Page 53 of Without Bound
A lone tear trickles down her face and on instinct, I reach out to wipe it away. She slaps my hand away and takes two steps back.
“Just go away. You’ve done enough damage. Why can’t you just leave me alone?” She rushes forward and begins pounding on my chest, her tiny fists striking blow after blow.
She cries angry sobs and I let her get it all out before taking hold of her wrists and stopping her.
“You think I used you? That I don’t care for you? I wish I didn’t care so goddamn much, but I do. I think of you morning, noon, and night. I wonder where you are, what you’re doing. What’s making you smile? Who’s making you laugh? And it eats me up that I can’t be the one to do that.”
“So because you can’t be the one to do all of that, you’ve decided no one else can either?” Her head moves side to side. “Well I’m sorry Bishop, but you can’t have your cake and eat it too. I’m done with you.”
She yanks away from me and spins around, ready to stomp away. But I’ll be damned if it ends like this.
“You wanna fucking bet.” I reach out and snatch her arm again.
Her body flies backward and I catch it, facing her towards me and claiming that damn smart mouth with mine. She tries to speak but her words are no more than a jumbled mess. I grip her face, my large hand squeezing her cheeks, and it silences whatever was to come.
I feel her small hands glide up and over my chest, then wrap around my neck, her nails digging into my scalp. I moan and heft her up into my arms and perch her firm ass on my forearms.
Our kiss is furious as we claw at one another, trying to crawl inside the other’s skin. She bites my lip and the sting has my eyes flying open, only to see a devilish smirk on her face.
“I’ll let that one slide, but try that shit again and I’ll bend you over my knee and spank that ass,” I tell her, only semi embellishing.
“Promise?” She asks. “You sure know how to make a girl feel special, Coach Michaels.”
“Only you, Anais. You’re the only one I want to make feel thatway.” Her eyes are dazzling even under the harsh fluorescent lights. “Come home with me.”
Her smile drops and she studies my face. Those big brown eyes of hers searching for the answer to the question I can see written all over.
“No more pushing and pulling. I promise,” I assure her.
I begin to worry when she looks around, like she’s trying to find someone to give her the answer.
Finally, she eases my nerves by saying, “Okay. But please Bishop, don’t do it if you’re just going to kick me out again. I don’t think I can take it a second time.”
I run my thumb across her bottom lip and tell her, “Not a chance, my little butterfly.”
Without putting her down, I stride over to where my bike is, and set her down gently. Our eyes remain locked as I settle my helmet on her, having forgotten the extra one I have. Once it’s securely in place, I climb on, her hands immediately wrapping around my waist, and smile a sigh of relief.
I pull my bike into the garage and barely get the kickstand down before Anais is yanking off the helmet and trying to climb off.
“Hold on a minute. I got you.” I have some difficulty sliding my leg off without hitting her, but I get it done and swiftly lift her up.
Her small purse is still flung across her body and I take it from her. She watches me with a keen and questioning eye as I gently hold it by the strap.
“What are you doing?” she finally asks.
“I don’t want anything to happen to it,” I explain.
“Why would something happen to it? Is there a burglar waiting just inside to snatch it from me? That’s what you’re here for. Protection big guy.” She smiles and winks and it melts my damn heart.
“Nah. No burglar sweetheart. I just don’t want it breaking or something like that when I do this.”
I crouch down, my shoulder pressing against her thighs, and wrap my hand around her legs as I stand to my full height.
“Bishop!” she yelps hanging with her ass next to my face and her torso bent over my back.
Her hand immediately grabs my waist and she smacks my ass with the other. I slam my fist into the garage opener and it rolls down. Pushing through the door into the entryway, I take the stairs two at a time, reaching the main living space in no time. I don’t even give it a second look as I rush past and over to the second set of stairs that leads to my third floor master suite. Anais laughs as she bounces when I move so fast that my feet barely touch the ground.
“In a hurry, Coach?”
