Page 73 of The Protégé

They all whipped their attention to me, making me laugh. “It’s complicated.”

Michelle smiled. “It’s always complicated.”

“Your reply just confirmed one thing: SSG!” Kiera high-fived all the girls.

“What’s that?”

Audri’s lips curled into a mischievous pout. “Super Spy Girls. Is there something you’d like to know about Orion? Does he want to be with you? Does he love you? How can you find out?” She gestured to all the women grinning at me like they’d been waiting for this opportunity. “We can assist. With our combined brainpower, nothing is unattainable.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “You sound like a female vigilante group.”

“Exactly.” Audri punched a fist into the air. “We’re like the Bond Girls.”

“But better,” Vivian added.

“I’m starting a SSG fashion collection. Something chic, cool, and fun.” Natalie wiggled her eyebrows. “There’s going to be a lingerie line too.”

“Oh!” Michelle clasped her hands together. “Send me pics when you have them. I’ll blog the hell out of it. If you havepostcards or a flyer, give some to me. I’ll have Royce place them in all of his excursion offices.”

“When I have the samples ready, I’d like all of you to model an outfit for me.” Natalie beamed.

Everyone cheered, and somehow all the issues I’d been dealing with fell away. At the moment I felt so inspired that anything was possible.

“We kissed,” I blurted out.

The room went quiet.

“And?” Kiera asked.

“How was it?” Michelle grabbed another spring roll.

“Amazing.” I bit my bottom lip. “But he has baggage.”

“They all do, honey.” Audri placed a hand on my shoulder.

“No. This is different.” I sighed. “I think he’s still hung up on his ex.”

Vivian furrowed her eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

“He’s wearing a necklace with a gold band that probably belonged to her. Maybe he was married before. I don’t know.”

“Interesting.” Audri twisted her lips, thinking.

Natalie nodded slowly. “Have you asked him about it?”

“Not yet,” I said, sorting through the tray of leather bands. “But I plan to.”

Kiera lifted a hand in the air. “I’ve got it. This could be your SSG mission. Make him, or rather, inspire him to remove the necklace. When that happens, it means he’s releasing the past to be withyou.”

“That’s perfect!” Audri agreed.

“But how do I do that? I mean, I don’t want to force him. But I also can’t be with a man whose heart is still occupied by someone else.”

“We understand, babe.” Michelle offered a warm smile. “Women can be generous, but not for this.” She narrowed her eyes. “With love we have to be selfish. We can only be with a manwho’s willing to give his entire heart to us because we give our entire heart to him.”

“Too bad we know so little about him or his ex,” Vivian said. “I don’t think the boys do either.”

“Start seducing Orion with little things.” Kiera yanked at her wide-neck knit top, revealing a silky bra strap on her shoulder. “Sexy lingerie always works.”

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