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)
“When I got over to Dragon’s place, Brenna decided that I should take the whole set,” he said, throwing his hands in the air. “She wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“Well, right,” I said, my lips twitching. “What would she do with a random dresser and nightstands?”
“I tried to pay her—”
“Uh oh,” I murmured.
“Yeah,” he said in exasperation.
“I can’t believe you haven’t noticed this already,” I said softly, watching his face as he looked over his new furniture. “But we take care of our own.”
“This shit must’ve cost thousands of dollars,” he replied, just as quietly. “I don’t think the bed’s ever been slept on.”
“Probably just hundreds,” I said, smiling. “Brenna’s good at making inexpensive stuff look really good.”
“That’s still way too much,” he replied.
“You said thank you?” I asked, knowing the answer.
“Of course,” he replied instantly.
“That’s all she expected.”
“I also offered to remodel her craft room for her,” he said ruefully, rubbing the back of her neck.
“I bet she’d love that,” I replied. “Just as long as you know that she’s not gonna let you pay her back in goods either. Dragon will buy and pick up all of the supplies.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”
“Just accept and enjoy the bounty,” I said, waving my hand at his bed. “Now you just need some bedding.”
“I know,” he said, turning toward me. “I dropped all the bedding I had at the old place into a donation box.”
“That’s just cruel,” I said, laughing. “Now some person is going to be all stoked about their new sheets until they realize they can’t get the scent of cabbage to go away.”
“Better them than me,” he said, smiling. “Plus it was twin sized so it wouldn’t have fit anyway.”
“I cannot imagine you in a twin bed,” I said, turning away. He followed me down the hall to my room.
“It was a tight fit,” he murmured.
The words should have been innocuous, but they weren’t.
“Too easy,” I said, shaking my head.
“What?” he asked innocently.
I ignored him as I flipped on my light and looked at my fresh new blinds.
“You really didn’t have to go to all this trouble,” I said.
“No big deal.”
“It must have cost you a whack,” I replied, still marveling. They looked gorgeous and I almost laughed at myself for caring so much. Our apartment had cheap mini blinds and they’d gotten the job done so I’d never really thought about them, but these were nice. They complimented the trim and they were so clean and new and pretty. “I’ll pay you back.”
“Not happenin’,” he said quietly, coming up behind me. “I take care of my own, too.”
I inhaled sharply, turning my head a little to look at him.
“We don’t have to be together for you to be someone important,” he said, his voice still low. “Just say thank you.”
“Thank you,” I murmured.
“Feel better knowin’ no one is lookin’ through your windows at night, anyway.”
“Ew,” I blurted, my eyes widening. “I’m on the second floor!”
“That doesn’t matter,” Bishop replied, nonplussed. “You stand across the street and you’ve got a damn good view.”
“You’ve been looking in my window?”
Bishop huffed. “No, I haven’t. But I’ve seen inside plenty of second story windows in my lifetime.”
“Well, now I’m creeped out,” I said in disgust.
“I wasn’t a peepin’ tom,” he replied defensively.
“I’m not creeped out by you.” I laughed and shuddered. “I’m creeped out that someone could’ve been watching through my damn window.”
“Problem solved now, yeah?”
“Thank you.”
“Welcome.” He paused. “Got a favor to ask.”
“I knew I was going to pay for those blinds somehow,” I joked.
“Come with me to the store to pick some bedding and shit?” he asked, looking embarrassed.
“What?” It wasn’t even close to what I’d been expecting.
“I don’t know what to get and that stuff Brenna gave me is so nice that I don’t want to make it look like shit,” he said, reaching up to rub the back of his neck.
I was beginning to realize that was Bishop’s tell. When he was nervous or uncomfortable, his hand automatically went to the back of his neck every time. It made me want to find ways to make him do it.
“Sure,” I replied. “Right now?”
“Are you busy? We could do it a different day and I could just borrow a blanket for tonight—”
“Not happening,” I said, cutting him off. “You’re sleeping on clean sheets and new pillows tonight, my friend. Let’s go.”
“You sure?” he asked as he followed me out of my room.
“I’m not a huge shopper—not really my thing. But I’m a magician at finding a good deal and making shit look nice. I mean, not at my sister Cecilia’s level, but still.”
“Never seen your sister’s place,” he replied as we went down the stairs. “But I liked your apartment.”
“We’ll find you something good.”
“Honey, we’re home,” Kara called as she came in the front door with Draco trailing behind her. “We were at Poet and Amy’s and you would not believe this painting she did. Like, she said she was just screwing around, but it’s gorgeous. I made her promise she would let us hang it in our living room—what were you two doing upstairs?”