Page 11 of Secret Sin

Was it possible to hear someone grin through the phone? I could swear I heard his dimples mock me from a distance.

“Pretty sure it’s a done deal, but if you want me to prove it to you, I will.” His confidence knew no bounds.

“It’s not a done deal, Bishop. We hardly know one another.”

His response filled my ears like warm honey. “I know you better than any other man has ever known you.”

“That’s not … You know what I mean.” Flustered, I stumbled over my words.

“Either way you look at it, the answer’s the same,” he said smugly. “Now, it’s time for you to get some rest. Sweet dreams, kitten. I know mine will be positively feral.” The line clicked dead, but I called his name several times, thinking surely, he hadn’t just railroaded the conversation, then hung up. However, that was exactly what happened.

Bishop was every kind of stubborn yet somehow endearing at the same damn time. He had me so confused I didn’t know if I wanted to scream or laugh. Maybe a little of both.

Not wanting to kill the last remnants of my orgasmic buzz, I decided to worry about Bishop later. He wasn’t going anywhere, after all. He’d made that one point perfectly clear.

“Line up for two-ball passing!”My brother’s basketball coach's booming voice carried over the noisy gymnasium.

I’d been sitting on the old wooden bleachers watching Gabe’s practice for the past half hour. Dad always made sure someone could stay whenever any of us had practices or club meetings. Now that I was older and not involved in extracurriculars, I’d become a monitor for my siblings. I didn’t mind. Gabe was getting big so fast. At twelve, he was already my height. Not that I was particularly tall, but I remembered when he came home from the hospital, face puffy with the tiniest toes I’d ever seen. With eight years between us, I was old enough to help raise him and took almost as much pride in his milestones as our parents.

I watched the boys amble into position for the drill, pulling out my phone when it buzzed with a text.

Bishop: How’s Noemi doing?

It had been two days since I’d parted from Bishop. Two very eventful days, which had each ended with texts from him checking in. The day after he showed up at my apartment viewing, Noemi’s father had been killed by her husband in order to save her life. I was so damn relieved my uncle was out of our lives, but the event was traumatic, and both Noemi and her brother were shaken.

Me: I think she’s okay. I’ve only talked with her on the phone.

She and her husband had been holed up at their apartment. I didn’t blame them. Witnessing a parent’s murder, no matter how bad a parent, would be a horrifying experience. I’d thought about my cousin nonstop over those forty-eight hours—that and how undeniably sweet it was that Bishop had reached out each evening.

I was certain Bishop’s Irish family had been just as busy handling damage control as my family had been. I’d hardly seen my father in two days.

Bishop: Were your families close?

Me: Our moms were twins, so yes. But we weren’t close with her dad, if that’s what you’re wondering. He was never around much.

Bishop: Not even your father?

I wasn’t sure what he was getting at. Was it just curiosity, or was he digging for information?

Me: Nope. My dad can be a bit much, but he’s nothing like Fausto was. They weren’t friends.

Me: That why you texted? To ask about my family?

I smirked as I sent the text. Goading him was so much more fun than it should have been.

Bishop: Careful, kitten. That sassy mouth of yours is going to get you spanked.

Jesus. My heart took a swan dive deep into my belly.

Me: That might be awkward in the middle of the YMCA. I hear they frown on spanking.

If I didn’t get control of my idiotic grin, the people around me were going to think I was a nutcase.

Bishop: What the hell are you doing at the Y?

Me: Brother’s basketball practice.

My eyes bounced between my brother and my phone for the next ten minutes as I waited for a reply. When I realized I was acting like a love-sick idiot, I quickly tossed my phone back into my purse.

---