Page 23 of The Billionaire's Bride
"Umm, yeah?"
She shakes her head, then turns to the bartender, "Can you top us off, please? My friend, here, is going to need it."
"What?" I snap.
She motions zipping her lips.
"Tell me," I grumble.
"Not my place."
"Oh, please." I mutter. "Seriously, Isla, you’ve come this far, may as well spit it out."
"Is that what you told him?"
"What?" I frown, "Oh! For your information, I swallowed."
She opens and shuts her mouth. "Whoa, woman. Seriously, you have changed."
"It’s called growing up?"
"It’s called, having your cake and eating it too."
"Huh?"
"You know, dating two sexy-as-hell guys... With their permission... At the same time." She stares at me. "Honestly, despite the fact that I know you are not going to be able to stick to the 'no sex' thing—"
I make a warning noise.
"Not that you are not going to try or anything, but whether you are able to stick to it is another thing altogether. Despite that—"
"Isla!"
"No, seriously. Despite all that, I am envious of you. I truly am."
I snort, "Why don’t I believe you?"
"Come on, woman, you’re trying to juggle two men. Me? The only action I’m getting right now is silicone."
"You mean, by imagining yourself with Liam?"
"Ugh, that man?" She makes a face. "That full-of-himself, prick-tard, who needs to get a life? The last time I met him at his wedding rehearsal, he looked at me like he hates me."
"Maybe it’s because he actually likes you?"
"No, no, no, not falling for that, babe. There is no enemies-to-lovers thing happening here. The man positively loathes me. He can barely bring himself to talk to me when needed. Not that I mind." She snorts, "The less interaction I have with him, the better."
"So, you’ll be happy when he gets married."
Her features freeze, then she recovers and raises her glass at me, "Nice segue, but I am not falling for it."
"Not falling for what?" I ask innocently.
"You tried to change the topic and succeeded, but I am steering us back to the issue at hand."
"What’s that?"
"You and your men, Ava." She leans forward, "Surely, you do prefer one of them over the other?"
