Page 6 of The Syphon King

She nodded even while not understanding, keeping as many feet between them as possible as he gestured in another opening.

“The shower. Come,” he instructed again.

She hurried forward and peeked into the huge room, her jaw dropping at the small pool in the corner, sunk into the black floor.

“Here,” he said, snapping her attention back. “You speak to it.” He demonstrated. “Turn on the shower.” His command brought a spray of water from the ceiling. Like rainfall.

She removed the awed smile from her face. “Understood,” she said.

“The bath is voice activated as well. Should you wish to...” He suddenly paused with his head lowered. “Use the shower at this time.”

“Yes,” she said, eyeing the bath—not the pool—keeping her awe to herself. “I don’t need a bath. A shower is perfect.”

She followed him out, glancing at the tub, wondering if it ever got used. Maybe Jinxxy played in it. She hid her smileat the idea. Maybe she would be allowed to babysit her. Bathe her in the pool tub. Dogs loved water. That felt like a truth she could count on.

CHAPTER TWO

Bishop studied his wife sitting like a virgin student in the chair on the other side of his desk. Fidgety. Fuck, he loved her too much. “Ma Petite,” he began, fighting back his grin at the suggestion she brought to him. “I’m trying to understand.... given that you’re a geospatial engineer why do you want to go fifty miles farther to get these flowers rather than at the place in Lafayette?”

He reclined back in his chair, already entertained as shelaunchedinto her reason. “So...for one, this one’s a farm.Andfamily owned,” she added.

“So is the one in Lafayette. And they also have a farm. They merely sell the harvest in their store downtown.”

Her expression fell a little. “Well, I... like the...pots they come in, too,” she remembered. “Old-world look, Ireallylove that.”

He angled his gaze at the modest, soft pink material showcasing her tits. “Here’s the thing, Ma Petite. The Leblanc’s are friends of ours. They give a lot to the charities at our lil’ festivals, and their feelings would be hurt if we didn’t buy from them, especially for my sister’s wedding,andmine.” He watched her lowered face as she knotted up her fingers. “Beth.”

She snapped her eyes up.

“What’s wrong?” he pled, hating that she didn’t feel safe to tell him whatever was the problem. “You know you can tell me anything, yes?” he reminded gently as he prepared to use his bossy tactic.

“There’s nothing to tell, I just...” She finally covered her face with a cute growl that clobbered his already hard dick. She dropped her hands in her lap. “I can’t parallel park,” she confessed, aiming her wide eyes at his desk while he held back his laugh at this adorable news. “Yes, I was taught. No, I did not learn, and Leblanc’s Florist is downtown in parallel parking hell—Ichecked. Ialwayscheck for that because Icannotdo it. You can laugh,” she offered crossing her arms as he did just that. “I’m not ashamed, there’s plenty of people who don’t know how.”

“Here, it’s required learning for you to get your license.”

“Well, there too,” she quipped, bringing his brows up.

“So, you passed the parallel parking test?”

“I got my license, didn’t I?”

Oh, the hidden story here. “Yes, you did, and the plot thickens. If you parallel parked once, you can do it again.”

She stared at him with her lips pressed tight. “He passed me because of theeffort.A for effort, you’ve heard of it.”

Bishop was howling as he imagined the terrified teacher ready to be done with the non-stop near collisions. “How many tries before he passed you, Ma Petite?”

Her eyes went wide. “How irrelevant can you get?” she cried, renewing his guffaws.

“I’m just curious,” he managed after catching his breath. “I can only love you more learning you cannot parallel park,” he assured.

Her fluttering eye roll came with her muttered, “Like...maybe ten.” His snickers erupted and she eyed his outstretched arms with angry brows. “I’m notcomingto you,” she said. “While you’relaughingat me.”

“I will teach you to parallel park thisveryday,” he said.

“No! I don’t want to learn, you can just come with me to get the flowers and drive for me.”

He rose from his desk. “The Belle Evequemustknow how to perform this.”

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