Chapter Eighteen

 

Dakota managed to get through dinner with his family—she was as pleasant as he promised. But thinking about meeting his parents caused her heart to bounce around in a constant rush of hiccups. She adjusted her seatbelt and exhaled a long breath. Every minute she spent with Bishop was like waking up on Christmas morning and finding everything you wanted under the tree. Meeting his sister had turned out better than she’d expected, so meeting his parents had to be the scene when the Grinch arrived and snatched everything back.

Having both of her parents killed suddenly had only cemented the idea in her mind that life was full of surprises. Having your boyfriend breakup with you by way of a cassette tape did little to dispel the belief. Even Mim’s sage clichés didn’t help put her back together again. Some scars took longer to heal, but she had to stop picking at the wound.

Bishop drove with one hand and held hers with the other.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” he asked as the townhouse faded through the rear window.

“Dinner with your family was fun. Your sister is sweet. I can see why you adore her.” She stroked the top of his hand. “Next week is what worries me.”

“Don’t. My parents are just people. They don’t run my life. Never have. I make my own decisions.”

“Will you tell them you’re spending most of your nights at my place?”

“Have you told your sisters?”

She shook her head.

“Why not? Why don’t you want them to know?” He glanced at her quickly then returned his eyes to the road.

“What’s to tell them? They know we’re seeing each other, beyond that, I don’t know if I can even define what’s going on.” She paused. “Anyway, I’ll just wait and see where we go before I start telling people.”

He parked the car in front of her house and turned off the ignition. “What does that mean? You sound like this is some kind of test I have to pass before you can tell anyone about me.”

With the engine off, the cold seeped in. She shivered. “I’m freezing. We better go inside before my teeth start chattering.”

He grabbed her arm. “Not until you answer my question. Is this a test?” His eyes narrowed and darkened.

“Bishop, you’re a womanizer. I don’t expect you to change your stripes any time soon. You’ve said as much. So let’s not pretend this is something it’s not. We’re having fun. I’m trying to accept what our relationship is.” She kissed his cheek. “Let’s not tarnish what we have.”

“Is that what this is for you? Just fun? Maybe it’s not me that’s holding us back. You’ve got some issues of your own.”

She looked at him for a long time, trying to erase the mental images of him with his arm linked with the blond bombshell or some other beauty in a tangle of arms and legs while he moaned her name. “Maybe I do.” she managed to say.

§§§

Bishop was pleased with the way her body had responded to his touch, but her mind had been occupied with something other than the pleasure he tried to give her. Sometime during the night, she’d inched away from him and curled around the pillow.

Clouds blocked the daylight as the sun crossed the horizon. A gray haze crept into the room, providing just enough brilliance for him to see her face. The tension between her brows was gone. He pulled her closer and held her like a precious gift. As much as he wanted to deny his feelings for her, he couldn’t fool himself. Not anymore.

“Are you awake?” she asked him.

“Just barely. I didn’t sleep much last night since you decided to stay on the far side of the bed.” He stroked her shoulders.

“I saw your sister pull you into the kitchen last night. I’m smart enough to know she wanted to talk about me. So what did she say? Did I pass the test?”

“How did you know that?” He squeezed her.

“It’s a woman thing. What did she say?”

“She really liked you. She says you’re different.”

“Different how? Good or bad?”

“All good. You’re my unique beauty.” He nuzzled his nose into the curve of her neck and took a deep breath.

“Are you smelling me?” She giggled.

“For a start.” He kissed each breast. Her soft, warm skin felt good to touch. He trailed his finger down her breastbone and slid his finger into her wet core. She arched off the bed, capturing his mouth.

While playing with her tongue, she stroked his chest, his abdomen, his thighs, then she gripped his rod. The gentle massage made it hard to concentrate. His senses were primed to burst. Dakota was more than just someone to have a good time with. He wanted a life with her. The thought made him catch his breath.

He shifted away from her touch to kiss her belly button. He rolled his tongue over her stomach and between her legs. What had started out as fun was now something much more significant. As her moans echoed in his head, all he wanted to do was please her—and not only in bed.

“Oh, Bishop,” she repeated his name. Her body stiffened and she gripped his ears. After her body collapsed into the mattress, she continued to whisper his name.

“Yes,” he responded

“You’re fabulous.”

“You’re just saying that because you want more.

She nodded.

The room fell quiet. She was sprawled across the king-sized bed with her hands above her head. He pulled open the bedside drawer and removed a condom. After he put it on, he kissed his way to her lips and slid his tongue inside her mouth. She wrapped her lean legs around him and rotated her hips, drawing him into her depth.

“You are something else,” he muttered in her ear.

“We’re a perfect pair.”

The truthfulness in her words reverberated in his head. He shut it out as he matched her rhythm. The sweet connection between their bodies was like one of those old love songs from his teenage years. He released the bonds that kept him from concentrating on the luxury of her body. Slipping in and out of her as her muscles contracted around his shaft sent heat rising up his spine and drove him deeper. When he couldn’t resist the mounting pressure a moment longer, his body shook as an explosion of ecstasy coursed through every vein of his body.

When his breathing returned to normal, he rolled beside her with his arm still draped over her stomach. Being with her was so natural. No pretending required. He didn’t have to make conversation or entertain her.

“I better get to the bookstore to prepare for renovation.” She moved to the edge of the bed.

He pulled her tighter, not ready to let her go, yet. Something held him back. He wasn’t ready to settle down, but Dakota was as close as he’d ever gotten. There was a warm feeling in his heart whenever she was around. Something he wanted to hold on to forever and protect. But he couldn’t form the words. Not yet.

With his hand under the soft mound of her left breast, he tried to feel her heartbeat. After a few seconds, her pulse pumped against his palm. Each faint beat traveled through his veins to his heart, as if joining them together.

He climbed out of bed. “I better get out of here. This is going to be a busy week. I’ll drop by Bookends later in the week to help you get ready for the contractors.” He reached for his pants and caught a glimpse of her over his shoulder. “I’m picking my parents up at the airport on Monday, so I might be busy while they’re in town. You know, playing referee between them and my sister.” The statement wasn’t entirely true, but maybe a little space would help him sort out what was happening. He certainly couldn’t think straight while spending every available minute with Dakota.

She reached for her panties beside the bed, giving him a divine view of her perfect ass.

“Melissa is coming into town for the opening this week too. We’ll both be swamped in family activity.”

She didn’t look at him as she made her way to the bathroom.