“It was years ago.”
Ashton shook his head and reached for the door. “I have to go.”
Ignacio caught his arm and looked him dead in the eyes. “This is what you wanted, mijo. Don’t screw it up.”
In the car, Ashton reflected on his father’s words. Why had he even come here this weekend? Yes, he’d loved spending time with his son, but he would have been better served resting and memorizing his lines for the third episode.
Part of him had wanted to get away from the stress of it all. Another part had wanted to see for himself that Yadi was safe and happy. But even though he’d confirmed that everything was okay, he still felt unsettled.
Well enough, he’d told his father. Deep down, he knew he could be doing better as Victor. Ashton was too much of a perfectionist to ever feel like he’d done agreatjob, but he knew when he was holding back. If this show was going to catapult his career, he needed to give it his all.
It was with this thought in mind that he ran into Jasmine entering the Hutton Court late that night.
She did a double take when he approached her at the elevator bank, where she’d just pressed the up button.
“You’re out late,” she remarked, giving him a once-overwhile he did the same. She looked tired, but gorgeous in a floaty purple dress that showed off her shoulders and arms.
“I could say the same to you,” he quipped, exhaustion loosening his tongue.
“Just getting back from the Bronx. My cousin Ronnie’s daughter turned one.” She rolled her eyes. “Nothing says ‘baby’s first birthday’ like an open bar.”
“Your family lives in New York?” he asked, more curious about her than he should be.
The elevator arrived and the doors whooshed open. They both stepped in, and she leaned a shoulder on the elevator wall.
“Yup. And since I’m here, I’m expected to visit my parents, siblings, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, etcetera.” She ticked them off on her fingers. “Why the hell is my family so damnbig?”
“I was just visiting my father in Puerto Rico,” he said, even though he definitely hadn’t been planning to tell her that.
“Really?” Her expression softened. “How was it?”
“Great.” The elevator dinged and stopped at her floor. If they were on TV, it would malfunction, trapping them in together and then... what? The doors slid open. He’d never know.
Jasmine straightened and Ashton pressed a hand to the frame to hold it open for her. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
“Right. We have the intimacy coordinator meeting before we start filming episode three.”
Episode three. The one with the kiss.
Maybe Jasmine was also thinking about the upcoming kiss, because she bit her lower lip and ducked her head, like she was suddenly embarrassed to look at him. “Um, good night.”
“Buenas noches,” he murmured as she brushed past him, leaving a sweet citrusy scent in her wake. He held the elevator open, watching her as she walked down the hall. When she looked back over her shoulder at him, he let go. The doors shut, blocking his view of her.
Chapter 9
Jasmine had a hard time falling asleep after her encounter with Ashton in the elevator, but she’d eventually managed to nod off, and only hit snooze twice the next morning when her alarm blared. Curse Ronnie and her Sunday night open bar.
At the party, she’d filled in Ava and Michelle on Ashton’s behavior, and they’d assured her she shouldnottake his reclusive behavior personally. Ava had even looked up some Spanish-language gossip sites, which all confirmed Ashton’s rep for being easy to work with but kind of a diva.
While Jasmine couldn’t deny his acting ability, his disappearing acts were annoying. But when shedidmanage to catch him—like in the elevator and after he’d spilled coffee on her—he seemed normal. Down to earth, a little awkward, sweetly endearing. And sexy as hell. Whatever cologne he wore was really doing it for her, and she didn’t even like men’s cologne.
Worse, while their performances were fine, she was convinced they could bring even more to the characters if he would just freakingtalkto her for more than two minutes.
Before they got to the kissing scene, Jasmine and Ashton were instructed to attend a meeting with the episode’s director, Ilba Montez, and the intimacy coordinator, Vera Parks. Marquita Arroyo, the showrunner, was also in attendance.
Since they hadn’t hit wardrobe yet, Jasmine wore cutoff shorts and a white T-shirt, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. Ashton was dressed in faded jeans that made his legs look a million miles long and a beige guayabera shirt, like the kind Jasmine’s grandfathers wore.
Ashton had no right to look so sexy in an old man’s shirt, but he apparently hadn’t gotten that memo.
