Page 22

Eden

It was late when we left the restaurant. Magdalena tugged me to one side just before we parted ways to go to our cars.

“Give me your cell number. If you’re not busy tomorrow, we could go shopping.”

I glanced over at Bishop. “I lost my cell in Dallas. I haven’t had a chance to replace it yet.” I already really liked Magdalena, but I couldn’t give her the reason why I’d lost my cell, not while we were pretending we were married out of a crazy attraction.

“Bishop,” Magdalena raised her voice, and he looked around from where he was talking with Rook. “I want to take Eden shopping tomorrow. Could you drop her at our place around ten?”

His lips pursed, but after a brief hesitation he nodded. “I don’t see why not. She bought a new wardrobe in Vegas, but I’m sure you can convince her to buy more.”

There was nothing in his voice to indicate anything other than wry humor. There was a distinct difference in the way he talked to his brother’s girlfriend and how I’d heard him talk to anyone else. A gentleness, slightly less brusque than his usual tone. It made me question whether the reason he’d offered me marriage was the one he’d given me. Did he have feelings for his brother’s girlfriend?

Rook patted his brother’s shoulder and stepped closer to Magdalena, draping one arm across her shoulders, and tugging her closer into his side. “Ready to go?”

She smiled up at him, then looked back at me. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Wear comfortable shoes. We’re absolutely going to shop ‘til we drop.”

I couldn’t stop a small laugh from escaping at the smile she flashed at me. “I’ll definitely keep that in mind.” I wouldn’t be doing much shopping. I didn’t have any money, but I wasn’t going to tell her that.

A heavy weight settled across my shoulders, and I looked up at Bishop in surprise. His smile warmed my insides. It was the smile of a lover, of someone who had intimate knowledge of my body, and I had to remind myself it was an act, a means of convincing his brother that our marriage was real.

“I’m sure Eden will take great delight in spending my money.” His hand squeezed my shoulder. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

He sounded credible; I couldn’t deny that. Was that how he’d been with the woman he’d had an affair with? I summoned up another smile, hoping it looked as intimate as the look he was angling down at me.

“Whatever I buy, I’ll make sure you reap the benefits of it once I’m home.” I injected a husky note to my voice and the spark of surprise that lit up his eyes made me want to laugh.

Maybe this was going to be a lot more fun than I thought.

“What time are you heading to Crosby’s?” Rook’s voice made Bishop turn his head, breaking our eye contact.

“Early. I told him we’d be sometime after lunch on Friday.”

“So, you’re not traveling on the day of the party?”

Bishop shook his head. “No. I don’t want to rush around. We’ll go Friday and leave Sunday morning.”

“Alright. We’re not getting there until Saturday morning. I’ll call you when we’re on our way.”

He turned to the left, then stopped. “Welcome to the family, Eden.”

“Thank you.”

We moved to the right and walked across the parking lot to the car in silence. It wasn’t until we were both inside and he was reversing out of the space that I spoke.

“They seem nice.”

“They are.”

“What excuse are you going to give Magdalena for tomorrow?”

He glanced over at me, a frown drawing his brows together. “Excuse?”

“For me not going shopping with her.”

“Don’t you want to go?” The frown deepened. “I thought you just said she was nice.”

“She is .”

“Then what’s the problem?”

A short, sharp blast of a horn stopped me from answering immediately. Bishop raised a hand and waved at the sleek black sports car that pulled up beside us. I could see Magdalena through the window. I waved to her, and she grinned, waving back.

“The problem is this isn’t a real marriage, and I don’t have any money to spend.”

“Part of the contract we signed was that I’d supply you with everything you needed to make this marriage look real to anyone outside of it.”

“I don’t think an impromptu shopping spree to buy clothes I don’t need comes under that.”

“It does if I say it does.”

“Just like that?”

“Don’t you want to go shopping? The clothes you bought in Vegas aren’t going to be enough for the next month. You’re going to need more practical things.” His eyes were on the road as he spoke. “Anyway, it solves the problem of me having to take you shopping. I can get on with some work while you spend the day with Magdalena.”

“The day ? A couple of hours, you mean.”

He laughed. “Magdalena doesn’t have a lot of female friends. Trust is hard to come by when you’re living with a retired hitman, and his family all come with their own special set of skills that can’t really be talked about with the general public. So, she’s going to want to make the most of being with someone who she feels she’ll be able to talk to without having to worry about what she’s saying.”

“That’s crazy. He seems so nice.”

“He’s nice to his girlfriend . There’s a difference. You should have met him before he got together with her.”

I turned my head to look out of the window. “I imagine he was a lot like you.”

“A lot like me,” he repeated softly. “And what does that mean, exactly?”

“Well, you’re not the friendliest person, are you?” I hid a smile. I had no idea what it was about this man that made me want to push his buttons and see him react. After everything I’d been through with Chester, I never thought I would even think about teasing someone, but here I was.

“I can be friendly when the situation requires it.”

“But you prefer businesslike and bossy.”

“It gets the job done.”

I laughed quietly. “I guess it does.”