Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 86158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“What was that big thump upstairs?” Kara asked.
“Sometimes,” Bishop said, ignoring both of them as he opened the back door. “The joke just isn’t funny to the person it’s gettin’ played on.”
With those words he set me on my feet, right on the soaking wet patio.
I stared, rain pouring over my head and instantly soaking through my clothes as he took a quick step back and closed the door between us. By the time I’d reached for the doorknob he’d already locked it and was watching me smugly through the window.
“It’s fucking freezing!” I hissed, banging on the door.
“Sorry, I can’t hear you,” he said, shaking his head as he pointed to his ear.
“Yes you can!” I snapped, banging harder. “Don’t leave me out here!”
He strode away, letting the curtain fall back into place and I stood there, struck completely dumb. What the everlasting fuck had just happened?
“What the hell is going on?” Kara asked as she threw open the door just seconds later.
“Where is he?” I growled. As soon as I’d said it, I knew. The pipes were old, and because of the way the plumbing was designed, everyone in the house knew when a shower was turned on.
“Do you want a towel?” Draco asked in amusement as I stomped past them.
“No, I don’t want a towel,” I barked as I gained speed. By the time I’d reached the top of the stairs I was freezing and stripping my wet clothes piece by piece. Bishop and I shared the Jack-and-Jill bathroom and up until that point we’d been overly courteous of each other in regard to it. Because of that courtesy, I had a feeling he would’ve forgotten to lock the door to my bedroom, and I was right.
“You’re dead,” I announced as I stomped inside.
He was already in the shower and he must not have heard me come in, because the minute I whipped the curtain back he jumped like he’d been electrocuted.
“Get the hell out of the way,” I snapped, using his surprise to my advantage as I pushed past him into the hot water.
“Your skin is like ice,” he yelped, shuffling back. “And you’re naked.”
“I usually don’t take showers with my clothes on,” I replied sarcastically, letting the hot water run over me. “And my skin is like ice because you left me out in the fucking rain.”
Bishop’s lips twitched with amusement. “Funny, right?”
“No.”
“You win some, you lose some,” he said dryly, repeating my words back to me.
I had never been what people liked to call slow to anger.
“You ass,” I shouted. I went for him. I’m not sure what I thought I was going to do, we were both naked and slippery and he had a good seventy pounds on me, but I was determined to do it. Maybe I’d scratch his face off.
I barely made it a step before he caught my wrists and whipped them above my head. Using his hips he maneuvered me against the wall until I was stuck.
“You done?” he asked, breathing hard.
“You’re naked,” I replied, staring into his eyes.
I was the one who’d done it. I’d put us in that situation. And still, when the realization sunk in that his wet naked body was pressed against mine I was almost shocked.
“I usually don’t take showers with my clothes on,” he whispered back.
Bishop shuddered, then slowly and gently let go of my wrists and slid his hands down my upturned arms. He took half a step back until we weren’t plastered together anymore. Then he just stood there.
“It was really fucking cold outside,” I said, letting my arms fall.
“And I really thought you were fucking hurt,” he replied.
“You thought it was funny,” I argued.
“Until I thought you were actually hurt,” he countered. “Then I was scared as hell.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, oh,” he said, shaking his head. He reached up and slicked his wet hair out of his face. “Not cool.”
I nodded.
“This really wasn’t how I imagined seein’ you naked for the first time,” he said in frustration.
“Ditto,” I murmured, glancing down.
“Eyes up here, honey,” he said in amusement.
“Well it’s right there,” I replied defensively.
Bishop laughed.
I glanced down again.
“Charlotte,” he said, his voice gravelly. “Either stop lookin’ or fuckin’ touch me. I’m trying to be respectful of your stupid ass boundaries but I’m about to lose it.”
“You’re trying to be respectful of my boundaries?”
“Stupid ass boundaries,” he clarified.
“Sweet as sugar,” I murmured. It was the same thing I’d told him the day he’d moved in and it still held true.
Bishop shook his head. “Fuck it.”
His hands went to my ass and I scrambled for purchase as he lifted me until I could wrap my legs around his waist. I held on for dear life as he leaned down to shut off the shower. Then we were on the move, he grabbed a couple towels off the rack and strode through the bathroom door and straight into his room.