“The men did not expect her to be good at poker,” Zoë says, laughing while Wes lies back on the couch with a scowl. “I knew the moment I met her she was not someone to be trifled with.” She winks at Aurora, and I swear Aurora sits up straighter.
She’s a proud Italian, and any compliments from my friends seem to really hit home. They welcomed her immediately, just like I knew they would. We don’t judge anyone in this group, let alone judge someone for the way they look. And Zoë has traveled so much that she actually speaks a bit of Italian, making Aurora feel even more at home.
“We’re here!” Pyro shouts from the door that leads out to the pool.
“Late!” Quinlan yells back, moving to greet them.
“Blame Pyro,” Greg complains. “I stopped by his place to pick him up, and the fucker still hadn’t bathed.”
“Bathing is for the weak,” Pyro laughs, walking to the living room and making a beeline for Aurora. “And you must be the beautiful Aurora I’ve heard so much about.”
He smiles and winks at her, pushing me out of the way so that he can sit next to her instead. She blushes, scooting over a bit so he isn’t sitting directly on top of her. I did warn her about him, but I swear you can never actually be prepared to meet that guy.
“I am.” She holds out her hand, and he takes it, pulling her in for a kiss on each cheek.
“Well, aren’t you the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
I roll my eyes, and he laughs as I grab the back of his neck and pull him away like a mother reprimanding her naughty pup.
“No need to manhandle me!” he pouts, rolling off the couch and taking up residence on the floor between myself and Wes.
Greg comes into the room with a beer and introduces himself to Aurora in a normal way, shaking her hand and telling her how nice it is to meet her. He’s normally the more quiet one, but when it’s just us, he knows how to make sure things don’t slip into an awkward silence.
As we continue to play the game, everyone entertains Aurora with questions, learning about her life in Italy and what it was like to grow up on an orange grove. Jack talks to her about getting into the business, like he needs anything else to occupy his time.
“We don’t need another business to take care of,” Quinlan sings from the kitchen, echoing my thoughts. When she comes back in, she’s carrying a tray filled with snacks—ever the perfect host.
“So I heard you two are heading to Tokyo soon?” I ask Greg.
“Yeah,” he says, taking a drink. “We were kind of hoping you guys would still be out on your various honeymoons and travels. I wanted to get a big-ass house and have some fun.”
“Oh, I am so down for that,” Wes says, tossing his cards onto the coffee table. “And Zoë has been wanting to do a piece there.”
“For sure,” she agrees. “Tell me when and where, and I will be there. With him as well, I guess.” She laughs as Wes pulls her in for a sloppy kiss.
“As if you would ever want to leave me behind,” he grumbles into her ear.
“I’ve never been to Tokyo!” Aurora says, looking over at me with hopeful eyes.
“Hey, man,” Greg says, looking over his shoulder at me. “My treat. Airfare and housing would be free.”
“She gets what she wants,” I shrug, laughing when Aurora lets out a squeal.
“I know Pyro is only going because he knows there are some wild-ass kink clubs,” Jack laughs. Pyro raises his drink toward him and smiles. “You wanna go, baby?” he asks, turning to Quinlan.
“Sounds good to me,” she says. “I can work from anywhere, so I don’t see why it would be an issue.”
“Family vacation!” Pyro shouts, grabbing mine and Wes’s legs as he shakes us both.
I watch as Aurora breaks out into laughter. She fits into this little fucked-up family so well, like a missing piece of a puzzle. Running my hand through her hair, I smile when she leans into my touch.
“Any thoughts on where you guys want to live?” Wes asks us once everyone has settled down.
“Not yet,” I tell him. “Figured we would go have a look once we get back from Fiji.”
“I don’t have a preference as long as it’s a good place to raise children.”
“Aww,” Quinlan coos. “How many kids do you want?”
“Three,” Aurora says very quickly and very firmly. “And all close together in age so that they will always want to play with one another.”
“Don’t give her any ideas, Aurora,” Jack chimes in. “She’s already got baby fever, and we have way too much on our plate right now.”
“Spoilsport,” Quinlan says, playfully turning up her nose at him.
Everyone falls into easy conversations, but I can’t take my eyes off my wife. I look down at the gold band wrapped around my ring finger and smile. I have my wife, my friends, and a plan for the future.
And that feels pretty fucking good to me.
You can pre-order Pyro’s story here:
https://books2read.com/u/4Ajo10
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The story told in the prologue is The Golden Oranges, a fable by Luigi Capuana. The story has been shortened and paraphrased for the purposes of this book.
I want to first thank Abi, Tori, Cady, and Sandra. You all stuck by me and continued to work with me and I wish you all the best vibes, karma, and love in the world for that. You have no idea how much it meant to me.
A huge round of applause for Chiara (@cuore__di__carta) for helping me with the Italian translations. Not only that, but you’ve been an amazing human being. Thank you for being one of the kindest readers I have. When you message me, and tell me how much you love something I wrote, it brings tears to my eyes. You are just so, so amazing. Thank you.
To my readers, I hope you liked this one! Owen is such a softie for Aurora. I knew the moment I thought of his plot that I wanted it to be this super sweet, love at first sight, struck by Cupid's bow type of love. I knew Aurora needed someone like Owen in her life. She needed someone to love her for everything she is and everything she isn’t. And Owen is the man for the job.
Abi absolutely nailed this cover, you guys. This was her first rough draft, and I barely even gave her a description. She just read my mind and ran with it. And I freaking love it. It’s so different and unique, which is the plan for each of these books. Thank you, Abi!
Sandra, my editor, my angel, my guiding light! You are the kindest human being on the planet, and I honestly can’t believe I was so lucky to snag you as a brand new author. I’d be lost without you.
ALSO BY DANA ISALY
Games We Play: https://books2read.com/u/3n5Mao
Secrets We Hunt: https://books2read.com/u/4jgMXk