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Eden

Bishop flirting hit me in a way I didn’t expect. He’d warned me that we needed to behave like a newly married couple who were in love, but I hadn’t really believed he could pull it off. He was cool and detached and logical. But here he was … flirting with me … and I liked it.

I didn’t think for a second he meant it. It was part of the lie. A requirement listed in the contract I signed, but it didn’t matter. It felt nice. It felt good not to be on the receiving end of criticism for what I was wearing, how I spoke, what I’d chosen to eat or drink. It didn’t matter that he was probably carefully considering each phrase and every move he made to have the most impact on the people around us. It just felt good not to be on high alert or need to second guess everything I did, and that fact alone relaxed me more than all his assurances over the past couple of days had.

I don’t know why I trusted him, but I did. Actually, that wasn’t true. I trusted him because every promise he’d made so far, he’d kept. Was I foolish for thinking that would continue? Maybe. But although Chester had taken a lot of things from me, I refused to allow him to take away my belief that people could be good .

“What about you, Eden?”

I blinked, my name bringing my attention to the people surrounding me. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.”

Bishop’s laugh was soft beside me, and I glanced up at him. “Dana wanted to know if you would like to join her, Kennedy, and Susannah tomorrow. They’re having a spa day.”

“Oh, I … I’m not sure. I wouldn’t like to impose.”

“You wouldn’t be!” Dana said. “If Magdalena is here before we go, we’ll drag her along as well.”

“I could text Rook and make sure they’re here on time,” Bishop offered.

Dana clapped her hands. “Do that!” She turned to me. “You’re such a good influence on him. Maybe it is possible to housebreak him, after all.”

Bishop snorted and pulled out his cell. His fingers moved rapidly across the screen, and it chimed a few seconds later. “Done. They’ll be here in time for breakfast.”

“Fantastic. We’re leaving at eleven.”

“I don’t think—” I tried again.

“Nonsense! I made a block booking weeks ago, and said I wasn’t sure what the final number would be. We’ve hired the entire place out, so we’ll have it to ourselves for the day. We can be pampered ready for the party.”

Bishop’s arm slid around my waist, and he squeezed my hip. “You’ll enjoy it. It’s only a five-minute drive from here, on private property.”

I had the impression that he was trying to tell me it would be safe without coming out and saying so. I nodded.

“Thank you, then. I’d love to go.”

Dana gave a delighted laugh. “That’s settled then! We should probably go and join the rest of our guests. We’ve ignored them for long enough, and Kennedy looks like she’s in desperate need of rescuing.”

***

As the afternoon wore on, everyone settled onto chairs and loungers on the terrace, and the conversations between the men turned to their various businesses, while Dana and Kennedy entertained with stories of the various photoshoots they’d done and the people they worked with.

The sun set, music played softly through hidden speakers, and no one showed any signs of moving. Drinks were topped up, and all the food from lunch had been removed and replaced with fresh platters by silent staff.

Bishop had discarded his jacket at some point, tossing it over the back of his chair. He sat forward, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and he was deep in conversation with Saul. I was curled up on a seat beside him, feet tucked under my legs, half-listening to Dana and Kennedy, but mostly just enjoying the opportunity to relax without worrying that Chester might show up. When this was over, and I moved on to, hopefully, a new life, no matter how it turned out, I knew I’d look back on these days with appreciation.

“Tell me,” Susannah’s voice cut through the low murmurs around me. “How exactly did you two go from dating to marriage so quickly?”

I lifted my head and sought out the other woman. She was sitting directly opposite, eyes pinned to me.

“I guess when you know, you know.”

“And you knew he was the one that quickly, did you?” Her voice was sharp.

I forced a laugh. “Goodness, no. I thought it was insane to get married. But … when Bishop decides on a course of action … Well, there’s no swaying him from it.” That wasn’t a lie at all .

“How did he propose?”

“You don’t want to hear about that.” My protest was soft.

“Of course, we do.” The other women joined in with Susannah, not realizing her reasons for asking. At least, I assumed they didn’t know.

I risked a glance at Bishop. He was still sitting forward, forearms resting on his knees as he looked at me. When our eyes met, he smiled but didn’t speak.

“Do you want to tell them?” I asked him.

His eyes glinted. I was certain he was laughing at me. His next words confirmed it.

“Have at it, sweetheart. I know how much you like telling the story.”

Apparently, Bishop had a penchant for causing trouble beneath that cool exterior.