Page 29 of The Billionaire's Secret

"I’d forgotten."

"You’re British, of course. I could tell from your accent. So how did you meet Summer’s father?"

I tense, pull myself up straight, "I think I need to leave."

Her face crumples. "Oh, I’m sorry. I hadn’t meant to be nosy. Sometimes my mouth doesn’t grasp what my brain is trying to communicate. Often, I speak nonsense, and by the time I’ve realized what I’ve said, it’s too late."

I draw in a breath. All that bubbliness is overwhelming.

"I said too much again, didn’t I?" She grimaces, her gaze turning stricken. "Please forgive me, please."

I jerk my chin. "Don’t worry about it."

She locks her arm with mine, then begins to walk. I keep pace. "It’s just us girls tonight. Sinclair’s allowing Summer the evening off."

"Allowingher the evening off?"

"He’s sooo possessive about her. Honestly, that man is 100% alpha… And of course, there’s the rest of the Seven. Put them all in one room, and whoa." She makes a smacking sound with her lips, "I swear my ovaries can’t take it."

"There’s seven of them?"

She nods, "I haven’t seen the seventh, of course."

"Oh? Why's that?" Perhaps she has her uses, after all? Maybe she can shed a little more light on the man I have to find a way to get close to?

"Baron, that's the guy who's not around. He's a kind of mystery figure," she adds obligingly.

"What does he do?"

She raises her shoulders. "Don’t know… Anyway, the ones who are here are more than enough to keep a girl occupied, if you know what I mean."

Ah!"So you have your eye on one of them?"

"Maybe…" she giggles.

The sound is so infectious, I can’t stop my lips from curving. Maybe she isn't bad company, after all.

We reach the entrance to the tube station and I hesitate.

She turns to me, "It’s only a few stops on the train to get to Summer’s place."

"Her house?" I swallow,uh,"I really don’t think that’s a good idea."

She grips my arm, "Nonsense, you’re soaked."

"I’ll dry."

"Surely, you don't want to be alone?"

I bite my lips.

"It’s a good old-fashioned stay over, which we haven’t done in a while, and that’s important, you know? Female friendships are ah-may-z-i-n-g!" she sing-songs.

Not always, but…okay.

"We women, we need to have each other’s backs…" She rocks forward on the balls of her feet, "...especially when you need a shoulder to lean on, ya know?

I narrow my gaze.