Page 13 of Billionaire's Sins
"We text every weekend. Every time I message her, she replies instantly." Summer chews on her lower lip.
"But you are still worried about her?"
"I am, and yet," Summer hesitates, "I don’t want to stifle her, you know? I trust my sister, and while I want to protect her, I also know that we have to make our own mistakes to learn from them too."
"Mistakes," I muse. "Wonder if I am mistaken about the chemistry between me and Edward." I shuffle my feet, "I’d never want him to give up his calling, his profession...for me, you know?"
"And you know the Seven are complicated. If it weren’t for the incident, he might never have become a priest."
"What happened to Edward?" I lean forward. "Is that what prompted him to follow this path?"
Summer’s forehead creases. "I don’t think even the guys know the full story, but what I do know? It’s not my story to tell. It’s best he tells you himself."
"Of course." My shoulders slump. "So then, what? I wait and watch? That’s what you two recommend?"
"Or maybe we could just be friends?" A new voice sounds from behind me. I turn and heat floods my cheek.
"Y-you," I stutter. "What are you doing here?"
5
Edward
I stride into the kitchen and the girls glance at each other. The silence stretches and Ava hops from foot to foot. Her face is fiery and she looks like she’s about to throw up.
I glance between them and Summer nods. "Uh, Isla and I need to see someone about something."
"What thing?" Isla frowns and Summer nudges her.
Isla blinks rapidly, then straightens, "Oh, yeah, that thing."
Summer begins to haul Isla out of there. Ava watches them leave with a stricken expression. "Uh, I guess I should go too." She turns to follow them.
"Stop, Eve." I hear the authority in my voice and frown. When had I decided it was appropriate to command her to do my bidding? More to the point, why does she respond to my order?
She pauses, but doesn’t turn around. Her shoulders are squared, her spine erect.
"Turn around." I force my voice to assume a more normal tone. This is just a discussion; that’s all it is. A conversation. Something I do every day with the people in my parish, so there is nothing different about this. Except there is. None of them resemble this beautiful, innocent creature who was sent my way to tempt me, to show me that I am fallible. To show me that the more I try to resist, the more I will fail. That all this time, while I’ve taken so much pride in being able to resist any enticement... Apparently, I still have a long way to go. Yeah, that’s all this is. A test. Of my morals. My principals. The way of life I have chosen for myself, and I intend to make sure that I pass this. With flying colors.
She slowly turns to face me and the breath rushes out of me.
Without the shield of the blanket that she’d clutched to herself, I see her in the morning light, her Titian hair flowing about her shoulders. Her pale skin gleams in the sunlight that pours over her and haloes her. Her green gaze widens as she takes me in. Color flushes her cheeks, her lips part, and I can’t look away. The pink of her lower lip, so soft, it would be so sweet. If I could only taste it once. My foot hits the ground and I realize I’ve taken a step toward her.
Her gaze widens, she bites down on her lower lip, and the blood rushes to my groin. This can’t be happening. And no, no way, am I going to use swear words to give vent to the frustration that wells in my chest. I thrust out my chest, widen my stance. "I heard you, earlier." I fix my gaze on her, and she blushes.
"How…how much of the conversation?" she mumbles.
I tilt my head and her blush deepens.
"Oh, hell." She squeezes her eyes shut. "This is soooo embarrassing." She hunches her shoulders. "I didn’t mean to talk about you. I mean, I did, but I was hoping for some clarity, you know? And I can only figure things out if I discuss them."
"You mean, when you are not talking to yourself?"
"Exactly." She snaps her eyes open. "But I swear, you have nothing to worry about."
"No?"
"No." She moves toward me. "Trust me, I have come to a decision."
