Chapter Ten Samantha #2
Boone glanced in my direction. “Yeah, I guess you don’t have to worry about that, since she looks at you like she wouldn’t care one way or the other if your face was busted up. Kinda a lovey-doveylook like you’ve been giving her.”
I could have sworn Bishop’s cheeks reddened a little. “It ain’t like that with Sam,” he quickly protested. “How about working on this shoulder?” Bishop asked as he plopped down on the massage table.
Boone took the hint and shut his mouth. As he focused his energy on massaging Bishop’s shoulder, the silence in the room was broken by Boone’s phone ringing. When he glanced down at it, he grimaced. “Shit. It’s Annie.”
With a grin, Bishop said, “You better take it, or your ass will be in hot water.”
“Shut up,” Boone grumbled before he ducked outside into the hallway.
After Bishop rolled his shoulder, he winced in pain. “Want me to do it?” I asked.
Bishop’s eyes flared at my suggestion. “Sure. If you don’t mind.”
“It’s the least I can do for the man of the hour,” I teased as I walked over to the massage table.
My fingers tingled when they connected with Bishop’s warm flesh. Working my hands, I kneaded his taut muscles. Bishop groaned and let his head fall back, which caused a tightening between my legs. Simply touching him and giving him relief from the pain was making me hot.
When I glanced at him, he was looking at me through hooded eyes. “That feels amazing.”
“I’m glad.”
He had started to say something when Boone came back into
the room. He glanced at the two of us and grinned. “I see I’ve been replaced by a newer and more attractive model.”
Bishop snorted. “Whatever.”
“Listen, I gotta get home. Crisis with the plumbing. You okay?”
“Fine,” Bishop replied.
“See ya later, then. Bye, Samantha.”
“Bye, Boone.”
After he was gone, Bishop and I stood in an awkward silence.
“Guess I better get going, too,” I said. The truth was I wanted to stay there with him in that room until we recaptured what we’d had when we were interrupted.
“Let me walk you out,” Bishop said as he hopped down off the table.
“The rough- and- tumble boxer is a gentleman at heart, huh?”
He winked at me before pulling a T-shirt over his head. “We all have our secrets.”
As we started out the door, Bishop nodded at the beefy bouncer. “Listen, there’s something I wanted to ask you,” he said to me.
“What is it?”
“This Saturday night we’re having a birthday party for my brother, Rev. Since he’s our president, it’s going to be a pretty big party— one that lasts all weekend. Members are coming in from all over the state. I wondered if you might like to come.”
I drew in a breath as I carefully weighed my next words.
This was exactly what I had been hoping for— a chance to be with the full Raiders MC again to see what I could overhear.
While I wanted to give a hurried response, I had to temper myself.
I knew I couldn’t look overeager, which in turn could make me look suspicious.
Misreading my hesitation, Bishop said, “Fuck, I’m sorry. That was a real stupid thing of me to do.”
“Excuse me?”
“After what happened to Marley, I guess the last thing you want
is to be around a group of bikers.”
Once again, I found myself speechless, but this time it was over Bishop’s thoughtfulness.
Then I felt like a complete bitch by using it to my advantage.
“I would be lying if I said your offer didn’t surprise me .
. . and unnerve me a little. But at the same time, I think it might be good for me to be around the club again. ”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I mean, you say you guys are going legit, so I guess I can’t help giving you a second chance, right?”
Bishop grunted. “Yeah, just remember you don’t know shit about any of that. Got it?”
“I promise.”
“So can I pick you up at seven?”
Just as I was about to agree, an image of my house flashed before my eyes. I quickly clamped my mouth shut. There was no way in hell I could let Bishop see where I was living. None of it matched the Samantha Vargas he knew. “Why don’t I meet you there?”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, since I flaked out a few days after Marley’s death, I’ve been working late to make up the time and get the boss off my ass,” I replied. My mind felt as if it were treading water in the deep end to keep up with all the lies I was spewing.
“Oh, okay, then yeah, just come here.” Bishop cleared his throat. “Guess if I picked you up, it would seem like a date, huh?”
Shaking my head, I stared down at my shoes. I realized I didn’t
have to worry about Bishop suspecting anything about me and the club.
Instead, his worry came in the form of concern that we were overstepping some sacred bounds because of Gavin.
He would have given any FBI profiler a run for the money with him being so honorable and considerate.
The fact that he had a conscience wasn’t something I had ever bet on, and in turn, it made things even more difficult.
I needed him to be a Neanderthal who didn’t give a shit about what Marley would have felt about him making a move on me.
“I guess it could be seen that way,” I said.
“I, uh, well, I just didn’t want you to think I was some bastard for hitting on you so soon after Marley died.”
I knew I had to choose my next words carefully— I could either drive him away or reel him in. “Regardless of what’s in your head, any woman would be flattered to be asked on a date by you.”
“Is that right?” he questioned.
“Yeah, it is.”
Bishop coughed. “That’s good to know.”
“I’m glad I could help,” I said honestly. And it was the truth. I did want Bishop to see he was more than he thought he was.
“So I’ll see you Saturday night, then.”
“See you then.”