Page 58

Eden

I glared at him. He sipped his coffee and waited. He was right, and we both knew it.

I would rest easier knowing Chester was never going to appear again, but that didn’t mean I would ever be comfortable with the idea of someone killing him for me.

“Think about what he put you through.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Of course, it matters.”

“If you can’t respect my decision on this, then I want to change my choice.”

His jaw clenched. I held his gaze, fighting the urge to look away.

“Fine.” His mug hit the table, sloshing coffee over the side. “I won’t go looking for him, but if he turns up, I’ll deal with him however I see fit.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I’ll use whatever means necessary to remove him from your life for good. Do you agree, or do we need to negotiate the terms further?”

“Does everything need to be a negotiation?”

“Having the terms laid out in advance removes any risk of misunderstanding later.”

“Don’t you ever do something without thinking through all the possible outcomes first?”

“I let you out of the trunk of a car and took you to New York with me.”

“You weren’t going to. You were going to leave me there.”

The server returned with our grilled cheese, forestalling any response Bishop might have given. She set down the plates and silverware, then smiled.

“Enjoy your food.” Her voice was bright and cheerful as she walked away.

“Spontaneity doesn’t really work in my life. It can get you killed,” Bishop said once she was out of hearing.

“You can’t plan everything in advance.”

He took a bite out of his grilled cheese, chewed slowly, and swallowed. “No, but you can make sure you have prepared for all eventualities. That way, there’s always an option.”

I stared at him. “That’s not living, Bishop. When do you get to just enjoy something?”

One eyebrow rose. “Around three this morning. I got to enjoy something just fine then.”

I choked on the mouthful of food I’d taken, groped for my coffee, and took a huge swallow, gasping at the heat as it slid down my throat.

“Moral of that story. Don’t ask questions you’re not prepared to hear the answers for,” he said when I stopped spluttering.

“You’re really not funny.”

“My mom thinks I’m hilarious.” His voice was completely serious, but there was the faintest hint of a smile teasing his lips. “Eat your lunch.”

***

“You might as well move your things into my room.”

I spun at the sound of his voice and found Bishop leaning against the doorframe of the bedroom, watching while I unpacked.

“Your room?”

“If we’re planning to play house for the next three weeks, it seems reasonable to assume you plan on sharing my bed.” His head tilted. “Unless you want to negotiate specific days and times for conjugal visits?” He pushed away from the doorframe. “I assume you do want conjugal rights in our new contract?”

I was certain he was phrasing it that way just to tease me. I was quickly learning that his sense of humor leaned very much toward dark and dry, and not very obvious.

I refused to let his words embarrass me and turned back to the suitcase on the bed. Arms slipped around my waist from behind.

“I hereby give my agreement for Eden Chambers nee Marshall to have her wicked way with me whenever she deems fit, thus checking off the box for required spontaneity.” His warm breath tickled the back of my neck as he whispered.

I shivered, heat pooling between my thighs and my nipples beading. Shoving away the surge of arousal, I gritted my teeth and turned in his arms, so I could tilt my head back and look at him.

“You are far more annoying than I thought you’d be.” My voice didn’t come out as firm as I’d wanted, instead it was husky and thick with desire.

A smile spread across his face, and he backed me toward the bed.

“Oh, I haven’t even begun to annoy you yet.”