well, I think we should protect Harper from Wyatt.” Jessica’s cheeks reddened. “Did I mention that I walked in on him naked in—”
“Say what?” Asher whirled to face her.