Page 38 of Finally Us (Next Generation 5)

His jaw clenched, his thumb moving over the small ballet slippers pendant.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked, staring up at him.

“Yeah.” He placed a soft peck on my forehead before pulling away. Heading to the door, he unlocked it but turned back to me before he opened it. “What time will you be home tonight?”

“I have to finish up here and then I’ll be heading to the studio.” I had a routine to work on before teaching my students next week. “But I shouldn’t be too late.”

“I’ll text you when I’m on my way.”

“Actually.” I went toward him. “Come with me.”

Vince didn’t ask any questions as we left the storage closet. I led him to the office, needing to give him something that I probably should have given him a while ago.

When we reached the room, I was about to step inside when I almost bumped into Ainsley Cloet. “Oh God. I’m sorry.”

She gave me a small smile, shrugging her shoulders in a quick move. I actually wasn’t sure if I saw it or not. She quickly rushed off, hugging a book to her chest and disappearing around the corner at the end of the hall.

“I feel bad for her,” Vince said, voicing my thoughts.

My heart stuttered. I did too. Not knowing exactly what Ainsley had been through, I just knew that she didn’t talk. She could hear perfectly fine but from what I had been told, she hadn’t spoken more than a few words in several years due to a past trauma. She knew American Sign Language and used it to communicate. She kept to herself most times but had always been nothing but nice.

“Queenie.”

I jumped, finding Vince staring at me. “Oh.” I laughed. “Sorry. Distracted.”

He chuckled, shaking his head.

Making my way into the office, I went to my bag and started looking through it for a specific item. I smiled when I found it. “The girls have one and so do the twins.” I turned, holding a key in my palm. “I want you to have one too.”

Vince frowned, his gaze dropping to my hand. “This a key to your house?”

“Yeah. The girls still have theirs even though they moved out. I figured since you’re coming over more, it would be easier for you to have one. Then you don’t have to wait for me to be home or awake.”

Vince took a step toward me, something flashing in his eyes. That familiar tick in his jaw, jumped.

My heart stuttered. Maybe I had read into this wrong. I went to pull my hand back, my cheeks heating over the fact that he clearly didn’t want a key to my house, when he grabbed my wrist.

I gasped, the key falling to the ground.

He crouched, picking it up.

“Vince,” I whispered, when he rose to his full height. “What is it?”

“The twins have a key to your house?” he asked, his voice rough.

“Oh.” Was he jealous? “Yes. There’s a bar near my place that they started going to. I figured it was safer that they crash on my couch. You know Aiden has problems.” But he wouldn’t admit it. “I’m just looking out for them.”

“You have a big fucking heart, Queenie.” Vince took the key from me and shoved it into his pocket, keeping hold of my wrist with his other hand. “I don’t like that they have a key to your house. I don’t give a shit that you’ve known each other forever. What if they come over and you walk out in those sexy as fuck panties and a tank top?”

“Well, if you must know, they always text me when they go out, letting me know that there’s a possibility that they could be coming over. So I always make sure to dress properly.” I pulled my hand from his grasp. “Not that I have to explain anything to you. They are family.”

“Ashton fucked your sister. That’s some fucking family.”

“Whoa.” I pointed at him. “I don’t know where this is coming from, but I can promise you that nothing has ever happened between anyone and me. Ever.” I should have told him that he had been the only guy that I had ever slept with, but his jealousy pissed me off.

A smug grin spread on Vince’s face. In a rough move, he pulled me against him and captured my mouth in a hard, bruising kiss. “Tell me I’m the only one you’ve let into your bed.”

I shivered at his deep voice.

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