He shrugs, stepping up to me and taking a seat in the sand. “We sort of had to do a once-over of the perimeter—you know, to scare this chick….”
I shove him. “Dick.”
He laughs, his pearly teeth gleaming against his tan skin, reflecting off the moonlight. He tugs on my hand. “Sit.”
I follow his command, shuffling into his warmth. “This weekend hasn’t been something I expected.”
He nods in agreement. “Yeah, tell me about it.”
“Pretty sure you knew your intentions.” I roll my eyes.
“Maybe—” He grins, looking out over the water. “—but you’re not like most girls.” He looks back at me. “You’ve never made shit easy for me.”
“I don’t know,” I murmur. “I seem to be an easy slut when it comes to you.”
He laughs, leaning back on his elbow. “You’re not a slut, Madison. You’re just a chick who loves to explore her sexuality. In whose eyes does that make you a slut?” he questions. I pause. He continues, “It doesn’t matter. What they think of you isn’t your business. But you’re not a slut. I know sluts, and trust me, if you were one…” He stops, grinning at me again. Smug bastard. “There would be no way in hell you’d be caught bouncing on my dick.”
“Charming.” I roll my eyes. He wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me into him more. “Why would I need to be charming?” he mocks. “You’re a slut, remember?”
I shove him, trying to contain my laughter. “Can I ask you a question?”
“No.”
“Well I’m asking you anyway,” I mutter, lying flat on my back and gazing up at the twinkling of the stars. “What happened to your ex?” Silence. Maybe I overstepped the line? No, I know I overstepped the line. I knew I was before I even opened my mouth.
“Who told you about her?” he asks, relaxing his grip around my body.
“A few people.”
“Tatum.” He shakes his head, then whispers, “That girl has the biggest mouth in the history of Riverside.”
“Hey!” I shove him again. “That’s my best friend.”
“Well then I take back my earlier statement,” he declares, though I know there’s a hint of humor in his tone. “You definitely have shitty judgment.”
“Well, I slept with you, so….”
He looks at me, his lip twitching at the corner, hinting at a smirk.
“Stop changing the subject.” I look at him, watching for anything. He shakes his head, no emotion pulling over his face.
“She wasn’t what you think, if that’s what you want to know. We weren’t what you think.”
“Okay, smartass, and what do I think?”
“I don’t know.” He looks down at me, and I snuggle into him more. “She was a means to an end. That’s all you need to know for now.”
“So many secrets.”
“You have no idea.” He squeezes into me more and kisses the top of my head.
“So I take it The Elite Kings Club is very much real?”
He laughs this time, squinting out at the lake. “True, but Madison?” He looks back to me, pulling me on top of him until I’m straddling his waist. I fight the urge to kiss him or grind on him, because apparently, I have zero self-control. He tilts his head. “This is not a joke.”
“I know,” I whisper softly, though I actually don’t know, because he won’t tell me much. I appreciate what he has already told me though, knowing that alone was a brave move for him.
“God, there’s so much you should know,” he whispers, his hands falling on my hips.
I inch forward and run my lips over his ever so softly, fighting to suck on his plumper lower lip. “Just tell me, Bishop. Tell me what it is.”
“I can’t, baby. Even though I want too, both Nate and I want to, we can’t. It’s not safe for you to know, and will only leave you with more questions.”
I sag against him, curling into the crook of his neck. “Fine, but one more question?”
“Yeah, go for it, kitty.”
“Is this real, what’s happening between me and you? Or is it all part of one of your games?”
He pauses for a second and then looks at me. His eyes fall soft, a softness I have never seen the whole time I’ve known Bishop. “Yeah.” He clears his throat. “Yeah, fuck, I think it is.”
I WALK BACK INTO THE house with Nate next to me, dropping my bags onto the ground. “Dad?” I call out, throwing the keys to his Aston Martin on the table in the kitchen.
Nate opens the fridge and pulls out the OJ, twisting the cap off and taking a long swig. “Mom!”
Elena comes into the kitchen in her gym gear. “Hey, you two. Have fun?” she asks with a smile, before scowling and walking toward Nate, swatting his hand off the orange juice and placing it back into the fridge. “You!” She points to his chest. “Need some more etiquette training.”