Free The Bishop Affair (Dominated by the Billionaire Brothers - Part Three) by Jennifer Simms Page A

you heard a sound by the window?” He chuckled.

“She walked over with a ladder to make sure that we weren’t making out! God, I can’t believe she thought we wouldn’t notice the thud against the wall or the creaking of her steps up the ladder.”

“But we did make out, once she left.”

“Yes, we did,” I said, laughing and wiping my eyes.

I touched my lips briefly. Only moments ago, Jordan’s lips had been pressed against mine. As wonderful as nostalgia was, there was no way I could forget about Jordan—his soft lips, those muscular arms gripping my waist, that irresistible smile...or that magnificent cock.

“Lori, I really do apologize,” he said finally. “I just wanted to see that you were doing okay. I know you don’t want me here, so I’m going to stay at a hotel. But I do want to see the big city since I’m on vacation. You can call me if you want to get together.”

He turned to leave.

A flash of guilt washed over me. Could I really kick him to the curb after he’d made a special trip to see me? Although the surprise part of it was inappropriate, I could understand where he was coming from. Or after he’d given me a gift to mark our first date at the zoo?

The most memorable part about that day had been the lorikeets. We’d been given tiny plastic cups filled with nectar to feed them. When no less than a dozen chattering parrots converged on my cup like a crazy mob, I’d fled the enclosed area, screaming. Eric followed behind me, swatting at the birds and trying to use his body as a shield. Once it was established that I wasn’t injured and I’d calmed down, he took to jokingly calling me Lorikeet. Even through college, the pet name reminded me that he and I had something special from the start. We were always laughing together.

Everybody makes mistakes, don’t they?

If my multiple missteps with Trevor were any indication, that was a yes.

I spoke before he made it to the stairwell. “No, please stay.” The words felt strangely easy coming out.

He glanced back at me, those puppy dog eyes of his, the most expressive eyes I’d ever seen, melted all the resolve that Sam had tried to instill in me about being strong and moving forward.

“I want you to stay,” I repeated. “I really do.” It wasn’t a lie. The idea of him close by was like being home again.

Besides, it wasn’t going to be a big deal. Just because he was going to stay for a few days didn’t mean we were getting back together. He was, afterall, still one of my closest friends.

“Are you sure?” He trotted over. “I’ll sleep on the couch, no arguments about it. And you just say the word and I’ll go. If you don’t want me around, I completely understand.” He leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek before wrinkling his nose. “Is that a new perfume?”

My hand flew up to cover the area his lips had touched and a warm blush crept across my face. I was sure he’d just smelled Jordan’s cologne, his cloying, sexual musk...and God knows what else. No matter how good it was to have Eric near, there was the constant reminder that I’d just hooked up with my boss on the way over here.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, falsely cheerful as I pushed past him and into the apartment. It would feel so good to unload my encounter with Jordan off on Sam, but as I hung up my keys on the door, she came jogging past the kitchen. Her hair was in a ponytail and she was wearing gray sweatpants with a light blue sweater. Even dressed down and without makeup, she was still a knockout.

“Hey, guys.” She was faintly out of breath. “I’d love to stay and catch up, but I’ve gotta squeeze in some gym time.”

She stepped into her sneakers before grabbing her keys from the hanger. “You kids be good, now,” she said, snagging her purse and wiggling her fingers at us. Eric laughed at her, but Sam’s eyes lingered on mine meaningfully.

Did she think it was a mistake for him to be here?