Lola

 

One Year Later

 

“God, I missed you.” Lola’s body surged towards Bishop’s as she reached behind her to open the French doors that led out onto the balcony. He had wrapped her in his arms and begun kissing her as soon as he had arrived at her home, and he wasn’t letting go as they made their way outside. She didn’t mind.

 

“Not as much as I missed you.” Bishop put his hands around her waist and lifted her so that she could wrap her legs around him. He buried his face in her cleavage, kissing every inch of skin he could get his mouth on. “I know it’s only been a couple of weeks, but that’s far too long to go without your body.”

 

Lola stroked the short hair on the back of his neck and threw her head back. The sky was littered with stars and the night was quiet. It was romantic and beautiful, but she would be glad to be anywhere as long as she was with Bishop. “I’ve needed you so badly.”

 

He laid her down on a chaise lounge as he unzipped the side of her dress, removing it slowly and then tossing it aside as though it hadn’t cost thousands of dollars. “Not as badly as I needed you.” He bent his head to tenderly kiss her breasts once more now that he had full access to them. His lips drifted down her abdomen, caressing every curve on his way down. Bishop gently spread her legs and kissed her fully, burying his tongue inside her.

 

“Oh! That’s not fair!” Lola gasped as her spine tightened and she clutched at the cushions on the chair. He knew just how to get to her, and he could do it with record speed. He had been splitting his time between Hollywood and Rolling Hills, and even though he was with her as much as he could be, it was never enough.

 

“Why not?” he murmured. “I’m getting what I want, and I like to think you’ll get what you want out of it, too.” Bishop gently pushed his finger inside her as he flicked his tongue across her clit. “You’re just as delicious as I remember.”

 

His words turned her on just as much as his actions did, and Lola closed her eyes. The night air was warm on her naked skin, but it was tantalizingly cool where his tongue and lips had been. So many nights she had been without him and had been tempted to jet across the country to get to him, but she had other obligations. Still, all those fantasies had built up into one hell of a reality, and she felt her core reacting to his touch. Her thighs quivered against his jawline as her muscles convulsed, her stomach tightening and her legs turning to jelly. She was coming already. “Oh, God!”

 

“Yes?” he teased as he finished her off and stood up.

 

“Come here,” she begged as she continued to shudder. “I need you.” He let her unbutton his pants and expose his hardness underneath. It was ready for her, and she needed him so badly. Bishop straddled the chaise and entered her, calming the shivering excitement he had teased up in her while creating a new wave at the same time. The metal feet of the chair scraped against the concrete floor as he bucked against her, his rippling abs hard on her body.

 

Lola wrapped her legs around him, wanting to keep him close for as long as possible. There was nothing sexier than having his weight on top of her and knowing that he wanted her as badly as she wanted him. Bishop had completely changed her life, and she couldn’t live without him. She craved him, and he always knew how to satisfy that craving.

 

She dug her fingernails into his back as her body responded to his once again, pulsing around him and drawing him in. Bishop complied, his arousal filling her completely as he came. He groaned as he thrust into her, emptying everything he had and giving it all to her.

 

They lay together on the chaise afterwards, having drawn a blanket over their naked bodies. “I’m glad you’re here,” she whispered against his chest. “It feels like forever between visits.” It had been a year since Bishop had saved her from Ernie. In some ways, things had returned to normal. She still had her career, and the crowds still flocked to her. Bishop had vowed to be the best father to their child that he could possibly be, but he still had a club to run. They had been doing their best to see each other often, and Bishop had made certain he was around for all the doctor visits and of course, the birth of their baby girl. Mara took up a lot of Lola’s time and concentration, but the rest of her time was spent missing him.

 

“Well, that’s something I wanted to talk to you about, actually.” His voice rumbled in his chest, and she pressed her cheek harder against it. “I’ve been talking to the guys. We’ve been in Rolling Hills for a long time, and there’s no doubt that a lot of them like it there. But we’ve taken a vote, and we won’t be staying there much longer.”

 

Lola lifted her head, finding his eyes in the dim light of the stars. Hope rose in her, but she didn’t want to assume anything. “What are you saying?”

 

He’d had his arms around her, but he brought one hand up to brush it through her hair as he grinned. “We’re moving to Hollywood.”

 

“Seriously?”

 

Bishop laughed. “Is it such a surprise? I don’t think the Kings like me traveling back and forth any more than you do, and they’re starting to get a little bored with small-town life. I just have to figure out what they’re going to do once they’re here.”

 

“I’ve got a pretty good idea,” Lola replied, easily recalling the way they had fallen in line to serve as spur-of-the-moment bodyguards at the airport on that fateful day. “Butch is always complaining that he can’t get good help these days.”

 

“Is he doing all right?”

 

The bullet wound had kept him off his feet for quite some time, but the big man had made a full recovery. Lola had wanted to show him just how grateful she was for everything he had done for her, and she’d purchased the house next door for him. While she couldn’t deny that she liked the benefit of having him close at hand in case she needed him, she also knew he was satisfied with the posh dwelling. “Just as the doctors promised, he’s made a full recovery. When do you plan to relocate?”

 

Bishop made a vague gesture with his free hand. “There’s a lot to take care of. We’ll have to sell the clubhouse and get everyone packed up. I want to schedule the ride when we’ve got a good chance of nice weather. We’ve all ridden in storms and snow before, but it’s a lot easier when we’ve got nothing but sunshine.”

 

Lola thrilled inside at the idea of having him with her all the time. “So, have you given any thought to where you’ll live? I know you have an entire club of men to put up, but I’m pretty sure my side of the bed is open for you.”

 

He kissed her forehead. “I wouldn’t dream of staying anywhere else.”

 

“This calls for a celebration.” Lola rose from the chaise and headed for the French doors.

 

“I thought that was what we just did,” Bishop replied, waggling his eyebrows. “But if you give me a minute we can definitely do it again.”

 

“That’s not what I mean,” she giggled as she stepped inside and grabbed a bottle of champagne. “But don’t worry, you’ll get your chance.” Lola let him open the bottle and pour them each a glass of bubbly. She clinked her drink against his, realizing Bishop made her feel just like she was drunk on good champagne, with hundreds of little bubbles fizzing inside her.

 

She settled in next to him on the chaise once again. “It looks like the Cobra Kings might not be the only ones coming to Hollywood,” she said quietly.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Pulling in a deep breath, Lola hoped he would be as happy about this as she was. She had to admit that the idea made her a little nervous, but it also meant things were heading in the right direction. “I got a letter from my father.”

 

He looked at her for a long moment. “A letter? You mean like an actual letter and not an email?”

 

Lola laughed and smacked him gently on the arm. “That’s the part you choose to focus on?”

 

Bishop shrugged. “Well, it is unusual.”

 

“He’s old-fashioned,” she explained, taking another sip from her glass. “Anyway, he wrote me a letter and said that he feels bad for the way they treated me. He wants to be part of Mara’s life, and he completely understands why I haven’t brought the baby to see them. He says they’d like to come here and meet her. And you, too.” It had been such a surprise to get the letter, and Lola had read it over several times before she’d decided that she had understood it correctly. Perhaps it had been her father’s close call with his heart attack or just the simple passage of time, but it gave her a deep sense of contentment to know that he at least wanted to try to make things right.

 

“Wow.” Bishop gave a low whistle. “And what about your mother?”

 

“She wants to come too, but he’s told her she has to be on her best behavior.” She laughed again at the thought of Mr. Dodson chastising his wife for her sharp tongue. Things were bound to be a little awkward once they arrived, but Lola would deal with it. She had been through worse.

 

The two of them sat together for a long moment, simply staring at the stars and enjoying the fact that they were together. Since he had last left her, Lola had a constant mental list of all the things she wanted to say to him or discuss. They had talked on the phone often, but it was never been enough. She always hung up wishing she had remembered to tell him about something. One of them popped to the forefront of her mind. “Oh!”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Come inside with me. I want to show you something.” She trotted back into the house, grabbing a robe off a hook and wrapping it around herself.

 

Bishop followed, pulling on his pants and smiling at her with amusement. “Is it how gorgeous our daughter is? Because I plan on either staring at her or staring at you for the entire time I’m here.”

 

She kissed him on the jaw and pulled him into the next room. “That sounds good, but you need to come here first.” Lola opened the door that led into her music room. It had started out as a comfy lounge where she could work on her lyrics, but she had slowly transformed it over the years into a miniature studio. She had every instrument she knew how to play, some compact recording equipment, and a shelf of notebooks full of her poetry and notes. Lola sat Bishop down in a comfortable chair and seated herself behind the piano.

 

“I know you don’t like my music,” she said as she warmed up her fingers, “but I’ve been working on some new stuff.”

 

“Have you given any of it to your producer?” he asked.

 

She shook her head. “Not a chance. He would never go for it. As far as he’s concerned, he’s still interested in doing the young and sexy thing with my albums. They still sell like hotcakes despite the baby and the handsome man in my life. I can’t blame him, since it does all come down to money, but I’ve got to get my own creativity out somehow.”

 

“I can’t wait to hear it.”

 

Lola began playing. She had worked on this song a lot, and she had felt that she had it nearly perfected, but she suddenly felt far more self-conscious than she did when she was on stage in front of thousands of fans. She wasn’t just singing some random words that a producer had strung together but something that had come from her heart. Though she had kept the lyrics on the vague side, she knew everything that had gone into the music: her love for Bishop and her love for Mara. She would never be alone again, and she owed it all to them. There was no strutting around on the stage, just pouring her heart out.

 

When she was done and the final note faded from her voice, she kept her eyes on the keys. She wasn’t ready to look up and see what Bishop might have thought. His opinion was the only one that mattered, and he had never been anything but supportive, but still. The silence that descended when the song was over made her nervous.

 

But she had been so into her music that she hadn’t realized Bishop had come up behind her. He wrapped his warm arms around her, the heat of his body sinking though the thin silk of her robe. She leaned back into him, tipping up her chin to meet his kiss. “It was absolutely beautiful,” he said. “You should do more.”

 

“You think so?” She turned to face him. “This isn’t the kind of stuff that people usually want.”

 

“Maybe that’s just because they don’t know what you can really do. What’s to stop you from making a whole album of your own stuff? You can release it on your own. People will buy it just because it has your name on it, but they’ll love it once they hear it.” His eyes were soft and caring, and Lola could tell that he truly meant it.

 

“What would I ever do without you?” she asked.

 

“If I have my way, you’ll never have to find out.”

 

A pitiful cry sounded on the baby monitor. Lola automatically jumped to her feet, but Bishop laid a hand on her shoulder. “It’s all right. I’ll get her.” He turned and walked quickly through the doors of the music room.

 

Her fingers tinkling gently on the keys, Lola couldn’t help but think about how lucky she was. It didn’t have anything to do with her career or her fame. She had learned to accept it and all that it came with, but it didn’t contribute to her happiness the same way that her family did. Bishop was not just a sexy man who wanted to sleep with her, but a good man who supported her in every way possible. Even with the difficulties that came with living halfway across the country, he had gone out of his way to be supportive and loving.

 

And then there was Mara. Bishop came into the room with the sleeping babe in his arms. She had come into the world screaming at the top of her lungs, but she had settled into a darling child that usually only woke up once or twice a night. Lola had gotten used to her sleep being interrupted and never minded dashing into the nursery next to her bedroom to offer a bottle or a fresh diaper.

 

Now, Mara dozed happily in Bishop’s arms. “She was squirming around a bit, but she fell back asleep as soon as I picked her up,” he whispered. “It doesn’t matter how many times I see her, I just can’t get over how beautiful she is. Just like her mother.”

 

Lola smiled up at him and then down at their daughter. She truly was beautiful, the most beautiful thing that Lola would ever create. With her halo of blonde hair that looked like Lola’s own and those dark brown eyes that matched Bishop’s, she was exquisite. Lola found it difficult to do anything but take care of her child, not because the baby took up too much of her time or exhausted her but because she just wanted to be with her. Now that their family was all together, it would be even harder. But it would also be an inspiration.

 

“Thank you,” she whispered as she looked up at Bishop, seeing him in a whole new light. He looked so good holding that child, and so strong.

 

“For what?”

 

“For giving me the one thing I needed more than anything. A family.” Some could say that it had been an accident, but she knew better. This was how things were meant to be. Maybe she had gone through some tough times and made some decisions that had seemed foolish, but it had all worked out this way for a reason.

 

Bishop extended his arm and pulled her in close so that they were all together. Lola had never known such happiness.

 

THE END

 

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