Page 31 of The Billionaire's Secret

Summer tops it off. Amelie hands it over and I wrap my fingers around it. "Could I get a bigger glass? I’ll finish this in no time."

Amelie stares at the soup bowl-sized circumference, then cackles.

Summer laughs.

The fourth girl chuckles. She comes forward holding, her own glass. "I’m Isla, by the way." She raises her glass. "What are we drinking to?"

The three look at each other, then Summer turns to me, "To having family close."

I swallow.

"To friendship," Amelie clinks hers with Summer’s.

"To… Orgasms?" Isla flutters her eyelashes.

I allow my lips to twitch. "To being fucked until I can’t walk straight for days," I offer.

There’s silence, then the girls burst out laughing. Summer sputters, "I’ll drink to that."

"As if you need to?" Isla winks at Summer, "If the sparks between Sinclair and you are any indication, that’s a normal state for you."

Summer makes the sign to zip her lips, "Not saying anything.”

"You never share any details," Amelie pouts.

"Not one to kiss and tell." Summer raises her glass, "To guys who love us."

"To the losers who didn’t deserve to keep us," Amelie tosses her head.

"The sexy bastards who are gonna be so lucky to meet us," Isla clinks her glass.

"To…" I chew on my lower lip, "TGIF."

The three stare at me.

"Thank God it’s Friday?" Amelie furrows her eyebrows.

I glance at each of their faces, "Tongue Goes in First."

Amelie hoots, "I love your step-mama, Summer."

I wince, glance at Summer, who shakes her head. Her phone pings. She picks it up, checks the screen and smiles. "Sienna says she's bummed not to be here, but the pregnancy is exhausting her. She's going to stay in."

"Sienna?" I ask.

"Jace's wife." Summer sets the phone down. "He's a friend of the Seven. They moved here from LA because Sienna's pregnant and they want to bring up the child in Jace's home country."

"That sounds wonderful. It's beautiful that they can plan for the future, a life together." A ball of emotion clogs my throat.

Where has this...hankering for becoming part of an unit come from? To have someone to call my own. A family, kids. I had hoped that I'd have it all one day, until Nina's kidnapping had turned my world upside down. It could have easily been me. Hell, sometimes I wish it had been me. I'd have gladly traded places with her.

She and I? We’re... Solid.

Until I met her, I was always a background friend. I never fit in with any particular circle of friends. All through high school, I'd find these cliques. They'd be close with each other and I'd sort of latch on, but I was never permanent with them.

They wouldn’t have even noticed if I wasn't with them.

All of that changed when I met Nina. With her, I didn't feel left out. It was like I had found someone who got me. Someone who recognized a kindred soul, know what I mean? She had my back.