Page 10 of Billionaire's Sins
"Do you believe in fate?" I query.
She blinks, then blows on the liquid in her mug. She takes a sip, sighs, then leads the way to one of the barstools.
I slip onto the one next to her, place my mug on the counter. "Well?" I ask. "Do you?"
"Of course." She gazes into the depths of the dark liquid in her mug. "And being as how so many of the Seven have found their match… When honestly, it’s hard to believe any of them would ever end up together with someone else, based on the journeys that each of them has gone through…" She rubs her cheek. "It has to be fate…or destiny, or whatever you want to call it, guiding them to get together."
"But what if fate gives you mixed signals?" I rub my hand across my face.
"Mixed signals?"
I nod, "You know, like telling you to move forward yet holding you back, for some reason."
"I don’t understand." She scowls. "Are you telling me you met someone, and you are sure you were destined to meet him, only now you think he can’t be the one for you?"
"Kind of." I twist my fingers together. "It’s more like, I shouldn’t have been attracted to him in the first place, because he’s unavailable."
"He’s married?"
"No." I shake my head. "Kind of. He’s in a relationship with someone else."
She gives me a hard look. "So, he’s involved with someone else, and yet, he encouraged you?"
"Not knowingly." I wriggle around to find a more comfortable stance. "I mean, he didn’t do anything to encourage me. It was me, making assumptions about him."
"But he told you he is with someone else?"
"That’s the thing. He’s not with someone else."
"So, he’s available?" She frowns.
"No." I hunch my shoulders.
"So," she purses her lips, "he’s not with someone else, but he’s not available?"
I jut out my lower lip.
"What, is he a priest or something?" She chuckles.
I stare at her and my cheeks flame.
"Omigod." She opens and shuts her mouth, "No way, don’t tell me."
I bury my head in my hands, "Oh…this is soooo embarrassing."
"Don’t tell me." She grips my arm. "You’re talking about Edward, aren’t you?"
I nod, still not meeting her eyes. Jeez, does everyone know that he’s a priest? How had I missed that memo? But then, I hadn’t spent any time with the Seven. I’d seen Edward at Karina and Arpad’s wedding, but he hadn’t been wearing his priest’s collar, so I could be forgiven for making that mistake, right?
"So, you had no idea he was a priest?" Her voice is filled with sympathy.
"I must be the only one who didn’t know." I lower my hands, raise my gaze to hers. "I mean, look at the guy… He’s…so hot, has so much presence. He’s a walking orgasm, for hell’s sake."
"Who’s a walking orgasm?" Summer ambles over to us. She plucks the cup of coffee in front of me on the counter and takes a long satisfying sip. "Mmmm." She swallows, then glances between us, "So who were you talking about?"
"Edward," Isla blurts out, before I have a chance to tell her to shut up.
I glare at her and she raises her shoulders.
