**Edited Version**
**Warning: Explicit content. This chapter contains descriptions of consensual sexual acts. Mature audiences, only.**
The cab ride to Panitelli's was silent except for the road noise. They had taken their shopping bags back to the hotel before heading to dinner. Ashley was concerned with how quiet Shane had been since they left the hotel room. She tried to be supportive by holding his hand, but he seemed to be even more distant than the bus ride. She turned her finger around to watch her ring sparkle as she played with his fingers, sighing at the feeling of helpless.
Ashley was lost in thought when he finally spoke up, "We're here."
They pulled up in front of a row of Victorian houses that were so close to each other, the neighbors could shake hands through the windows. Shane paid the cab driver and got out. He opened Ashley's door and offered his hand. She took it and he helped her onto the curb, lacing his fingers in hers and giving it a squeeze as the cab drove away.
"We can take a moment, if you need," Ashley said quietly, placing her hand on his chest as the diamonds from her ring glinted in the waning sunlight.
Shane sighed heavily. "No. We should go on in. The Panitelli's will want to talk before dinner...and after dinner and after dessert. They like to talk." He hugged Ashley for extra support like he does and pulled back, ready to go.
The front door opened, and Vinnie popped his head out. "Hey! You guys made it! Don't stand outside like a couple of weirdos, come on in!" Stepping out on the porch he waved them over.
Shane glanced at Ashley and gave her a look, but she just smiled and squeezed his hand. As soon as Shane stepped foot on the bottom step, Vinnie had him in a bear hug.
"It's great to actually visit this time! You should see Ma, she's been cooking and going on about you all day," Vinnie gushed as he motioned Shane inside.
"Hey, Vinnie. It's good to see you again," Ashley said as she stepped up on the porch. He pulled her into a hug, and she awkwardly returned it.
"It's good to see you again, too, Ashley. Hey, I like what you did with your hair." Vinnie smiled and blushed lightly. "Come on in. Ma can't wait to meet the girl that brought Shane back to the city."
He put his hand on her shoulder lightly, guiding her inside to a flurry of 'hello's', hugs, and cheek kisses from half of the Panitelli family that showed for dinner tonight. The house was larger on the inside than it looked on the outside but was still cramped like you would expect a family reunion to be.
After being passed around to thirty different people, Ashley spotted Shane across the room. He was standing next to a gorgeous, dark-haired woman who was getting a little too handsy with her fiancé. She had her perfectly manicured nails on his arm, twirling her hair with the other hand and was laughing loudly.
Ashley made her way over and her anger cooled. Shane's face had glossed over, but he smiled gratefully at her appearance.
"There you are!" Ashley said loudly, making sure to plant her left hand with the engagement ring on the center of Shane's chest as she slipped her other arm around his waist. "I think I've met the whole family, honey, except..."
She turned to the woman with her most charming smile. Shane looked uncomfortable, but after seeing the way he let that woman put her hands on him, Ashley let him squirm.
"Monique, this is my fiancée, Ashley. Ash, Monique is Vinnie's cousin; we went to school together."
Monique looked like a flipping super model with her perfectly symmetrical eyebrows and makeup on-point. Her full lips were cherry red, her eyes a darker brown than Ashley's, and curves that looked like she was a walking photoshop picture. Ashley was happy she'd just had her hair done today because she felt very plain standing next to Monique.
"It's nice to meet you, Ashley. Tony and Vinnie haven't stopped talking about you for weeks," Monique said with her high-pitched, thick, northern coastal accent with rounded vowels. It was a bit nasally, and didn't match her looks at all. "When I heard Shane was coming to dinner tonight, I just had to see him! It's been ages since Shaney came home," she added, smiling with emphasis on Shane's name. Monique was blatantly flirting with him, but Ashley knew how to play.
Positioning herself between the other woman and Shane, Ashley pressed herself against him and asked in a sweet voice, "Shane, honey, can we go get a drink? All this talk with your extended family has made me thirsty."
Thankfully, Shane found Ashley's tactics amusing rather than annoying and played along, putting his arm around her shoulder. "Of course, my pet. Please excuse us, Mona," he said politely before making their way to the hub of the house: the kitchen.
Admittedly, Shane had made it through the mosh pit of Panitelli's and was waiting for Ashley before going to see Tony and Marge. This was the first time in four years he'd set foot in their house; he didn't want to see the hosts without her. Monique had spotted him and took advantage of having him alone. Thankfully, Ashley didn't seem too angry but saved him from her droll conversation just in time. Now they were off to meet the roots of the family and the two people he thought of as parents during his adolescence... and the people he would likely lose after his apology tonight.
Before entering the kitchen, Shane lowered his arm to hold Ashley's hand and she gave it a squeeze. Marge, having heard all the commotion at the front of house, was smoothing her apron and was the first to notice them. She rushed over to meet the couple with tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Figlio Mio Bellissimo! (My handsome son!) You have come home!" Marge exclaimed as she kissed Shane's cheeks and hugged him so tightly, he couldn't breathe. "Why do you go for so long without a phone call or nothing? You break my heart," she said, standing back to look at his face, which she held in her hands like a delicate piece of pottery.
"I'm sorry, mamma. I was in a bad place for a long time, and I should have called..." He sniffled as he trailed off. The pain on his face and the ghosts of the past swimming in his eyes were apparent.
"Well, you are here now." Marge sniffled, gave him a loving smile, then patted his cheek. Then she turned to Ashley. "And you, mia bellissima bambina (my beautiful girl)! You saved my Shane and brought him back to us. Grazie, Angelo mio! (Thank you, my Angel!)" She took Ashley by the shoulders and kissed her cheeks before pulling her into a tight hug.
Ashley smiled and was moved to near tears at this woman's affection for her love. "Shane saved me as well, Mrs. Panitelli," she admitted when the woman finally released her and she could breathe.
"Welcome to the family, tesoro mia (dear heart)," Marge said sweetly before asking, "So, when is the wedding?"
"In three weeks." Ashley beamed at Shane when he slipped his arm around her waist. "We were gonna announce it at dinner tonight, but I guess everyone already knows." He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck.
Marge wore a mother's knowing smile. "Well, if the ring wasn't the first thing people noticed, it would be the Mermaid Pendant around her neck." She winked at them before pulling them into the kitchen to meet the cooks rushing around to finish last-minute dishes.
"Ashley and Shane! Congratulations on your engagement!" A booming voice called out. Tony Panitelli wrapped them both in a giant bear hug. "Welcome home, son. So, three weeks until the big day, huh? I assume the wedding will take place in Pelican Town?" He was grinning like a proud papa.
"Yeah, the townsfolk will take it personally if we have the ceremony somewhere else and we're planning to live there after we get married, so..." Shane explained, leaving out the fact that Marnie had already started planning everything the day after the storm.
"But, we're planning to have the reception at Marnie's ranch since there's a large clearing that should accommodate everyone," Ashley added with a nod.
Shane kissed her on the temple. He couldn't contain his excitement at finally marrying Ashley, the other half of his heart and soul.
"Come on you two, dinner is nearly done, and the night is young." Tony chuckled and ushered them toward the hallway to wash up.
At dinner, with Ashley and Shane being the guests of honor, they received first helpings of all the different dishes served throughout the course of the night. There were three different types of prosciutto wrapped appetizers, plates of cheeses, sausages, sun dried tomatoes, artichokes and olives with balsamic glaze and these little, crispy fried balls of rice and cheese that were Ashley's favorite. The main dishes passed around included baked ziti, chicken parmesan with angel hair pasta, baked rigatoni meatball, a lasagna that rivalled Marnie's, and two different flatbread pizzas. When Ashley felt she couldn't eat anymore, they started bringing out desserts. Cannolis filled with vanilla or chocolate cream, a beautiful tiramisu, panna cotta, and these thin, flaky and crispy cookies called pizzelles.
Everyone ate, talked, laughed, and ate some more until the whole table leaned back with full stomachs. The noise quieted as some people went outside for an after-dinner cigar or cigarette or dispersed throughout the house. Soon, the only people left around the dinner table with Shane and Ashley were Vinnie, Monique, Tony, Marge, nonni Greta, and a few of the closest cousins, aunts and uncles.
Tony tasked the younger, teenaged cousins to help their nonni to bed, indicating it was time for adult talk. Once they were gone, everyone else shifted chairs to sit closer to the guests of honor. To Ashley's annoyance, Monique quickly took the seat next to Shane while Vinnie, Tony and Marge sat across from them and the rest sat accordingly.
Shane took a heavy, ragged breath, and Ashley realized what he was getting ready to do. She squeezed his hand under the table and kissed his cheek.
"Tony, Marge. I need to apologize," Shane began, looking down at his nearly empty plate.
"There's no need to apologize, Shane. We understand how difficult things got. We're just glad you're here now," Tony said, waving his apology away.
"No, Tony. I'm talking about Antony," Shane explained, making eye contact with Tony. He couldn't bear to look Marge in the eyes yet.
"Heh, whatcha talkin' about, son" Tony asked, confused about what Shane could have possibly done wrong to his best friend.
Shane sighed, his shoulders dropped heavily, and he hung his head. "It's my fault Antony died. If I hadn't been driving drunk, no one would've gotten hurt, and Antony wouldn't have quit gridball."
Ashley put her arm around his shoulders when he started to sob quietly. She had never seen him so open with a group of people, but these were more family. Still, it hurt her to see Shane like this.
Tony and Marge stared at Shane for a moment before looking at each other. Vinnie, who had been quiet the whole time, spoke up.
"Shane, uh, it wasn't your fault. See, he and Peggy, well, they was gonna have a baby," Vinnie explained.
Shane blinked a few times and frowned. "What? When? But he never said—"
"It was a few days before the car accident. Peggy told Antony she was pregnant, so he planned to go into service to make enough money to take care of them. He didn't want to tell you, thinking you'd drop out of gridball, too. While you and Mona were in the hospital, he signed up. Antony died because some Gotoro soldier shot him. End of story," Marge explained solemnly as a tear slipped down her cheek.
Tony patted his wife's hand. "We are so sorry you carried all this weight around for so long, Shane. Let it all go, son, and become part of the family again."
Shane stood up suddenly, startling Ashley and Monique. "I need some air," he said quickly before heading outside.
"Please, excuse us," Ashley apologized and stood to follow.
She ran outside and stood on the sidewalk, looking both ways for him. She caught sight of his figure walking back toward Zuzu City.
"Shane!" Ashley called out as she ran toward him. "Wait!"
He stopped until she came up behind him. Ashley placed her hand on his arm and asked in a quiet voice, "Can I walk with you?"
Instead of answering, Shane turned to her, tears streaming down his cheeks and eyes red even in the streetlight. The horrid lie Shane had been living with for years had eaten so much of him, he felt cheated that he would never be able to get it back. The look of utter despair Ashley had seen in his eyes before they were together had returned.
"Oh, my love," Ashley said as she hugged his waist. His arms held her tightly as if his unraveling world was slowly disappearing and he feared she would, too. She rocked him gently and let him cry for a few minutes longer until a car pulled up beside them.
The driver's window rolled down and Tony hung his elbow out. "Get in, Shane. We need to talk." Vinnie got out of the back seat and opened the passenger door.
"All right." Shane gave a curt nod then kissed Ashley. "Go back to the house and wait for me there, okay? We'll be back soon," he instructed calmly, kissing the back of her hand and giving her a weak smile before getting in the car.
Ashley watched the car drive away and headed back to the house. Monique was sitting on the front step smoking a cigarette. She pulled a long drag before exhaling a large puff of smoke.
"Welcome to the family, sweetheart. I guess we ain't the perfect little family you thought we was, right? One big, fucking happy family." She flicked the ashes off her cigarette before taking another drag.
"There's no such thing as a perfect family, Mona. We're all just doing the best we can, one day at a time," Ashley replied as she watched the tendrils of smoke drift from Mona's hand.
"Ain't that the truth," she scoffed, "Did you know Shane and I was a thing for a while in high school? I thought we were gonna be together forever back the,n but then he got bossy and started telling me what I could or couldn't do. And he got really jealous of any guy that talked to me." Mona took one last drag off her cigarette before flicking it out on the sidewalk and blowing the smoke out slowly.
Ashley listened, intent on not taking stock in what the woman was saying. It was obvious Monique still had feelings for Shane, but she wouldn't dare mention it. Clearly Mona was trying to scare her off.
"Yeah, he started out a real charmer in the beginning, but it wasn't until months later, after the accident, that I called splits," Monique finished before standing up and opening the door. She went inside and paused, waiting for Ashley to follow so she did.
Marge was sitting on the couch with a large book in her lap when they came in. "Come sit with me Ashley, I want to show you some pictures of the family," the woman said sweetly, patting the cushion beside her.
Ashley smiled warmly and sat next to Marge, and she placed the book in the middle of them. "These are my boys, Vinnie you know; he's the small one. The older boy, here, is my Antony," she began, pointing them out.
The only difference between the boys was their height. They both looked so much alike, mostly like what she imagined Tony looking like at that age. It was uncanny.
A few more pages in, the boys grew older, and she recognized a young Shane with violet hair so dark it was nearly black. Ashley's heart flipped at the sight. She wondered if their children would look more like their father, like this young Shane. She started blushing at the thought as Marge flipped through the pages, ending on the last. Ashley saw Antony in his uniform, very handsome indeed, with a spark in his eye despite the serious face he presented in the picture. She also saw a picture of Antony and Shane with Monique and, presumably, Patty. Shane had a cocky look on his face that made her smile, but the way Monique looked at him with absolute admiration, clinging to his shirt like he would run away if he got the chance, concerned Ashley. It was similar to the way Mona looked at him now, confirming what she already knew. This one is not my friend, Ashley thought when Marge closed the book suddenly, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Well, that's enough of that one," she said with a brave grin, putting the album on the end table. There was another book in her lap, a yearbook from Ashley's high school.
"Hey! I went there, too, and this was my junior year!" Ashley said excitedly, "May I?" She ignored the overexaggerated yawn Monique was putting on for show. No doubt, she had seen these pictures a thousand times, but this was new and exciting to Ashley.
"Of course," Marge nodded with a chuckle and handed the yearbook to her. "This was also Vinnie's junior year. Did you remember him?" She smiled at Ashley, amused at the idea that the girl that ended up marrying her adoptive son had known the Panitelli's before she knew Shane.
Ashley was flipping through to the W's when Tony, Shane and Vinnie came inside. She didn't get a chance to answer. They were laughing and cutting up like kids, completely opposite their somber behavior from earlier.
Shane came up behind Ashley, so she leaned her head back to gaze at him. "Hey, handsome. We're looking at Vinnie's yearbook. Apparently, we went junior year together at Zuzu City High School II."
"Cool," he smiled, "Let me see your picture." Shane leaned down to grab a quick, upside down kiss while Ashley had her head back. Then, squatting down, he rested his chin on her shoulder to get a better look.
Ashley smelled alcohol and turned to frown at the guys. "Have you been drinking?!"
Shane stood and put his hands up. "It was just a sip. We were celebrating with Antony. Honest, Ash, you can ask Tony and Vinnie. Antony got more than we did." He looked sincere enough, but Ashley held Tony and Vinnie accountable as well. She scowled at each one in turn until they nodded and crossed their hearts.
Convinced they were being truthful, Ashley relaxed and sat back to find her picture. Shane eased around the couch to sit on Ashley's other side. He slipped his arm around her shoulders like she might still be upset. When Ashley snuggled into his side, Shane grinned and skimmed the pages with her.
"There," he pointed to her picture a second before Ashley found it. "You were cute back then, too," Shane said with a goofy grin and kissed her temple. Her hair was black, cut just below her chin with bangs and she wore a black choker that had an ornate silver pendant dangling from it around her pale neck.
Ashley wanted to smile, but she tensed at seeing her best friend's picture next to hers. Shane took notice and tried to help her through it like she does with him.
"That's your bestie, Jarrod, isn't it?" he asked, looking at the good-looking boy in the picture to the left of hers. Shane's first thought was he was glad her best friend had preferred guys. Jarrod had bright blue eyes, a sleek face, narrow nose and thick, wavy locks of golden hair.
"Yeah, that's Jarrod." Ashley sniffled and touched his picture. "Gosh, it's been so long I'd nearly forgotten his face. Funny how time does that." She suddenly remembered that there were other people in the room with them. She cleared her throat and forced a smile before chuckling nervously. "Let's see if we can find Vinnie now."
Flipping back to the P's, Marge picked him out quickly. As soon as Ashley saw the awkward boy in the picture, she suddenly remembered him.
"Puh-telli! That's what we used to call you!" Ashley said, glancing at Vinnie. "I can't believe you didn't say anything before!" Marge stood up and excused herself for a cup of coffee and gave Vinnie her seat.
He stood over her shoulder and grinned bashfully. "When you came in with Shane the other week, I thought I remembered you, so I went through my yearbook and there you were. We were in Ms. Jalinsky's—"
"—English class!" Ashley finished with a laugh. "Do you remember when she gave us a pop-quiz the day before Spring break and the whole class snuck out, one at a time?" she asked with a huge grin.
"Yeah! Yeah!" Vinnie laughed, "She fell asleep at her computer. Someone said, when she woke up, she howled in anger at the empty room, like a wolf," He shook his head while smiling and sighed. "You know, I had a crush on you back then, but you was always with Jarrod and that Eric guy."
"Don't get any ideas now, Vin," Shane warned with a stern voice, "we're about to get married." He tried to hide the smile at the corner of his lips. Shane didn't feel threatened by Vinnie at all.
"You don't have anything to worry about, Shane. When I say you are the only man I want, I mean it," Ashley replied, to which Shane gave her a sweet kiss.
"Nobody wants to see that," Monique snorted. She got up and walked away, heels clicking loudly on the hardwood floor.
Ignoring her, Shane flipped through the yearbook, looking for more pictures of Vinnie and Ashley. They found a few photos here and there, most of the ones with Ashley also included Jarrod but there was one that really caught Shane's eye.
Ashley was laughing as a dark-haired boy wearing all black nuzzled her neck and Jarrod was rolling his eyes with a smirk on his face. It was actually a picture of Vinnie and one of his friends painted up for the high school gridball game and they happened to be in the background.
"Who was that?" Shane asked, curiously. They didn't talk about past relationships but seeing her with another guy bothered him. Jealousy bubbled in his stomach.
Ashley's eyes furrowed, as she looked closely. "Oh, he was, uh, the guy I dated junior year. His family moved across the country the summer before senior year and we never heard from him again." She couldn't remember his last name, though, having been eight years ago and a lot had happened since then.
"Again, nothing for you to worry about. That was a lifetime ago. You and Jas are my life now," she added as she stroked Shane's chin, calming him down.
They continued flipping through the yearbook until Marge came in to announce coffee was ready for anyone who wanted it. Shane stood and stretched before holding his hand out to Ashley, pulling her to him.
"You really won't have a better cup of coffee than what the Panitelli's serve," he said matter of fact before whispering in her ear, "Besides, it's getting late and we have plans." His hand found her ass and gave it a light squeeze while no one was looking. Then, he teased her with a quick but intimate kiss.
"Your stomach hasn't steered us wrong yet," Ashley answered, hugging him to her and burying her head in his chest. "I love you so much."
"I love you, too. More than anything in the world." Shane tightened his hold on her and kissed the top of her head as he rocked them. He tried to imagine her with short, black hair and bangs. Nah, I like the Ashley I have now. Loosening his hold, Shane kissed her on the forehead and laced their fingers.
In the kitchen, the aroma of freshly-ground, roasted coffee beans hit them, and Ashley couldn't wait to try it. She wasn't much of a coffee drinker but this she had to try. It lived up to her expectations. They chatted in the kitchen for a few minutes before moving back to the dining room when the topic of wedding plans came up.
"So," Tony, who was most eager to start planning the wedding, began, "Let's get to the bones of this thing. Who's catering the wedding?" He looked at the couple with excitement in his eyes.
Shane put his hand over his mouth and breathed out heavily through it. "Marnie kinda took the reins the day after she found out. Uh, Gus, I guess, would be the one catering," he said, looking to Ashley for confirmation and help.
"Yes, Gus will cater. He's got the only restaurant in town." Ashley rubbed Shane's thigh. "As far as any other wedding plans go, well, we haven't had much time to begin. Shane and I have been busy replanting crops the past week after the hurricane destroyed most of the farm." Ashley didn't want to think about how difficult this winter would have been without his help.
"Well, you two need to make some decisions. Yoba willing, you only get married once and you need to have things the way you want," Marge spoke up and sighed, resting her elbow on the table to cradle her head, "What DO you want out of the ceremony?"
"What do you think?" Shane asked Ashley, "Personally, a simple ceremony would be nice, but I want you to be happy."
"Good answer," Ashley smiled before kissing Shane's cheek. "I like the idea of a simple ceremony, too. I don't want a huge, fluffy dress. I like purple asters and fairy lights. Outside of that, what else is there?" She looked around the table at the amusement on everyone's faces. Her face burned with embarrassment.
"You're not fooling anyone, honey," Monique was the first to speak up, "Of course you want a big wedding with all the bells and whistles." She had this smirk on her face suggesting Ashley was just a simple farmer that didn't know shit.
Ashley took a deep internal breath before she spoke, "Actually, Monique, if Shane and I want a simple wedding, that's exactly what we're going to have."
She had planned out her entire wedding... senior year in high school. She and Jarrod, out of boredom, spent one spring day planning their simple ceremonies with each other being the VIP of Honor at the other's wedding. Ashley had always pictured being a barefoot bride in a simple, flowy dress covered with a ring of wildflowers. Jarrod thought it was too simple, but his idea wasn't much different. He was at least going to wear flip-flops and get married on the beach.
Vinnie snorted at the look on Monique's face, nose peeled back in a sneer and her eyes narrowed. Ashley was sure no one disagreed or challenged Mona often. She opened her mouth to reply but closed it instead, muttering something under her breath.
"All right, you two. Settle down," Tony laughed to break the tension. He turned to Ashley, "Have you thought about who's going to walk you down the aisle?"
Ashley had given this a lot of thought. "Well, I haven't heard back from him yet, but I'm hoping my Uncle Bill will. I really don't have any other option," she said, playing with her coffee cup handle while holding back her tears.
"I'm sure we'll hear from him, Ash, don't worry," Shane comforted then kissed her on the temple. He made a note to personally call Uncle Bill first thing Monday.
Tony glanced at his wife with a sad face. When she nodded, he turned back to Ashley, "If you don't hear from your Uncle Bill, I would like the honor. You don't have to decide anything now, just, let me know and I'll be there for you guys."
Ashley couldn't hold back the tears now and let them fall as Shane sat still, looking at the incredible man that was more of a father to him than his own had been.
"Thank you, Tony. Remember when we talked at the restaurant? You reminded me so much of my uncle...If he doesn't agree, I would be honored if you would give me away," Ashley choked out, putting her hand on Tony's and giving him a warm smile.
Marge added her hand to theirs. "You are family, Ashley. We take care of our own. And, while you won't have the Panitelli name, you definitely have our spirit." She smiled at Ashley much like her mother used to, making her cry more.
A quarter past midnight, Shane announced they needed to get back to the hotel, "We have a movie date with Princess Jas Friday night that we cannot be late for."
As they were passing through the living room, Ashley noticed Monique flipping through Vinnie's yearbook. She waved goodbye to the couple, glaring at Ashley with a devious grin before putting the book down and walking out with the crowd. Vinnie offered to drive them back to the hotel instead of them having to call a cab, so they piled into his car after saying their goodbyes. Monique came up to Shane's window and leaned over, her breasts pressed together by her crossed arms. He looked straight ahead, knowing Ashley was watching closely from the back seat.
"Bye, Shane. Don't be a stranger, 'kay," Monique crooned. She looked at Ashley, "See you soon." With that, she backed up to the porch where Ashley saw Marge speaking to Mona before waving goodbye.
"Whew!" Vinnie exclaimed, shaking his head. "That Mona. She may be family but she's a barracuda, that one. You sure dodged a bullet, Shane. Uh, no offense, Ashley, but she never got over him after he broke it off," Vinnie said.
Ashley just nodded, thinking about what Vinnie just said. Mona told me SHE broke it off with Shane...she's definitely up to something...
"Oh, I'm not worried about Mona. In three weeks, after the wedding, we'll never have to see her again," she said quietly. It would be a gift from Yoba if she lost her invitation.
-----
During the short ride to the hotel, Ashley listened to the boys chat while she thought about Mona and the look she gave her when they left. Mona had found something in that yearbook and was planning something, that much was clear.
What could Mona possibly find in that book that would get rid of me in three weeks?
She thought about that for a moment and considered what could be accomplished in such a short time. Shane and Ashley had been officially dating for a shorter time before their engagement, so, a lot.
The passenger door opened, and Shane popped his head in. "Hey, Ash. You coming?" he asked, concerned slightly at her lack of awareness.
"Yeah, just thinking," she replied with a forced grin. She didn't want to accuse Monique of anything without proof. She took his hand and scooted out.
Vinnie had come around and gave them each hugs before jumping back in and heading home. Shane had one arm around Ashley's shoulder and was waving with the other hand.
"You sure you're okay?" he asked as they turned to walk inside. Shane was hoping that she wasn't going to her depressed places after pulling up difficult memories tonight.
"Yeah, that was just a lot. Fun but a lot," Ashley replied with a weak smile. They waited in silence for the elevator door to open.
As soon as they stepped in, Shane pulled her to him, planting sweet kisses on her lips and face before moving to her neck. At first, Ashley was slow to get into it but by the time Shane's hands made their way to her breast, his mouth found hers again and a warmth had sprung between her legs.
The elevator dinged, doors opening way too slowly as they pushed through them impatiently to get to their room. Shane fumbled with his card key as Ashley kissed his neck and started unbuttoning his jeans, not wanting to waste any time. They barely made it in the door before Ashley felt something off about how wet she was getting. Fuck! Not now!
"I need to go to the bathroom. It's an emergency," Ashley said quickly, running to the door and shutting it behind her. She went to the toilet and pulled down her pants to see a spot of red. "Fuck!" she said loudly.
Shane was on the other side of the door and knocked quietly. "Baby? What's wrong?"
"I just started my period," Ashley whined, cleaning up and getting undressed. "I'm going to jump in the shower. Would you bring my purse in and put it on the sink, please?" she asked pitifully, upset that their plans for the night were ruined.
It took Shane a moment to answer and when he did, he simply said, "Okay."
Ashley turned the water on and cried. It was a silly thing to get upset about; these things happened but the timing really sucked. The hot water felt good on her back, soothing her nerves a little. She began washing the cigarette smell out of her hair. With her head in the water, she didn't hear the door open but noticed Shane's shadow on the other side of the frosted glass.
"Thank you. I'm sorry I ruined our night," Ashley began but the shower door opened, and Shane stepped inside to join her. He didn't appear to have lost much momentum with how quickly the blood was returning to his extremities.
The look on his face was sultry as he grabbed the bar of soap and began lathering his hands. "You didn't ruin the night," he said with a growing smile on his face.
Shane placed the bar back on the shelf and began to wash Ashley's body, starting with her breasts and playing with her nipples until they hardened. He then worked his way to her stomach and slipped his arms around to her back. She watched his green eyes dance between hers and her lips as he rubbed the soap up and down her back, pressing her breasts against his chest. Finally, Shane's lips found hers and kissed her deeply, pulling a moan from her mouth. The water ran between their faces as their tongues danced. Shane lathered up with more soap guided her to wash him until he was fully erect.
"I have been looking forward to feeling you raw, with nothing between us, and we're safe to do that now," Shane whispered into her ear, making her chest heave at the thought. "Do you want me like this, Ashley?" he asked as his fingers danced along the inside of her legs, teasing her until she ached.
"Yes," she finally managed, panting fast now. "I love the way you feel inside me, and I want you all the time." Ashley kissed him intimately and writhed at his touch.
Shane picked her leg up and slid in easily, but the feeling nearly made him double over. It was more intense than anything he had felt before. He tried to keep a slow and steady pace, but Ashley felt so damn good, he struggled. His head rolled as he fought the urge to empty himself inside her right now by burying his face in her neck.
Her back arched against the shower tile as she held onto his neck for support. Her whole midsection and hips burned with waves of white-hot heat as Shane touched everything inside her. It was the most intimate skin-to-skin contact they could get with each other. She didn't want it to end, but her climax surged throughout her body. She bounced and moved her hips to keep it going and felt Shane release inside her. The pulse from his ejaculation took her by surprise and she dug her nails into his back.
"Fuck, yes, Shane!" Ashley called out, moaning and panting loudly.
"Ungh... Damn, Ash," Shane replied as he filled her up.
Shane shook in her arms, so Ashley combed his hair with her hand and kissed his neck. They held each other tight while Shane softened. Taking the soap in her hand, she began to wash the areas she could reach while she hugged him, and Shane relaxed. He feathered kisses on her shoulder before standing up and smiling lovingly at her.
"That was amazing," Shane said, watching Ashley as he rinsed his back and wet his hair.
"Fucking amazing," she replied with a kiss, squirting some shampoo in his hand.
It was difficult for either of them to stop looking at the other. Both wore drunk smiles after sharing such an intimate moment. After they showered, got dressed and ready for bed, Shane and Ashley lay facing each other, arms around each other and still riding the high.
"Promise me you'll never leave me," Shane asked quietly, knowing absolutely that, after this day, his life would be nothing without her.
"I promise I will never leave you," Ashley replied lovingly and stroked his cheek before combing her fingers through his hair. "You are mine and I am yours, forever and always, Shane," she replied, sealing the promise with a kiss.