Page 59 of Ride With Me

“I’m sayin’ I got one booked and waitin’ for me.”

Ah, there it was.

Blue knew what to do now.

He looked over Bishop’s smiling face and decided he’d had worse.

Besides, if there really was a hot tub, that alone would be worth it to his aching feet.

“Is that you inviting me for a sleepover?” Blue said coyly.

“What?” Bishop laughed. “No. I was just rubbin’ it in your face that I was gonna get to soak my luscious man curves in one hundred and two degree Fahrenheit temperature water as soon as I get outta this here truck.”

Blue frowned.

Maybe he was wrong?—

“I’m just kiddin’!” Bishop laughed again, and he reached over to give Blue’s thigh averyfriendly pat. “You can totally come crash with me if ya want. I’ll even let ya go first in the hot tub!”

Good.

Blue wasn’t usually mistaken about these things.

“Thanks,” Blue said. “That’s very kind of you.” He smirked, unable to resist teasing. “Not afraid that I’m a dangerous serial killer?”

The irony was too sweet.

“What? A nice kid like you?” Bishop grinned. “Nah, I ain’t worried. I’m real good at handlin’ myself. Besides.” He winked.“What’s the chances of there bein’ two serial killers in the same car, huh?”

“Oh, that’s a good one!” Blue made himself laugh.

He’d heard the joke before.

A few times now.

It was never funny.

The Griffin Hotel and Suites parking lot was well lit with crisp, bright lights, and Bishop hummed noisily as he pulled out a big duffel bag from the bed of the truck.

Blue let himself admire Bishop’s bulging biceps and rippling shoulders, the view hard to miss with the tight T-shirt he was wearing. Judging by his build and the amount of tools and big tarps rolling around the truck bed, Blue guessed Bishop was some sort of construction worker.

If he had been more curious, Blue could have asked him.

But he really didn’t care.

The suite did indeed have a large hot tub, but Blue expected Bishop to be on him as soon as the door shut.

That’s how these things usually went.

Quick, sloppy, often mean.

He was surprised when Bishop instead went right to the television to turn on some sports show and drink a warm beer in bed.

Maybe Bishop needed to be drunk first.

Some men were like that in Blue’s experience.

The hot tub was in the middle of the room, surrounded by a small ring of tiled floor. There were mirrors hanging behind and above it, and the tub itself was shaped like a heart and had brass fixtures. There was no privacy to speak of, but Blue couldn’t deny that it looked inviting.

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