Luckily, Nanette doesn’t see my jaw drop wide open in surprise as Bishop enters the kitchen and catches her attention. He catches my attention too, because he looks amazing just freshly out of bed. He’s got on a pair of workout shorts, a Vengeance T-shirt, and running shoes. His legs are strong and tanned and sexy as hell. He’s wearing a baseball cap turned backward, but by the bright green and navy trim on the edges, I’m sure it’s got the Vengeance logo on the other side.
Bishop gives Nanette a tight smile and then moves my way. He steps behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and drawing me back into him. He bends, kisses me on the neck, and says in a voice that has my toes curling, “Good morning, sexy.”
Nanette turns away quickly to give us privacy. I wonder if that’s genuine, given she blatantly came on to my boyfriend last night. She can blame the alcohol for sure, but in her long-winded apology just now, I note she didn’t apologize for that.
“Want some breakfast?” I ask Bishop, feeling slightly woozy from his attention. It’s been a long damn time since someone has wrapped me up in their arms so affectionately and for no apparent reason other than to say good morning in the sweetest of ways. A genuinely painful cramp of longing hits me square in the chest, not that I could have something like that on a more regular basis, but for it to be real with Bishop.
In all the ways I thought this stupid idea of trying to pull off a fake relationship to appease my father would go, I never thought it would be me falling for Bishop. For God’s sake, I’d sought out a one-night stand, feeling that the only time I had in my life right at the moment was to settle into my new career and watch over my father as he embarked on his. I know they say love and romance hit you when you’re least expecting it, but I can tell you it knocked into me with the force of a hurricane, because I truly, honest to God, deep down in my heart, wasn’t looking for this with him.
“I’ve got time for a quick bite,” he says just as the toast pops up. “What do you need me to do?”
“Get yourself some coffee,” I instruct him as I pull out of his arms. I start to slather some butter on the toast before stacking it on a plate. “It will only take me a moment to do the eggs.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Bishop skirts around Nanette, who watches all of this silently. Bishop doesn’t say a word to her as he makes his coffee from the Keurig.
“Nanette,” I say to get her attention. “Sure you don’t want some eggs?”
She shakes her head, then winces as if it caused her physical pain. Pressing two fingers to her temple, she asks me, “Are we good, though? About what we just talked about?”
Well, we didn’t really talk. She talked, I listened. But I have to give her some credit. She apologized for several things, and I know that took something for her to do. So I give her a bright, genuine smile. “We’re absolutely good.”
“Oh thank God,” she gushes with a relieved look on her face. She walks to me and gives me a hard hug. “I was afraid you were going to toss me out today. I really don’t want to be a bother, but do you think I could just stay through next week? I’ve got that job interview with Sebastian, and, well…if that doesn’t pan out, I thought I’d put in some other applications just to see what’s available. I’ll even pay you rent.”
“How can you pay for rent when you can’t pay for an Uber?” Bishop cuts in, and I turn to see him now leaning against the counter, one arm folded across his stomach and the other holding his cup up to his mouth as if he’s getting ready to take a sip.
Okay, that was…wow, in your face. I quickly intervene. “She has money. She said that she didn’t only to try to get me to come out and have fun with her last night. We’ve talked about it already this morning and Nanette’s made a very sincere apology for her behavior.”
Bishop just cocks his eyebrow at me with so much skepticism that my face actually burns with embarrassment for Nanette, who is taking the brunt of his distaste.
Turning to Nanette, I tell her, “We’ll talk later after Bishop leaves for the morning skate, okay?”
She gives me a wan smile and nods. “Okay. Thanks. And I think I’m going to go lie back down for a while if that’s okay with you. Leave the kitchen. I’ll clean it up a bit later.”