Page 21 of Without Bound
“I had fun. Thanks for forcing me to come with you.” She gives me a big cheesy smile with eyes closed and teeth big and bright. “Are you sure you don’t just want Bishop to pick you up at the dorm? It seems silly to pay for an Uber when he said he’d come get you.”
I shrug and slurp down the last boba. “I know but?—,”
“But you’re gonna try and see how far you can push the poor guy before he breaks?”
“I mean, you make it sound so horrible. I’m not trying to make him break, just…realize what is in his subconscious.”
“Oh lord, that is some bullshit. But whatever you need to tell yourself to feel better about seducing the poor man.” She spots a trashcan and throws her empty cup inside and I do the same. “Okay. Well, I need to study. Barely the first week and these professors have us doing work like we’re at midterms. Be careful tonight and please don’t break that man.”
“Can’t promise anything,” I tell her, and kiss her cheek before she crosses the street to the edge of campus.
The sun is still high in the sky so I feel comfortable that she’ll make it back to our dorm safely. I pull out my phone and open my Uber app, requesting a car. Luckily one is only minutes away and in fifteen minutes, I’m walking up the stone paved driveway to Bishop’s home.
He lives in a very trendy area near campus. His home is tallerthan it is wide with three stories. The garage is the ground level and I move around it to the walkway that leads to his front door.
I ring the bell and wait to see his large shadow through the frosted glass door. Less than a minute passes when I finally see him. The locks click and the door is pulled wide, revealing a man that takes my breath away.
“Hey Anais,” he greets with a deep voice that sends tingles to my spine.
“Hi,” is the only response I can imagine.
My brain is on vacation at the moment as I look at this man who puts everyone out there to shame.
He’s wearing jeans and a white Wrangler t-shirt. Its sleeves are stretched to their limit over his thick, muscular arms. I look down and notice he has sneakers on, which immediately makes me sad.
“No motorcycle tonight?” I ask, remembering that he wears a pair of black steel toed boots when he rides.
“Nope. Nix would kill me if I let you on my bike, again. That was a one time only,” he says, motioning for me to come in.
I step past him and he closes the door behind me. I begin up the stairs that lead to the main living floor and look over my shoulder. “Awe, c’mon. He doesn’t need to know. It can be our secret.”
I hold his gaze and see his Adam's apple bob as he swallows. “I don’t,” he chokes out then clears his throat. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. We’ll take my truck.”
I flip my head and continue my walk up his stairs. It’s possible I put a little extra sway in my hips than is normally present. But I know he’s behind me and I just know he’s watching.
We reach the landing and I ask, “Could I change in your room? I didn’t want to wear my jersey to classes.”
“Sure. You can use the guest room down the hall. You remember where it is?” he asks me.
“Yup. Thanks. I’ll be done in just a few minutes.” I scurry off to the back bedroom and quickly get to work changing.
I peel off my leggings and oversized shirt that I wore to my early class, and step into the small athletic shorts that just barely cover myass cheeks. Next I take out the new jersey I bought just for tonight. I button it up, leaving the bottom open, then tie the tails. My shorts rest on my hips and the jersey sits high on my waist, exposing my midsection.
I walk into the bathroom just off the bedroom and look at myself in the mirror. I don’t wear a lot of makeup normally, so it would be silly for me to put on a whole face now. Instead, I pull out my small makeup bag and swipe a little concealer under my eyes, brush a coat of mascara over my long lashes, and put on a layer of gloss.
My hair is starting to frizz from the ridiculous humidity, so I dig back into the bag and pull out my hair oil. I put just a few drops in my palm then gently run my palms over my curls to tame them.
When I’m all done, I take a few extra moments to study my appearance. I want so badly for Bishop to see me for more than just a friend. Hell, I’m not even that right now. I’m his friend's little niece, and he just can’t seem to see past that.
“Anais,” his voice calls from a distance.
I step out of the bathroom to see his back to the entry of the bedroom like he’s afraid of what he might find if he turns around.
“I’m ready,” I tell him, and he slowly moves in a circle until he faces me.
His eyes trail from my feet, up my legs, over my hips, pausing briefly on my exposed stomach and finally meeting my gaze. His jaw clenches and clicks and it’s then that I realize that he isn’t quite as unaffected as he appears to be.
He looks down at his shoes and grumbles, “We better get going,” and quickly moves down the hall, not waiting to see if I follow.
