Page 46 of Finally Us (Next Generation 5)

My back stiffened. “I can’t have a stripper.”

Ashton frowned. “Yeah, you can. It’s tradition. All of us had a stripper on our twenty-first birthdays.”

“All of you were single on your twenty-first birthday. I’m not having a stripper.” I went to walk away, hoping my words were final and left no room for argument when Ashton’s next words stopped me.

“Are you dating Gigi?”

I stopped, slowly turning toward him. “Why? You want to try and fuck her too, Ashton? I heard you got around but come on. You hit on my sister, caused shit for her and Zach, and then you fuck Meadow. Oh, and you even fucked Piper too. Are you just wanting to go through all the girls we know?”

Ashton’s brows narrowed. “That’s not…it doesn’t…I don’t want Gigi.”

I raised an eyebrow. “No? Why not? Something wrong with her?”

Aiden watched the exchange, a small smirk splaying on his face.

Ashton scowled. “Nothing is wrong with her, but I know that she could never belong to me. Not even for a second.”

“And why is that?” I asked, crossing my arms under my chest and staring him down. It didn’t matter that he was bigger than me. It didn’t matter that it revealed feelings I didn’t want to think about yet. It didn’t matter that I had known the twins my whole life. Whatdidmatter was the fact that Gigi belonged tome.

“Because.” Ashton’s jaw clenched. “She belongs to you, fucker.”

“Exactly.” I turned on my heel and walked away. I knew that little conversation wouldn’t stop Ashton and that he would still have the stripper for me, but it didn’t matter. There was no way I was letting another woman touch me. I had heard the stories after the guys had their own twenty-first birthdays and what went on behind closed doors. It wasn’t my thing and the only woman I wanted dancing for me, had suddenly disappeared. I hadn’t seen her most of the night and it didn’t sit well with me.

“Vince.”

I turned at the sound of my sister’s voice. “Hey, Luna.”

“You good?” she asked, coming toward me with her fiancé hot on her heels.

“Yeah, just looking for Gigi,” I told her.

“I haven’t seen her,” Zach confessed. “Have you?” he asked Luna.

“No.” Luna took a sip of her drink. “But I know she gets a little weird during these parties. She’s like Monica fromFriends. Everything has to be perfect.”

I scratched my jaw. It made sense but it still didn’t mean I had to like it. “You’re probably right.” I wished I could see her even just for a second. I wanted to thank her for the party. I wanted to hold her, kiss her. I was damn near vibrating out of my skin with need for her. There were several private rooms at this club that I could drag her off to for a little party of our own. But I had a feeling that Gigi wouldn’t overly mind if I just slipped my hand between her legs while she carried on a conversation with someone else. I imagined my fingers lightly touching her hot flesh. Her breath would catch, her words would falter, and I would grin like the lovestruck fool that I was. My girl was a freak and I couldn’t wait to explore that side of her.

“He has it bad.”

I was snapped out of my little fantasy, finding both Luna and Zach staring at me.

She laughed, hooking a hand around Zach’s arm. “He does.”

Zach grinned.

I huffed. “I’m fine. I just need to see Gigi.”

“If I see her, I’ll let her know that you’re looking for her,” Luna told me.

“Thank you,” I muttered. “How are you doing? How’s Benjamin?”

“He’s good. Growing way too quickly.” Luna laughed.

Zach looked down at her. “Yeah, everything’s good.”

The hackles on the back of my neck rose. “Did something happen?”

“It’s nothing.” Luna shook her head, rolling her eyes. “I got some stupid crank phone calls that are bothering Zach a bit more than they should.” She patted his arm. “But it’s fine. Nothing happened.”

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