Page 41

Bishop

I fought to keep my features blank while I watched various expressions cross her face. The way it went from confusion to shock to annoyance. Her eyes narrowed, and I found myself looking forward to hearing whatever tale she spun to explain our marriage.

“I don’t know how well you know Bishop,” she began, and I smothered a laugh.

She knew exactly how well Susannah knew me, and the way the blonde’s jaw tensed, I would have hazarded a guess that she was questioning how much Eden knew about my past. About her .

“But he’s a very decisive person.” Her eyes held mine. “And when he sets his mind on something, there’s very little that can dissuade him from it. So, I doubt it’ll come as a surprise to those of you who know him well when I say Bishop never asked me to marry him. He told me. He announced it on the flight from Dallas to New York. We were getting married. He’d arranged everything. All I had to do was pick an outfit and show up.” She gave me a sidelong look. “And when a man who buys you a ring because it compliments your hair and skin tone wants to marry you … you don’t say no, do you?”

Three of the women sighed happily. Susannah stared at Eden’s hand.

“Can I see your ring?”

“Of course.” Eden held out her hand. The gemstone caught the light, sparkling on her finger.

“Very pretty. Unusual.” Her voice was clipped.

“Just like Eden,” I said and stood. “Unique, beautiful …” I stooped and scooped the unsuspecting woman up into my arms, then sank back down onto my chair, settling her onto my lap. “And mine.” My arm tightened around her waist when she struggled to put space between us.

Her eyes flew up to meet mine, tongue sweeping over her bottom lip. She laughed, the sound a little shaky. I stroked along her cheek with my free hand.

“From the second I laid eyes on her, I knew she was mine. I knew I had to move fast otherwise she’d get away, so I didn’t give her the chance to say no.”

“I always said that when you finally fell, you’d fall hard.” Tallulah said dreamily. “I’m so happy for you both.”

“Thank you.”

“I would never let a man dictate to me whether we should get married or not. David had to ask me three times before I said yes.” Susannah’s voice was strident.

Eden tensed on my lap. I lifted my hand and ran my fingers down her arm lightly.

“Relax,” I murmured close to her ear.

“And she didn’t like the ring I bought her. She’s had three different ones since we got married,” David said.

Eden’s hand rose and she looked at the ring. “I love my ring and wouldn’t change it for the world. I know how much thought Bishop put into choosing it, and it shows how much he cares. I never felt like I had no choice. He might have told me we were going to get married, but he would never have forced me if it wasn’t what I wanted.” There was a fierce note to her voice.

I dipped my head and hid my smile against her shoulder. When my lips brushed against her skin, she shivered.

“Cold?”

“A little.” But she was lying. It was there in her eyes. The shiver was because I touched her. I just couldn’t tell if it was out of fear or something else.

“I think we’re going to call it a night. It’s been a long day, and it’s going to be even busier tomorrow.” I lifted Eden off my lap and stood, taking her hand. “Goodnight, everyone.”

She didn’t argue and let me guide her back indoors without comment. When we reached the bedroom and I closed the door, she turned on me.

“I don’t like her.” The ferociousness was still in her voice. “What on earth did you see in her?”

I quirked a brow. “Do you really want me to answer that?”

She scowled. “You’re not that shallow.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because … you’re just not !” She spun away, pulling out the tie holding her braid in place. Threading her fingers through her hair, she stalked across the room. “You pride yourself on being able to read people. Yet you didn’t see how awful she is. Was it the sex? It can’t have been that good, surely?”

I barked a surprised laugh at her words. “I admit, we didn’t do a lot of talking when we were together.”

The look she angled at me over her shoulder sent a sharp, unexpected, stab of guilt through me.

Why the fuck should I feel guilty for a relationship I had before I even knew Eden existed?

Why the fuck did I want to apologize for it?

And why the actual fuck did her disappointment in my actions bother me?