And Then There Was Collection Read Online Jenika Snow

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But I bit my tongue, just thankful I was here with her, vowing that she’d never walk home alone again, not if I had anything to do with it.

CHAPTER 5

Korrie

We didn’t speak, but it was the nice kind of quiet, the kind that let me rest my head back on the seat and stare out the passenger-side window.

The truth was, I really liked that I was in Bishop’s car, loved that he offered to take me home. I tried to act like I was tough as nails, my father teaching me that even if you didn’t feel it at the time, you needed to act like you had confidence. So it gave me this strength to play it off like things were always… okay. But it was tiring and at times sucked the life right from me.

I thought about my father’s motto. “If people believe you have strength, it doesn’t matter if you’re slowly dying. Their belief in you will give you the power to overcome anything.”

The ride from Lyrics to my apartment building wasn’t that long, but Bishop was going slow, seeming to stop at every red light, taking his time and even the long way home. And that fact made me feel giddy, like he didn’t want this night to end… with me.

There is no doubt in my mind that he felt the attraction toward me the way I did with him. I saw the way he watched me. He had all night, seeming mesmerized when I’d catch him, and having no shame that he’d been caught. It was almost as if he wanted me to catch him.

But I was still hesitant to allow myself to fully explore and experience what could be between us. I thought about it. A lot. But I’d never felt this way about anyone, so of course it terrified me.

Then there was the whole “No Fraternization” policy… one Bishop didn’t have in the employee handbook, but still, I didn’t want to ruin things.

What if we started something and things ended badly? Where would that leave me? I had my father to think about, his medical bills, and making sure he was taken care of so he didn’t have to worry about taking care of me.

I pursed my lips and continued to stare out the passenger window, my thoughts rolling around and around, my heart telling me it wanted one thing despite the what-ifs, the worries, or how things may or may not end.

I let myself glance over at him, looking at his profile, finding him even more attractive by the way the shadows seemed to make his dark features even starker. His dark-brown hair looked almost black in the interior of the car, inkiness that spilled over his forehead. I wanted to reach up and push those strands away, maybe even tangle my fingers in his hair and pull him forward, make him kiss me.

Okay, calm down.

I still couldn’t pull my gaze from him. He had this five-o’clock shadow covering his cheeks and jaw, one that made him even sexier if that were possible. That facial hair made him look a little rough around the edges, and I felt my pulse beat faster.

He glanced over at me, and I quickly looked away, biting my bottom lip, because I was a little embarrassed that he’d seen me staring at him openly.

“How long have you lived in the city?” he asked, breaking up the silence, his voice so deep that my toes actually curled inside my shoes.

I cleared my throat and prayed my voice didn’t falter, didn’t stutter from my emotions. “My whole life,” I answered. “My mother passed away when I was twelve, and it’s just been my father and me.”

He looked at me for a moment before turning his attention back to the road. “I’m sorry about your mother.” I could hear the sincerity in his voice. “Do you like the city?”

I looked back out the passenger window, thankful he didn’t probe about my mother. Not that I didn’t want to talk about it, but when things like that were dredged up, it tended to bring the mood to a dark place. And I wanted things to be light with Bishop.

I really thought about his question and knew I never wanted to pretend with him. “Actually, no. Not really.” I looked back at him, my head still on the headrest of the seat. “I’d love to move away from all of this one day, but with my father’s not doing well because of his autoimmune disease and him declining over these last few years, staying put is the only option right now.” I smiled then. “One day I hope to have a little bit of property for him. He loves to garden.”

“I’m sorry… again.” He sat up straighter but didn't say anything else. But the tone of his voice told me he knew the pain I felt.


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