Page 22 of Bishop

“I said I’m coming,” I angrily ground out.

“Yeah, I’m sure you are. That’s why you’re lucky it was me and not your sister who came in here and got you. I knew you’d be with one of your many girls and I didn’t want her to see that shit, man. She’s suffered enough with you being in prison. You don’t need to torture the woman with your naked ass pounding away on Club pussy.”

Evie went rigid in my arms. I’d never wanted to punch another human being in the face more in my life. Hawk had just acted like the world’s biggest cock-block and there was no telling the amount of damage he’d done with his careless words.

“I said I’ll be there in a minute, okay,” I ground out through clenched teeth, praying that somehow Evie hadn’t heard every ugly word he’d just uttered, but realistically knowing she had.

“You get one minute, then I’m dragging you, naked or clothed, back to the party,” Hawk replied, turning around and exiting back out the way he’d come.

Evie wrenched free of my arms the moment Hawk was gone. Righting her rumpled clothes, she said, “Go ahead. I’ve kept you from your friends too long already.”

Though her words were cordial enough, her tone told me I was now living just shy of the South Pole in terms of an emotional connection.

“Come with me,” I encouraged, trying to tug her toward the door. “After I open my sister’s gift, you and I will disappear upstairs where no one can bother us.”

Evie’s expression looked panicked at the idea of being alone with me, which wasn’t exactly flattering.

“I need to finish a few chores here first. And I promised Angel I’d meet some of her friends after dessert was served. Go to your sister,” she encouraged with a brittle smile. “We can meet up later.”

I glanced around the spotless kitchen and sighed. “I meant what I said, Evie. When we met, I knew you were someone special who I had to get to know. Don’t leave before we have a chance to do that. Stay and let me show you around my Club. I promise I’ll make it worth your while,” I said, running the rough pad of my thumb across her lower lip.

Hawk banged on the outside of the door again. “Ten seconds asshole, then I’m coming back in!”

Fuck, man! Hawk was killing me here. “I’ll be there in a minute!” I shouted over my shoulder with obvious irritation.

“Make it quick,” Hawk growled back through the wooden partition. “Which, after six months in the pen, I'm sure you can manage.”

Evie blanched. “Sure. We’ll talk later,” she hurriedly agreed, but there was no spark of joy in her beautiful green eyes anymore. “You better go before that guy gets any more upset with you.”

I swear, if Hawk wasn’t my VP and future brother-in-law, I’d have snapped his neck and stuffed his oversized corpse in the nearest dumpster I could find for the way he’d upset Evie.

Pulling her close, I gave the delectable woman one more searing kiss to remember me by before reluctantly pulling away and heading towards the banquet hall.

“I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere!” I ordered, before shoving through the kitchen doors and reluctantly returning to the party I’d never asked for or wanted.

* * *

Evie

I was a fool. What was I thinking? Making out with a stranger at a party I was working at!

To complicate matters, he was a felon I’d met while volunteering at the prison. Even if it was one of the most mind-blowing sexual experiences of my life, it was still an insane thing to do. Not smart Evie, I chastised myself. Not smart at all.

I had to get out of here before I made yet another terrible decision. Gathering my belongings, I frantically looked around to make sure I had everything. Because deep down I knew, if I stayed, I’d follow Bishop straight back to his room. And once there, all bets were off.

I scanned the kitchen one last time to make sure everything was tidy before texting Angel a message about why I’d left the Club so suddenly. I hated lying about the onset of a migraine that I just couldn’t shake, but I didn’t want to make her leave the party she’d worked so hard to put together.

With a heavy heart, I scurried out the back door of the kitchen. As I strode briskly to my car, I promised myself that I’d come up with a way to make this up to Angel, just as soon as I could think of one.

* * *

Evie

I woke up the next morning to a slew of text messages. One was from Angel asking me how I was doing, two were from possible future clients, and the last was without a name and simply read, “I meant what I said about getting to know you, Evie. This isn’t over, Ms. Wild…”

As I read and reread the message, my heart thudded excitedly against the walls of my chest. Truth be told, I didn’t want whatever “this” was to be over between us either. Could I have been wrong about who Bishop was? Was he sincere in his intentions toward me? Could a relationship between us even work?

It only took a few seconds before the memory of the “twins” popped back into my head. Yup, I’d been a fool. Bishop was a player. I’m sure he had women falling at his feet no matter where he went. Between the leather and his looks, the biker was serious man-candy to the female species. It would be naive of me to think otherwise.