Page 30 of Bishop

Part of me was ashamed at how territorial I felt over this man because this was the second time my sister had implied, she’d take Zane off my hands. Once I was inside of the club, I managed to make my way to the far end of the bar, the farthest point away from the stage. The last time I’d been here, some girl’s bra had nearly smacked me in the face.

Zane came strolling up shortly.

“Have you ordered?” He leaned in, his scent surrounding me and a grin on his face.

“No,” I shook my head, my stomach fluttering at his nearness.

“Bobby makes a mean Panty Dropper,” he hollered at his bartender who slid over. He was a tall skinny guy with tattoos darting up and down his arms. He also had an eye patch over his left eye and his hair slicked back into a ponytail.

“Hey boss,” the man said.

Zane smiled at me and then rattled off an order to the guy who took it all in and then went off to make my drink.

“What changed your mind?” Zane sat down on a stool nearby.

“I’m not actually sure,” I shrugged my eyes darting over his shoulder while watching a woman go on the stage.

She began to move to some sensual music and the men were throwing so much money on the stage.

He leaned over and pulled my face back towards him. “I’m glad you came out.”

“You mentioned the other night that strippers are your type,” I bit at my lip.

He nodded unabashedly. “Grew up watching them…I told you my mother was a stripper. She’d take me along, have me in the dressing room.”

Bobby the bartender came back over with the drink and a little straw. “Enjoy, ma’am.”

A smile carved itself onto my face as I reached for the martini style glass that had ice and lemon wedge decorating the edge. Without hesitation I took a long sip.

“Mmm, this is good,” I told Zane.

Zane grinned and then took the glass from me. He turned the glass so that he could drink exactly where I’d had my own mouth. “I told you so.”

We locked eyes as he took a sip and then he sat the glass down.

“Come with me.”

“Wait, where are we going?” I tried to protest but Zane didn't even bother answering me.

He took me by the hand and all I could do was follow, leaving my drink behind on the scarred bar counter. Once again, he led me up the stairs of The Conjure and onto the rooftop bar where people were milling around the pool with drinks and bikinis. A fireplace had a small fire going as well with lounge chairs sitting around.

When he walked up, a few patrons seemed to recognize him and moved immediately.

“You didn’t have to make them leave,” I shook my head.

“I wanted them to go,” he said. “And it's quieter out here and I can think a lot more clearly about what I want to say to you.”

“What, you want to say to me?”

He nodded and he sat down, pulling me into his lap. The fire was crackling loudly as I held my breath. “Emerald, I never got around to it in high school.”

“Got around to what?” I could feel my eyebrow raising itself up into a dainty arch.

On the outside I appeared to be cool as a cucumber but on the inside, my heart rate had picked up. Zane’s scent had me going insane. He smelled like cedar and a heavy fall rain and the second he tucked a loose strand behind my ear he had my skin tingling.

“To apologize to you,” he whispered into my ear. “I always thought you were beautiful even back then and the shit I would say…I was a stupid ass kid, calling you out about how you smelled.”

“We lived roughly back then,” I bit at my lip. “Honestly, you being an asshole motivated me to get out of here and really make a name for myself.”

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