Page 31 of Billionaire's Promise

I swallow, bring down my eyelids, then part my lips, waiting…waiting. He releases me so fast that I stumble back. He brushes past me, heads for the door and stalks out.Shit, shit, shit.What the hell was that? Why the hell had I come onto him so strongly? It’s like when I am with him, I lose track of who I am.

How had I acted so wanton? How could I have thrown myself at him, so quickly after Edward? This… Whatever it is between us, is doing my head in.

I march down the steps, head to where I’d deposited my coat and bag in the living room of the town house.

As soon as I walk in, Isla rushes up to me. "Are you okay?" she whispers.

"Yeah… No." I shake my head. "I don’t know."

I shrug into my coat and grab my bag, then glance past her to where Summer is watching me with sympathetic eyes.

"Want to talk about it?" she asks.

"Maybe later?" I half smile.

"Hang in there." She jerks her chin toward the hallway. "So, you and Baron?" She wrinkles her forehead. "Everything okay there?"

Ha, if she only knew.

"It’s fine." I flash her a smile. "I’d better go; he’s going to give me a ride home." I turn past her and head for the hallway when she calls out.

"Hang in there, Ava, it’ll get better."

I laugh, "Nothing can make this better."

“Don’t give up too quickly."

I pause and stare at her over my shoulder.

"What are you trying to say?"

She comes toward me, "That things are never what they seem with the Seven."

"That’s putting it mildly." I bite the inside of my cheeks. "It’s just… I feel…"

"Confused? Conflicted?" Isla pipes up.

"All of it, and more." I squeeze my eyes shut. "Everything is happening so fast, and I can’t keep up."

"Maybe you are resisting too much?" she replies.

I open my eyes, scowl at her, then turn to Summer, "Do you feel that way, too? Do you think that I am fighting the inevitable?"

"If it feels this difficult, maybe."

"But…but…" I grip my bag at my side. "Surely, it can’t be right that…"

"That you are attracted to Baron?"

I flush.

"I thought I was attracted to Edward."

"Who’s not here anymore." Isla taps her chin "But Baron is."

"Doesn’t mean I have to give in to the chemistry between us."

"So, there is chemistry between you two?" Isla asks.