Page 52 of The Morally Grey Billionaires Boxset

Isla

"Couldn’t let the two of you hide yourselves away without first allowing us to congratulate the two of you on your milestone." Hunter leans his hip against the door frame to the study. "Also, the new look suits you." He jerks his chin in Liam’s direction.

"Thanks." Liam holds me closer. "What’s the milestone you’re talking about?"

"The milestone needs to be seen to be believed." Zara walks out of the study, her phone, as usual, attached to her hand. She bumps Hunter’s shoulder as she passes him, as if by mistake; or rather, a deliberate act designed to look like a mistake.

Hunter scowls at her, but he doesn’t tell her off.

Instead, he grits his teeth as if he’s trying not to react to her provocation.

He sweeps his gaze down her figure—taking his time about it, too—before he glances away.

Meanwhile, Zara moves toward us, completely oblivious to just how closely she was perused by him.

"Did you see what I just saw?" Liam mutters from the side of his mouth.

"Oh yeah, this is going to be one hell of an interesting situation."

Zara looks between us, a trace of suspicion on her features. The only fact that she’s registered Liam’s new look is the nod of approval she threw him when she first saw him. Now, she scowls at me. "What are the two of you whispering about?"

"I was just telling Liam how wonderful it is to see the both of you." I smile sweetly at her.

"Don’t forget us," Karma’s voice rings out from inside the study.

"We’ve been waiting for you," Summer chimes in.

"You mean there are more people in there?" Liam scowls.

"It’s more accurate to ask who isn’t here." Hunter smirks.

"Did you plan this?" I scowl up at Zara.

She holds up her hands. "Don’t shoot the messenger.

And for the record, this was unplanned. Summer messaged Amelie, Karma, and me, and before I knew it, we were heading down here.

Hope you don’t mind that we barged in on your little lovefest. We figured it’d best we caught you now rather than becoming coitus interruptus later. "

"There will be no coitus interruptus, now or later," Liam assures her.

Heat flushes my cheeks. I smack Liam on the shoulder. "Seriously, you have no filter."

"Not when it comes to you." He waggles his eyebrows at me. "What say we ditch these losers and go up to my room so I can show you just how much I missed you?"

Zara screws up her face. "TMI, you guys. And I get it, you can’t keep your hands off of each other. But you need to see this." She thrusts her phone at us.

I glance at the screen. It’s open to my social media feed and—"Whoa!" I straighten. "Am I reading that correctly?"

"One million likes on this social media feed and the video’s been shared on other platforms and racked up thirty times that in views."

"No way," I gasp.

"Yes way, lady. You’re a celebrity," Zara announces.

My arms and legs tremble. At the same time, that weightless feeling I’ve been carrying since Liam’s earlier declaration intensifies.

Surely, I must be dreaming. Maybe I’m in a parallel world where, not only am I free to be myself in front of everyone, but also there are people out there who support me in this endeavor.

Liam must sense the emotions coursing through me, for he brushes his lips against my temple and whispers, "You okay?"

I nod.

"You want me to tell them to fuck off so you have some time to come to grips with everything?"

"No, it’s okay. I want to see them."

"Not for long, though."

I peer into his features, and the hunger I see there sparks a burn of need in my lower belly. My thighs clench. I bite down on my lower lip. He lowers his gaze to my mouth and his gaze heats.

Zara throws up her hands. "Seriously, you guys, can’t you keep your hormones in check for a few minutes more?"

"No," Liam says at the same time that I laugh.

"Sorry. We’ll behave, I promise."

She spins around and walks back into the study.

Hunter follows. Liam strolls into his study, still carrying me.

That’s when I realize he was right. Not only are Summer and Karma seated on either end of a couch but their husbands Sinclair and Michael are also there both standing behind their wives.

Weston is seated with Amelie on his lap in another chair.

Arpad is leaning against a table with Karina in the V between his legs.

There’s also Declan Beauchamp, who cuts a solitary figure near the bar.

Their gazes track us. None of them comment on Liam’s new look, either. It’s almost like they expected it of him, and accept that this is right for the two of us. Liam walks over to the armchair near the unlit fireplace. He sinks into it with me in his lap.

"Glad to see you all are so at home," he drawls.

"Thought you wouldn’t mind us consuming your favorite whiskey, either." Hunter pipes up from where he’s joined Declan near the bar. Zara takes the seat farthest from him, which puts her near Amelie and Weston.

"What are you having?" Liam narrows his gaze on the glass in Michael’s hand that’s filled with clear liquid. "Is that—?"

"Soda," Michael confirms.

"Soda?" Liam blinks. "That what you’re having, too, Sinclair?"

"And about time. Why should they drink when their wives can’t?" Zara interjects.

Sinclair raises his glass. "I have no regrets. I can truthfully say, I don’t miss the booze. If I can support Summer in this journey, it’ll all have been worth it."

Hunter looks at Liam. "Perhaps I should get you soda, too, so you can start practicing."

Liam laughs. "Bet you were waiting for the opportunity to say that to me."

"I freely admit that." He raises his glass filled with an amber liquid that must be whiskey, given the open bottle on the bar between him and Declan.

"Sorry, again, about barging in, but we wanted to be the first to congratulate you, Isla, on your very brave step, and to tell you that we’re here with you and for you, every step of the way." Hunter raises his glass.

"We are in your corner," Summer blows me a kiss.

"To you, Isla, and to Liam, for being with you on this adventure." Karma smiles.

"We have jointly donated a million dollars to the National Alopecia Research Foundation. It’s nothing compared to what you must have gone through, but it’s the least we could do." Michael squeezes Karma’s hand.

"You’re one of us, and we take care of our own." Weston smiles. Amelie blows me a kiss.

"Solene wanted me to convey that she misses you and wishes she could be here. But she’s on her first concert across the States, so… You know."

Tears prick the backs of my eyes. "Thanks, guys. It means a lot to me—all of it."

"We didn’t do this to make you cry," Zara says softly. "I know first-hand just how much your life has been affected by this condition, and how much it impacted, not only your physical but also your mental and emotional state. You faced it with grit and determination. You didn’t allow it to rule your life. You found your way through it. You didn’t stop it from letting you get out of bed.

You didn’t let it stop you from pursuing your goals.

You didn’t let it come in the way of your living life to the fullest. And now, with Liam at your side, I know you’re only going to reach new heights. "

"Thank you," I whisper. "This… All of this is incredible and overwhelming. I couldn’t have asked for better friends. Or" —I glance up at Liam— "a better husband, truly."

"Anything you want." Liam bends and kisses my mouth, and of course, it doesn’t stop at just a brush of our lips. He deepens it, and I know I need to stop it, that people are watching. But when I’m with him, in his arms, surrounded by him, feeling his heartbeat in tandem with mine, his breath intertwined with mine, his gaze holding mine, the rest of the world, as always, fades.

It’s only me and him, him and me, and this new state of mind we’re building together.

When he finally releases me, I look about the room to find the rest of them grinning at us.

"I think that’s our cue to leave, folks." Hunter drains his glass and pushes away from the bar. He prowls over to Zara and holds out his hand. "Why don’t I give you a lift home?"

She lifts her chin. “No, thanks, I have my own car.” She rises to her feet and walks over to kiss my cheek. Then straightens and stabs a finger at Liam. "Hurt her in any way, and you’ll have to deal with me."

Liam laughs. "I can’t hurt myself, can I?"

"Aww," Summer gushes. She rises to her feet and Sinclair leads her over to us. "You guys are sooo cute together."

Zara holds her thumb to her ear with her little finger stretched out, and mouths, "Call me."

I nod.

She leaves, and Hunter follows her anyway.

Gosh, the man doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer, does he?

The rest of them say their goodbyes, with the women blowing me kisses.

And just like that, we’re on our own. For a second, we sit there as the silence settles about us.

It’s a comfortable quiet, a stillness that percolates deep into my blood…

my body…my mind…my soul. For the first time in my life, I feel like I’ve stopped running. It feels like I’ve arrived home.

"Liam," —I wrap my arms about his neck— "will you fuck me?"

"No," —he shakes his head— "but what if I make love to you?"