As Bishop and I finished our slow dance, we headed back to the picnic tables. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t fight the overwhelming feelings swelling in my chest. It had been such an eye-opening evening—meeting his mom, hanging out with the other Raiders women, and then seeing him interact with his brothers. I had come to see him in an entirely different light than before. It made the line I had tried to draw between us even more difficult to maintain.

“Thirsty?” Bishop asked as I took a seat.

“Yes. I’d love a beer.”

He grinned. “Give me two seconds.” He then trotted off to the drink table. After grabbing a few beers, he hurried back. “Here you go.”

“What excellent service. Should I tip you?”

“I could think of several ways you could pay me back,” he replied as he took a few long swigs.

“Are you alluding to what I think you are?”

He shrugged. “Maybe . . . Maybe not.” When I cocked my head at him, he winked at me and then launched into a conversation with Boone about the latest fights down at the gym. It gave me ample time to do a little thinking about what my next move should be, which was both good and bad.

Gavin’s words came back to me, as if he were sitting right beside me. Even though it’s frowned upon, I see nothing wrong with getting a good fuck or two out of him to gain information. The problem was, I wasn’t sure it was just for information. I had developed a need for Bishop. After sucking down the beer, I made up my mind to stop with the teasing and innuendo. It was time to act. Would he want me, though?

I rose off the picnic bench. As I set my longneck down, I could feel Bishop’s eyes burning into my back. When I glanced at him over my shoulder, his eyebrows rose questioningly. Slowly, I turned around. As I met his blazing baby blues, I held out my hand. His body shuddered slightly before he leaned up to put his hand in mine. I tugged him up off the bench, pulling him close to me. His warm breath against my cheek caused me to shiver with building anticipation. “What are you doing, Sam?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, I replied, “Getting you to take me somewhere we can be alone.”

He pulled back to look at me. Both longing and regret flickered on his handsome face. “You gotta know that nothing good is gonna come with me being alone with you right now.”

“I know.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

It was the same question raging through my mind. Did I want to fuck Bishop to get in even deeper with him because of the case, or was it because I was starting to feel more for him than I should? In the end, I tuned out the voices in my head. “Yeah, I am,” I responded, my voice resonating with certainty.

With a brief nod, Bishop tugged on my hand and started leading me away from the others. We went around the back of the clubhouse and then passed the pawnshop. As we continued walking, the lights grew dimmer and dimmer until we found ourselves in shadowy darkness. Bishop stopped us in front a tall chain-link fence that ran the length of the property.

After gazing around, I swallowed hard. I’d never had sex out in the open before, and I could feel my once-firm resolve slowly fading. “Here?”

“It’s really the only place we can be alone, with all the brothers being in from out of town. I gave up my room in the clubhouse.” A lustful gleam burned in Bishop’s eyes as he pulled me against him. I could feel the hardened length of him through his jeans. “But if you want, I’ll put you on the back of my bike and take you anywhere you want to go.”

Deep down, I knew it was right here and right now, or I was going to lose both my nerve and my buzz. I brought my arms up to wrap around his neck. “I just want to be with you.”

I drew his head down to where our lips were almost touching. We stayed like that for a few seconds, both of our chests heaving and our bodies trembling. This was our figurative cliff, and we were just inches from free-falling off it. Before we could think any more about it, Bishop crushed his lips against mine. For such a hardened tough guy, his lips were so very smooth. They felt as soft as velvet as they moved against mine.

I tightened my arms around his neck, drawing him as close to me as I could. My breasts strained against the bulging muscles of his chest. I couldn’t seem to get close enough to him. I had to fight the urge to jump up and wrap my legs around his waist and grind myself against him. As his warm tongue entered my mouth, I moaned.

He proved within seconds he was one hell of a kisser. He was also one for multitasking, because as his tongue caressed mine, his hand palmed my breast through the fabric of my dress. My nipple pebbled under his fingertips, and I gasped when he pinched it between his thumb and forefinger.

While one hand continued to knead my breast, the other dipped below the hem of my dress. I sucked in a breath when it skimmed against my thigh before journeying farther upward. It had been too damn long since a man had touched me, and as Bishop’s hand cupped me, my head fell back, banging against the fence.

“Fucking hell. You’re drenched,” Bishop said in a ragged voice.

“I know,” I groaned. Gazing up at him, I said, “Please don’t stop touching me.”

“Hmm, I like the sound of you begging.” His fingers began to work me over my panties, but I wanted more. I wantonly kicked my legs apart, spreading them as far as I could for him. Bishop read my mind by jerking my panties to the side and thrusting two fingers deep inside me.

“Oh yes!” I cried, moving my hips against his hand. At that point, I didn’t give two shits if anyone at the party could see or hear us. I just wanted to come.

Bishop’s hot breath singed my neck. “I love the way you feel on my fingers. Tight. Wet. Hot. I can’t wait until it’s my dick pumping inside you.”

The combination of his words and what his talented fingers were doing sent me soaring. I cried out his name along with a string of expletives while my walls convulsed again and again.

Before I had a chance to recover, Bishop had dropped to his knees before me. Both of his hands reached beneath the hem of my dress to tear my soaked panties down my thighs. After I stepped out of them, he pushed my dress up to my waist, his fingers digging into my ass. The cool night air danced along the heat between my legs. He tilted his head to the side as he gazed up at me. “Damn me to hell, but I’ve wanted to taste you since the first night I saw you.”

His words and expression caused me to shudder. “I’ve wanted you for a long time, too,” I said as I cupped one of his cheeks tenderly. My fingers then brushed into his hair, and I guided him closer to my core. “Taste me, Bishop. Make me come on your tongue like I did on your fingers,” I instructed.

He responded by burying his face between my legs. I groaned, gripping the strands of his hair tighter. He was just as good with his tongue as he was with his fingers, which he also started to use on me again. As his crooked fingers worked inside me, his tongue danced and teased along my clit. My hips rose and fell to give even more friction to the way he was touching and sucking me.

“Bishop!” I cried, my fingers clenching his sweat-soaked hair. I tugged and jerked at the strands as he sent me closer and closer to the edge with his mouth and fingers. When I came, I saw stars, but not the ones over our heads. As I tried to still my erratic breathing, Bishop rose off his knees.

“That was . . . amazing,” I murmured when I could form coherent thoughts again.

His signature cocky grin stretched across his face. “Thanks, babe. But we’re just getting started.”

My hands reached out to loosen his belt. I unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, freeing his straining erection. When I started to stroke it, Bishop shook his head as one of his hands fumbled in his pocket. “You can repay the favor next time. I need to be inside you. Now.”

After he took out a condom, he tore into the wrapper. In the dim light, I watched as he slid it down his length. He shoved his jeans down his thighs to where they pooled around his ankles. Turning me around, Bishop pushed me into the fence. He took my arms and put them over my head. My fingers clutched the chain links.

“Hold on tight, babe,” he murmured into my ear. One hand gripped my waist while the other went to guide his cock into me. Since I was more than ready for him, he entered me with one harsh thrust that filled me up completely. I cried out as Bishop grunted. With both hands now gripping my waist, he set up a punishing rhythm. The air around us was filled with the sounds of our moans and heavy breathing, along with sweat-soaked skin slapping together.

One of his hands left my waist to roam my body. It cupped my breast, tweaking the hardened nipple, along with stroking my clit as he continued pounding in and out of me. I couldn’t do anything but focus on the pleasure of what was probably the best sexual experience of my life.

I had never had three orgasms in one night, but Bishop delivered another blinding one. I could do nothing but cling to the fence as the shudders and spasms rolled through my body. I began to wonder if my trembling legs would keep me upright.

Bishop quickened his pace, his thrusts becoming even more harsh and unforgiving before I felt him tense up. His head fell forward, and he buried it in my neck. Hearing my name come off his lips as he jerked and twitched within me caused a pleasurable shiver to run up my spine.

His heavy breathing was warm against my skin. After picking his head up, he gently eased out of my body. For a few seconds, I still clung to the fence, trying to gain my bearings. There was a flurry of activity behind me as Bishop discarded the condom and then pulled up his jeans. Taking me by the shoulders, he slowly turned me around.

Without a word, he went about pulling up my panties and then straightening my dress. When he was finished, I gave him a sheepish grin. “Aren’t you the gentleman?”

He winked. “I try.”

Tilting my head, I couldn’t help voicing the question that was running through my head. “Is this when you say ‘Thanks, babe’ and send me on my way?”

Bishop’s brow crinkled in confusion. “Why would I do that?”

I shrugged. “Most men aren’t up for cuddling or pillow talk, and once they’ve gotten what they want or need, they’re done with you.” I bit my tongue to keep from saying, At least that’s what I’m used to. While I might’ve partly been using Bishop for the case, I still had to contend with the fact that I didn’t want to be used. There were also those feelings for him that ran deeper than I wanted to admit.

Crossing his arms across his chest, Bishop eyed me intently. “After a fuck like that, a man would have to be a dumb-ass to be done with you.”

His compliment sent heat both to my cheeks and between my legs. “It was pretty amazing,” I murmured.

“Just ‘pretty amazing’? I’ll have to try harder next time,” Bishop countered, a pleased twinkle in his eyes.

“I look forward to your efforts.”

Bishop laughed as he took my hand. “Come on.” Instead of leading us back to the party, he took us down the hill toward the houses.

“Where are we going?”

“It’s hot as hell, and I want to cool off.” He cut his eyes over to me. “You in the mood for a swim?”

“Sure. I didn’t realize you had a pool.”

With a grin, Bishop replied, “I don’t.”

“Then how—”

“You’ll see.”

He stopped at one of the houses on the left. Bishop dropped my hand to dig in his jeans pocket. “Is this yours?” I asked, unable to hide the surprise in my voice.

“Yeah.”

As I took in the modest but well-kept house, I thought about how often I continued to underestimate Bishop. My own MC prejudices caused me to underestimate him. “Twenty-five years old and you have your own house, a steady job, and a dream of owning your own bike shop.”

A smirk curved across his full lips. “Don’t forget that I’m also a master at fucking who generously gives ladies multiple orgasms.”

I snorted. “How could I forget?”

“Beats the hell out of me.”

“All joking aside, it is impressive, Bishop.”

His lighthearted expression became serious. “You really think so?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Thanks,” he murmured before ducking inside the house. I took a tentative step inside, since he hadn’t actually asked me to come in. I bit back a smile because the décor was exactly as I had imagined. Posters of half-naked women on the walls, leather furniture strewn with clothes, and beer cans littering the tables.

When I caught his eye, he said, “I do have one fault.”

“Your taste in decorating?”

He snickered. “That and I’m a fucking slob.”

I laughed. “Perfection can be annoying. Stay a slob.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied with a mock salute.

After grabbing two large flashlights off the mantel and then a blanket off the back of the couch, he paused, his expression growing serious. “I’m surprised you’re not pissed off and giving me shit about why I didn’t bring you here.” At what must’ve been my confused expression, he added, “You know, to fuck.”

“Oh,” I murmured. The truth was the thought hadn’t even crossed my mind. When he’d said all the rooms at the clubhouse were full, I had believed him. Besides, considering that I was using him, I really didn’t have any room to be judgmental.

With a sheepish look, he said, “Most women would be pretty pissed that I didn’t have the decency to bring them here.”

Although it stung to think of him with other women, I gave an apathetic shrug. “Most women might, but I’m not most women. We’re not in a relationship, so you don’t owe me jack shit, except maybe a good time.” I crossed the room to stand beside him. “And trust me, I had a really good time out there.”

“Me, too,” he murmured. “It’s just that I haven’t ever brought a woman here.”

“To have sex with?”

He shook his head. “To do anything with. My house has always been off-limits to women. Now, my room at the clubhouse—I’ve made good use of it.”

Pursing my lips, I said tersely, “I see.”

Bishop grimaced. “Sorry. That was a douche move to mention my past.”

“It’s okay.” Knowing that we needed a subject change, I motioned to the flashlights. “You know, I can’t help being a little concerned that you’re taking me somewhere that needs flashlights.” Sweeping a hand to my hip, I countered teasingly, “I will be coming back, won’t I?”

“Maybe . . . maybe not,” Bishop replied, with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

I would’ve been lying to myself if I hadn’t admitted there was a small part of me that was slightly anxious. Everything that had transpired tonight could have been a setup working toward an ending where Bishop took me out to the middle of nowhere to unmask me and then kill me. I had to stay on alert and not let my amorous feelings for him screw me over.

When Bishop laughed, I realized I hadn’t hid my fears well enough. “I’m only joking, Sam. Since I’d kick anyone’s ass who tried to hurt you, I’m sure as hell not going to do anything to you myself.” He threw an arm around my shoulder and started leading me to the front door.

I momentarily faltered when we started into the woods. Bishop turned around to smile at me. “Still thinking I’m going to Jack the Ripper you or something?”

“You are dragging me into the woods. At night.”

“We can’t go swimming if we don’t.” At what must’ve been my skeptical expression, he said, “There’s a stream about a mile through here. My brothers and I go swimming there all the time. It has the coolest and clearest water you’ll ever see.”

“At this point, couldn’t I just turn the hose on you to cool you off?”

Bishop threw his head back and laughed. After he’d had a hearty chuckle, he leaned in to brush his lips against my cheek. “I promise if you come with me, I’ll make you come a few more times.”

“You sure as hell better,” I replied defiantly, which earned me an impish grin from Bishop.

The bouncing beams of the two large flashlights lit the way as we started into the woods. We hadn’t been walking long when we came to an ATV parked to the side of the pathway. Bishop motioned to it. “Your chariot.”

“And here I thought we would be walking the whole way.”

“That wouldn’t be very gentlemanly of me, would it?”

“No, I guess not.” I slid onto the back of the seat, leaving room for Bishop. After he turned on the ATV’s lights, he took my flashlight and his and put them in the back. Then he got on in front of me.

“Hold on tight. It gets bumpy.”

Without any hesitation, I slid my arms around his waist and tightened my thighs around his. I tried to ignore how comforting it felt being so close to him—how the muscles of his strong body made me feel safe and secure. The next thing I knew, the ATV was lunging forward into the dark night. Bishop drove it the same way he drove his motorcycle, which made me want to piss my pants. But I managed to hide my fear while also clinging to him for dear life.

When we reached a clearing, we drove on through what would have been waist-high grass if we had been walking. I didn’t even want to think about what could have been lurking in the grass. Bishop drove us right down to the water’s edge.

Even though I only had the sole beam of the ATV’s light to illuminate things, I could still make out why this place held an allure for Bishop. “It’s beautiful,” I said.

Bishop rose off the seat. “Give me a second, and you’ll really get to see it.”

Curiously, I watched as he took one of the flashlights and disappeared off to the side of the bank. After a few seconds, a sound like a lawn mower filled the air. Then light flickered on all around me. Gazing around, I took in the beaming torches and trees lined with twinkling bulbs.

When Bishop reappeared, I asked, “You guys have a generator all the way out here?”

He nodded. “We set it up a few weeks ago when Rev and Annabel got married and had their reception out here.” He motioned to the water and the clearing. “So, what do you think now that you can see it better?”

“It’s breathtaking. I can see why your brother wanted to get married out here.”

Bishop smiled. “Besides being beautiful, this place has a lot of meaning.”

“For your family?”

“Yes. And historically.” After scratching the back of his neck, Bishop said, “If Mr. History Nerd Rev were here, he could tell you all about the place.”

“It wasn’t the site of some bloody battle back in the day, was it?” I teased.

Bishop laughed. “Nah, nothing creepy like that. More like Cherokee Indians, who once lived around here, thought the water had healing powers. They would come here when they were physically sick.” He gave me a pointed look. “Or emotionally sick.”

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Really?”

Bishop made a cross over his heart. “Scout’s honor.”

“Who knew you were bringing me to a place that had such meaning? I just thought you wanted to go swimming to get me naked.”

With a waggle of his eyebrows, Bishop said, “I sure as hell did.”

I laughed. “I can’t say I’m too surprised, or that I’m disappointed.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

When he started to reach for me, I shook my head. “I’m thinking after coming so far, you owe me a little.”

“Like what?”

I jerked my chin up. “I think you should be the one to get naked first.”

He grinned. “Sounds good to me.” After he kicked his boots off, he jerked his shirt over his head and tossed it on the ground. He didn’t take his eyes off mine as his hand went to the button of his jeans. I held his gaze as he slowly unbuttoned and unzipped the denim.

When he first started to pull off his jeans, I hadn’t realized I had been holding my breath. But as he slid them down his muscled thighs, I exhaled in a long whoosh. I knew what he had felt like both in my hands and inside me, but there was something to be said for seeing his dick in the flesh.

“Like what you see?” he asked as he stood proudly before me.

“The front view is good,” I replied, with a smile.

Holding out his arms, he turned slowly in the light, letting me take him in. His chest, back, and arms were covered in multicolored tattoos that ended around the bottom of his abs and the top of his ass. And his ass . . . it was perfect as well. Rounded with hardened muscles that I could imagine gripping tight as he pumped in and out of me.

Once he had made a full turn, he rested his hands on his hips and cocked his head at me. “Now it’s your turn.”

I eased off the back of the ATV and came to stand in front of him. As I blocked the light, Bishop’s face became a little shadowy. After working a few buttons, I pulled the dress over my head. Bishop’s steamy gaze lit my skin on fire. My hands came around my back to take off my bra. Once it was on the ground with my other clothes, I slid my panties down my thighs.

When I was fully naked before him, Bishop’s expression was one of pure admiration. “You’re fucking stunning.”

I couldn’t help smiling like a lovesick schoolgirl at his summation. “Thank you.”

He took a few steps forward to where we were almost touching. I jumped with surprise when he reached out to tenderly cup my face in his hands. “I remember the first night I ever laid eyes on you. I thought you were the most exotically beautiful woman I’d ever seen.”

“Really?”

His expression darkened slightly. “Marley would’ve kicked my ass if he knew what I was thinking about you in my head that night.” He gave a slight shake of his head. “I would have deserved every hit for how much I wanted to take you to my room and fuck you senseless.”

Sensing he was heading to an emotional place that wouldn’t be good for either of us, I decided to change the subject, and I did it in a big way. I reached between us to take his half-mast cock in my hands. He gasped at the touch while his dick jumped, swelling appreciatively in my hand. As my hand slid up and down, Bishop’s chest rose and fell in the same pattern. When he dipped his head to kiss me, I jerked back and then dropped his throbbing erection. With a teasing laugh, I swept past him and started to run into the stream.

“Oh, I’m going to get you for that!” Bishop shouted behind me.

“Come and get me, then,” I challenged as I started splashing into the shallow water. I sucked in a harsh breath when the chilly water hit my naked skin. It took a few moments to get used to it.

By the time I was waist-deep in the water, Bishop was at my side. His strong hands grabbed me by the waist, causing me to gasp at the contact. He held me tight with my back against his chest for a moment before hoisting me up out of the water. “Put me down,” I demanded.

When I glanced over my shoulder, Bishop flashed me a wicked grin. “With pleasure.” Then he tossed me into the deeper water. I had thought the water had been cold before, but there was nothing like being enveloped by it. I shot to the surface, coughing and sputtering.

“You’re an asshole!” I spat as I pushed my wet hair out of my face.

“You deserved it, cock tease,” Bishop replied as he swam over to me.

I laughed. “Okay. Maybe I did.” With all the strength I could muster, I lunged at him, dunking his head into the water. When he came back to the surface, I smirked at him. “And you deserved that.”

“Okay, I’ll give you that one,” he agreed as he scrubbed his face.

Lying back in the water, I floated for a moment, gazing up at the sky. “I still can’t believe a place so beautiful is out here in the middle of nowhere.”

“I forget how amazing it is sometimes. It usually takes someone else seeing it to make me realize,” Bishop said as he floated beside me.

Turning my head to look at him, I couldn’t stop myself from asking, “So, you bring a lot of the girls you fuck out here?”

My question was met with a scowl from Bishop. “No. Actually, I don’t.”

I glanced back up at the sky, regretting the fact that I had let myself ask such a question, like some insecure shrew. I couldn’t believe that just a few short weeks with him, and I was acting completely out of my character. I had never been the needy female in relationships. In the end, Bishop’s love life, both past and present, wasn’t any of my business. Regardless of what I was beginning to feel for him, I had to continue focusing on the task before me. “Sorry,” I murmured.

When Bishop stood up in the water, I followed his lead. His serious expression caused my stomach to twist anxiously. I expected at any moment for him to stalk out of the water and take me back to the roadhouse. But just as he always did, Bishop surprised me.

“Look, Sam, there’s no denying the kind of man I am—a man whore, a slut, a womanizer.” He drew in a deep breath. “But maybe I’m looking to not always be considered that. Just like I have professional dreams, I have personal ones, too.”

My chest tightened, and I fought to breathe. “You do?”

He nodded. “I’ve never wanted to be like some of the older men in this club who are fifty and sixty years old and still fucking every piece of ass that moves. I want a home . . . a family. I want what my old man had with my mom before he threw it all away, only to regret it until the day he died. I want what Deacon and Rev have.”

I didn’t know what to say. At that point, I wasn’t sure I could’ve said anything even if I wanted to. I just stared at him in utter awe. What must’ve been my bewildered look caused Bishop to laugh. “Guess I shocked you, huh?”

After bobbing my head, I licked my lips. “It’s a good shock, though.”

“Really?”

I smiled. “Yeah, it is. I would have to be a bitter shrew not to be affected by what you just said.” I brought my hands out of the water to cup his cheeks. “You deserve for all your dreams to come true, especially the one for a family.”

“Thank you,” Bishop murmured. He pulled me into his arms. Our wet skin fused us together, chest to chest and heart to heart. After staring into my eyes for a few seconds, Bishop brought his warm lips to mine. I moaned into his mouth. Damn, the man could kiss. It was like a lightning bolt of tingling electricity from the top of my head down to my toes. As his tongue thrust into my mouth, I ran my hands up his broad back, my fingertips trailing over the corded muscles.

In that moment, I abandoned all thoughts of Gavin and the case that had preoccupied me for so long. On a physical level, I wanted to be with Bishop for what he could give my body, not what I could do to him or to advance my career. But then I also wanted to be with him for who he was on the inside—the kindness, the tenderness, and the good heart he consistently revealed to me. The lines were once again blurring, but it felt too good being with him to give a shit about the consequences.

When Bishop’s hand slid up my waist to cup my breast, I broke the kiss. “I thought we came out here to swim,” I panted.

“Nah, that was just a ruse so I could get you out here to fuck again,” Bishop replied as he started kissing down my neck and onto my chest.

With a laugh, I said, “At least you’re honest.”

Bishop grinned up at me. “I take fucking very seriously.”

“Mmm, lucky me,” I said as Bishop’s mouth closed over my nipple. As his tongue swirled around and around the hardened tip, my head fell back. When he kissed and licked a trail over to the other nipple, I opened my eyes to take in the blackened sky scattered with shimmering stars. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect setting to be with someone—it was beautiful and illicit and romantic all at once.

“I think it’s time we took this to the shore,” he said.

“But it feels so good in the water,” I protested.

With a chuckle, Bishop replied, “Yeah, it does feel pretty fucking amazing, but I’m never going to hold any wood in this cold water.”

I snorted at his honesty. “Then by all means get us out of here.”

Bishop cupped my buttocks and hoisted me up to wrap my legs around his waist. He then started walking us out of the water. The cool night air rushed over my wet skin, raising goose bumps along my arms and legs. When we got to the edge of the bank, he started easing me down onto the blanket of grass. The long blades pricked the skin along my back.

“Have you ever fucked under the stars?” he asked as he loomed above me.

“No. I think it’s safe to say you’re taking my rustic sex virginity tonight with all the outdoor sex.”

Bishop laughed. “I’m honored.” When I reached to pull him down beside me, he gave a shake of his head. “One sec.”

I moaned in protest when he rose off me. He went over to our pile of clothes and dug another condom out of his wallet. Rising onto my elbows, I cocked my head at him. “I’m glad to see you carry so much protection on you at all times.”

He at least had the presence of mind to give me somewhat of a sheepish look. “Yeah, well, it never hurts to be prepared,” he mumbled as he tore into the wrapper.

“I’m just glad I get to benefit from your preparation,” I teased.

He sank down beside me on the grass before rising onto his knees. With both hands he shoved my legs wide apart. “Speaking of preparation, I think it’s time I got you ready to take me.”

With a giggle, I said, “What you meant to say was ready to take that giant cock of yours, right?”

A wicked grin flashed on his face. “Damn straight.”

I winked at him. “Then do what you have to do.”

Before I knew it, Bishop had buried his face between my legs, causing a loud shriek of pleasure to escape my lips. I pinched my eyes shut and let the feelings overtake me as he licked and sucked my clit. Not only could the man kiss, but he was a god when it came to going down on a woman. He didn’t even need to add his fingers to have me writhing on the grass, cursing repeatedly and calling out his name. His mouth, and especially his tongue, was all he needed. Over and over, it lapped at my soaked center, darting in and out of me, sliding along my clit.

The pleasure seemed to go on and on because just as I would get close to coming, Bishop would pull away, letting the high build over and over again to where I thought I would eventually pass out. Finally, when he felt I’d had enough, he let me come. Never had I let a man take over or let myself be controlled. Never. But how glad I was to let him do what he truly did best.

Just as the last aftershocks of the orgasm flowed through me, Bishop rose between my legs. He then thrust hard inside me, stretching and filling me. “Jesus, you feel amazing,” he muttered as he set up a punishing rhythm. I wrapped my legs around his back, drawing him deeper inside me. My hips rose and fell with his thrusts. I was just about to come again when he stopped.

“What are you—” I started to ask, but Bishop silenced me by kissing me. His tongue darted into my mouth, and I tasted myself on him. Slowly, he pulled his hips back to thrust deeply back into me. “Jesus,” I murmured. While the hard and fast fucking had been amazing, this was even better. I could feel every delicious inch of him as he worked in and out of me. But more than that, it was the way his mouth and tongue mirrored the actions of his hips and his dick. Although I didn’t want to think about it, what we were doing now was more like making love than fucking or having sex. The fact that we were outside in a blanket of grass and under the stars made it all the more romantic.

He pulled away from kissing me to stare into my eyes. I couldn’t remember a time I had felt more connected with a lover. It was so intense that I finally had to close my eyes and bury my face in the crook of his neck. Anything to not focus on the feelings ricocheting through me.

Bishop’s breath warmed against my ear. “Open your eyes, Sam.” When I dared to look at him, he smiled. “I want to be looking in your eyes when you come.”

“Did you really just say that?” I demanded before I could stop myself.

Bishop’s movement within me stilled. “It wasn’t some sort of line. I really meant it.”

“I know you meant it, and that’s the problem.”

He dipped his head to nip my bottom lip with his teeth. “Woman, you’re not making any sense.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” I whispered.

Bishop’s expression told me he understood exactly what I meant. “Stop overanalyzing it and just feel.”

“Okay.”

Without another word, Bishop started thrusting slowly inside me again. I kept my eyes on his. I even kept them open when he dipped his hand between us to stroke my clit to make me come. As my walls clenched around him, I still kept my eyes on his. I didn’t know when I had ever felt something more, physically and emotionally.

A few more thrusts had Bishop groaning and coming inside me. He broke eye contact only when his head came down to kiss me. When he was finished, he eased out of me, took off the condom, and tossed it aside. Although there was so much I wanted to say and to ask him, there were no words between us. I just let the feelings of contentment and extreme satisfaction wash over me.

Instead, I allowed Bishop to roll me onto my side in the grass. I couldn’t hide my surprise when he spooned up beside me. I had never imagined him being one for after-sex cuddling. He seemed way more like the wham-bam kinda guy. It was just another one of the many contradictions of his character. “Knew it would be incredible with you,” Bishop whispered, which caused my heart to swell in my chest.

Lying there in the grass, I felt so safe and protected with his arms wrapped around me and our legs tangled together. I closed my eyes, a contented sigh escaping my lips as I let myself fall asleep beside the man who had started off as my enemy.

Sunlight streaked across my face, waking me from a deep sleep. As I started to stretch, I realized I wasn’t alone. A man’s arm was draped over me with his hand cupping my breast. It hit me like a ton of bricks that I wasn’t in the warmth and safety of my bedroom at home. Instead, I was naked and waking in a bed of overgrown grass. I had slept with Bishop. Actually, I had slept with him twice if I was counting. The delicious soreness between my legs reminded me how good it had been with my well-endowed partner. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had such a memorable sexual experience, least of all with a guy whose dick was big enough to leave a reminder the day after.

Glancing over my shoulder, I eyed Bishop, who was still dead to the world. A smile teased my lips at the sight of him. He appeared almost baby-faced with a shock of hair falling across his forehead. I had to fight the urge to reach out and curl it around my finger. His broad chest rose and fell with his labored breaths. In the daylight, I got a better look at all his tattoos. Normally, I didn’t find them too attractive on men, but there was something about the way they looked on Bishop that made all the difference.

My aching muscles moaned in agony as I pulled myself to a sitting position. Sleeping on the ground, coupled with an intense fuck-fest, had left me feeling physically as if I had been run over by an eighteen-wheeler. Emotionally, I felt almost as beaten up. While I didn’t regret sleeping with Bishop, I felt overwhelmed with emotional turmoil. The more time I spent with Bishop and the Raiders, the less I could paint them as the villains I once thought them to be. There had to be something I was missing—something that made them worthy of being a target of the bureau.

Lying back down, I brought my hand to Bishop’s face. I ran my thumb over his full bottom lip. “Wake up, sleepyhead.”

At my touch, Bishop began to stir. His eyelids fluttered, and then he stared up at me. His bright blue eyes widened in disbelief as they moved from me to the clearing and then back to me. “Oh fuck,” he muttered, and then rolled away from me.

“Wow, that’s not the reaction I expected,” I mused aloud as I tried not to sound as hurt by his rebuff as I was.

Bishop groaned as he sat up. “I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.”

“What’s wrong with you?” I asked.

“Everything,” Bishop muttered.

I rose to sit beside him. “Would you please tell me what is going on in that head of yours besides morning-after remorse?”

Cutting his eyes over at me, Bishop exhaled painfully. “I’m a fucking bastard.”

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “What are you talking about?”

“Jesus, Sam, last night it all felt so right, but now in the light of day . . .” He ran a hand over his face. “I thought I was going to be able to handle it—to not let it bother me. But it does. Fucking hell, it does.”

I reached out to tentatively touch his cheek. “Bishop, you’re not making any sense.”

His eyes closed in agony as he said, “Marley.”

While I had expected Bishop to bring Gavin up, it was still hard to hear his name come off Bishop’s lips. It took me back to another grassy clearing—the one where I had held Gavin as he died. Thinking about Gavin caused my heart to ache. I couldn’t help the sharp intake of breath or the pain that hit between my ribs. I looked out at the lake before trying to find my voice.

Before I could, Bishop continued. “Even though Marley wasn’t a patched brother, I broke a cardinal rule last night. You don’t fuck a brother’s girlfriend or old lady.” He opened his eyes and stared at me. “That’s why I’m a fucking bastard.”

“No, you’re not. You’re too good a man to ever be a fucking bastard.”

“Before Marley died, I wanted you. It wasn’t just about wanting to fuck you—it was about wanting us to have what you had with Marley. After he died, I still wanted you, and I’m a heartless bastard for making a move on you.”

“Bishop, it’s okay. There was nothing wrong with what we did last night.”

“Oh hell yes, there was. And as long as I still possess a small fucking bit of decency, it ain’t ever happening again.”

My heart shuddered in my chest. There were so many implications that went along with his declaration. “You don’t mean that.”

“I sure as hell do. I’m pissing on Marley’s memory every time I think about fucking you or when I put my hands on you or my dick in you.” He swallowed hard, and it looked as though he was trying to fight back the tears that threatened in his eyes. “I know you’re sick with grief about losing him, and I took advantage of you. But I promise you don’t have to worry about it happening ever again.”

Sick with grief. Yes. Absolutely. But I had to stop this train of thought. “You’re wrong. I knew exactly what I was consenting to last night,” I argued.

“That’s what you think right now. But what about later on when it sinks in what we did? You’ll hate me for letting things go on.”

“There’s nothing to sink in. I wanted to have sex with you last night. I want to have sex with you again. But more than the sex, I like you, Bishop.”

Bishop’s forlorn expression lightened a little. “You do?”

“Yeah. I do.”

He appeared momentarily happy at my admission, but then his face clouded with worry again. “But Marley—”

“Is gone, but we’re both here.”

Bishop shook his head. “He was my friend. I can’t do that to him . . . or to his memory.”

When he pulled himself up off the grass, I knew he was serious. At the crux of his being, Bishop was honorable, and even though he would hate to do it, he would cut me out of his life. I couldn’t let him do that. I needed to stay a part of his world. While I had to admit that a part of it would be for the case, I knew more than anything I needed to stay for how I felt about Bishop. Which confused the hell out of me.

There was only one thing to do. It felt as dangerous as flinging myself off a cliff. But desperate times called for desperate measures.

As I glanced up at the sky, I could almost hear Gavin saying, Ah, go on and out me, Vargas. I’m dead. What harm can it do?

Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I stood up. “Look, I need to tell you something about Marley—something that might change everything you think about him.”

“What do you mean?” Bishop asked as he jumped into his jeans.

“I was never Marley’s girlfriend.”

Bishop’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What are you saying?”

“Marley was my friend, and I would do anything in the world to help him when he needed me. When he started hanging around with you and wanting to be a part of the MC world, he needed me to be his girlfriend.”

An expression of disbelief came over Bishop’s face. “You weren’t his girlfriend?”

“No.”

“You guys were never a real couple?”

“No. Just the very best of friends.”

After I braced myself for Bishop’s wrath, he merely shook his head. “Just tell me one thing.”

“Okay.”

“Why the hell would he ask you to do something like that?”

“Because Marley was gay.”