“I’ll be right there,” I say to Alana before turning my attention to a grouchy Ashton.

“I better go.” I press one last kiss to his lips before removing myself from his lap. I step away, but in a millisecond he takes hold of my hand and drags me back down. I feel the tips of his fingers caressing along the edge of my flowy dress.

“This dress looks incredible on you, but as much as I love you wearing it, I’m going to love it even more when I get to take it off at the end of the night.” My insides clench at his seductive remark and I suddenly wish it were the end of the night, so he could strip me from my dress and make love to me all night long.

“Go. Have fun.”

I blink at his comment, and on a gasping exhale I weakly stand to my feet. He laughs throatily; obviously amused at the lust-filled trance he’s put me in with a few simple words. I go to walk away, but when I lose my footing he catches me in his arms.

“Do you need a minute to compose yourself?” He gives me his signature smile and I playfully push him away. He slaps my ass and says, “I love you.”

Turning to him and his mischievous grin, I give him my sexiest smile—in the hopes of leaving him wanting more, the way he’s left me wanting more. “I love you, too.”

And before he can rein me in again and torment me with more sultry words, I hurry into the house and out of the front door towards the waiting limo.

After we’ve picked up the rest of the bachelorette party, we finally come to a stop at a salon. Upon entering, we are greeted at the door by several beauticians who hand us luxury bachelorette gift bags before ushering us to our designated area. Giggling can be heard around the salon, specifically from both Tyler’s and Mia’s moms who are currently waving around florescent pink dildos in the air.

“Oh my God, Riley! What the hell did you buy us?” Mia shrieks with laughter, looking at the array of goodies in her gift bag before pulling out what appears to be love balls. “Oh God, are these anal beads?”

Everyone laughs out loud at Mia’s question, including me, and the look of horror on her face is priceless. Her eyes are almost popping out of their sockets.

“No, they’re Ben Wa balls,” Riley spits through hysterical giggles as she witnesses the alarmed look on her best friend’s face. Curious, I look into my gift bag and I also have a bright pink dildo, love balls, and what looks like a bullet vibrator. The bag also includes a bright pink sash and some accessories that are mostly in the shape of penises.

Hearing a light buzzing sound, I turn to Jo beside me, and I can’t keep the laughter from bubbling from my mouth as I see she’s already ripped open the packaging from the bullet vibrator and is gently touching it to her nose.

“Jo, what are you doing?” I question, laughing hysterically. More laughter sounds throughout the salon, until all you can hear is high-pitched cackles.

“Yeah, baby … I think you’re using it wrong,” chirps Alana with a giggle.

“Your nose is supposed to be as sensitive as it is downstairs. They say test a vibrator at the tip of your nose, to give you a taste of what it’ll be like, when you’re … you know—”

“Flicking your bean?”

All eyes whip to Mia’s mom.

“Mom!” Mia cries with a serious tone to her voice, but her mouth tilts with amusement, almost as if she’s trying to hold in her laughter.

“What? I thought that’s what you kids called it these days.”

My eyes fill up with tears, barely able to breathe through the hysteria.

“No! Oh my God, Mom!”

“No, Lauren,” Riley addresses Mia’s mom. ‘It’s just good old masturbating.”

As a few minutes pass by, the laughter simmers somewhat. Finally trusting we’ve calmed ourselves down, we’re each handed a glass of champagne. But just when I go to take a sip, I inhale the bubbles up my nose as laughter erupts from my mouth when Alana, who is holding up a penis straw, blurts out, “I feel sorry for the poor bastard who had to model for this. Can’t have much of a sex life!”

The howling madness begins again and I’m left having to try and catch my breath as sweet champagne dribbles down my chin. Then, in the classiest of ways, Alana drops the straw into her champagne flute and takes a sip. She continues to drink, seemingly oblivious to the women around her almost wetting themselves with hysterical laughter.

“But I have to say, I’m one lucky gal. I’ve had forty years of toe-curling sex thanks to Samuel being hung like a horse!” My eyes bulge out of their sockets, thankful that I don’t have a mouthful of champagne, or I would have just spat it out with shock. “And if my boys are anything like their father …” She looks over to Mia then to me. “You’ll have a lifetime of amazing sex!”

I stare at Alana in disbelief and as I look over to Mia, I see she’s wearing the same horrified expression with an added pink coloring to her cheeks. Is Ashton’s mom really talking about our sex life right now? Trying to stifle a giggle, I turn my attention back to Alana who now has her glass raised in the air.

“Everyone raise your glasses to my beautiful soon-to-be daughters-in-law. I hope you both are blessed with a lifetime of happiness … and hot incredible sex. And babies! Lots and lots of babies. I want more grandchildren!”

Well if that isn’t pressure, I don’t know what is.

Once she’s finished with her impromptu speech and everyone has toasted mine and Mia’s happy marriages and hot incredible sex, she chugs the last of her champagne with her penis straw before asking for another glass.

I turn to Jo who is looking at me with a knowing smile. She raises her glass to her lips, but before she takes a sip of her sparkling champagne, she says, “Welcome to the family.”

Yep. Welcome to the family.

I’m almost a little too terrified to find out if she means that in a good or a bad way.

Once we have all been pampered and our nails have been splashed with a little color, we head to this cute little Italian restaurant for dinner before we’re driven to a club in central Dallas.

The whole group is definitely a little buzzed, especially Ashton’s mom, who spent the entire limo ride throwing back champagne while singing the chorus to ‘Build Me Up Buttercup’ on a repeat. I have a feeling we’ll be carrying her from the limo at the end of the night.

I’m also a little drunk and after the few cocktails I had at the restaurant, they are definitely flowing in all the right places. It’s been a while since I’ve really been able to let my hair down and it feels fantastic. Well … except for the sinking pit in my stomach every time I look in Riley’s direction.

God, there is just something about her that I don’t like. I’ve felt it since the moment I locked eyes on her earlier today.

I keep telling myself that I’m jealous because she’s Ashton’s ex and they have a history together before he and I even existed, but it’s more than that. I just don’t know exactly what that actually consists of. All I know is that I don’t like her, and something in my gut is telling me to be wary of her. And my gut instinct is usually right. I think that’s why it has my mind in a complete spin. A hurricane of fierce jealousy and irrational fire. It doesn’t help that she is insanely beautiful, with a body that a supermodel would die for.

I know I’m being ridiculous to feel like this because I know Ashton loves me and wouldn’t do anything to hurt me. We have a relationship built on trust, and I do trust him—with both my heart and my daughter’s. But fuck, being around Riley is beginning to bring out some tiresome emotions that I’ve never felt before. I’ve never felt the intense burning in my stomach, the nausea that has my heart slamming against my chest, or the immense anger that soars through my veins. Surely, it can’t be normal to feel like this.