Bishop

by Gabelman, Teresa

  Bonnie stood slowly, removing his coat as she did so. He took it from her and tossed it behind him. His eyes never left hers as she undressed. She could use magic, but this seemed so much more personal. Plus, she was a nervous wreck and would probably accidentally transport herself out of here instead of undressing.

  As she stood before him bare, he continued to stare into her eyes, which made her weirdly self-conscious. In a fluid motion, he was on his feet before her. Without touching Bonnie, he leaned over and kissed her softly. Their tongues teased each other before he pulled away. His eyes finally left hers and slowly roamed her body. She held her breath, afraid to breathe, and prayed to the Goddess she didn’t see disappointment in his eyes.

  “I have never seen anything more perfect.” Bishop's voice rumbled throughout the field, over her body, and into her heart. “You honor me, Bonnie Grail. This is a gift I will cherish.”

  A tear leaked from her eye, and she wanted to wipe it away but was afraid to move just in case this was a dream, and it would wake her up. With ease, he pulled his shirt over his head, throwing it on his jacket. Their eyes met again as he pulled her against him.

  “If at any time you change your mind, one word is all it will take for me to stop,” Bishop whispered against her forehead.

  “Then I will remain silent,” Bonnie said softly, but she knew he heard her when he made a masculine groan in the back of his throat. “I want this, Bishop. And I want it to be with you. I have never felt this before for anyone, only you.”

  “Tell me that this place is safe because I have a feeling my Warrior instincts are going to hell for the next few hours.” He groaned as his hands touched her, his lips against her neck.

  “No one will ever see us,” she promised, then realized everything he said and pulled back to stare up at him with wide eyes. “A few hours?”

  “At least,” he said after his eyes did another once-over of her body. “Believe me when I say I am going to take my time and enjoy every single second of you and your body, but I have to ask.”

  “Ask what?” She ran her hand down his hard chest to the flat washboard abs, loving the feel of him.

  “Are you sure?” His question had her eyes leaving his chest to look up at him. She tiptoed and kissed him with as much passion as she could work up over her nervousness.

  “For the first time, I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.” Bonnie smiled, feeling confidence she hoped he saw. “Not only will you be my first, but possibly my last.”

  “Oh, I will be your last, but not for the reason you think.” Bishop’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “No other man will ever touch you in this way while I live. Do you understand me?”

  She nodded and was surprised she agreed one hundred percent with his alpha declaration. She didn’t want any other man, never would. “I’m yours,” she said without hesitation.

  “You are mine.” He sealed it with a hard kiss, as if even talk of another man set him on edge.

  She pulled away a little, breaking their connection. “I don’t share either, Bishop.” She felt it was only fair he agreed to her terms also.

  “No other woman could even compare to you in my eyes.” Bishop took her face in both hands, gently forcing her to look up at him. “And you will live. There will be many more nights and days like this in our future.”

  Bonnie nodded, knowing if she opened her mouth, she would scream at the unfairness of the moment. She knew her chances of surviving any of what was coming her way was dismal, but for tonight, she was going to enjoy every second. She just prayed this wouldn’t ruin his life. That was what the aversion spell had been all about—not to let this happen at all, yet selfishly, she was letting it happen.

  Pushing all that aside, she focused on what was happening now and not in the future. That was hard for her to do, but as he stepped out of his jeans, she sighed as all thought left her brain. He was a big man in more ways than one. Curious, she reached out and gently touched him, letting her fingers feel the silky hardness of him. His swift intake of breath made her bolder. She wrapped her fingers around him as she explored his body. It wasn’t long before he was stopping her.

  “Did I hurt you?” she asked him, worried she had done something wrong. Seriously, could she do it wrong? Was that even possible? She should have really done some research before attempting this so as not to make a fool of herself. “I’m sorry.”

  “No, you absolutely didn’t hurt me,” Bishop assured her quickly. “And stop apologizing. I just needed to stop you for a minute so I could gain control. I want this to go slow for the first time, and you, beautiful, are making that very hard to do.”

  A large grin broke over her face. “You really liked that?” Bonnie couldn’t help but ask. She didn’t care if she sounded like an idiot. She was happy she did something right to give him pleasure.

  “More than you know.” Bishop chuckled. “Soon, you will learn, as I will learn, what pleases you.”

  “Good, I’m a very fast learner.” Bonnie grinned, then kissed her way down his chest, stopping just above where the waist of his jeans had been. “Very fast.”

  “Jesus.” Bishop groaned, making her smile spread across her face.

  Chapter 18

  Bishop carefully laid her on the blanket, but he worried she was too cold. Not that he wasn’t planning on warming her up, but still, it was cold and she was human. “Are you too cold?” Damn, he couldn’t believe he had her naked and spread out beneath him, and he was worried she was cold, but he was.

  She reached up and touched his chin, running her fingers along his jawbone. “You really are a gentleman, aren’t you?”

  “Hell no. Never once have I been called a gentleman.” Bishop growled down at her, then smiled. “But I want you totally focused.”

  Bonnie chuckled, then waved her hand toward the side of them. A large fire appeared, and the warmth quickly spread over them. “Better?”

  “Much,” he replied. Surprise flickered through him when she pulled him down for a kiss, her certainty unexpected. Not that he’d been with many inexperienced women. Hell, he couldn’t seem to think of one in his long life, but Bonnie seemed very comfortable and at ease. It was he who was a little nervous if he was being honest. Pulling his lips away from her, he had to ask, “Aren’t you nervous?”

  Frowning, she shook her head. “No.”

  “You’re not?” Jesus, he couldn’t shut the fuck up. What in the hell was wrong with him?

  “Should I be?” Bonnie pushed away from him and sat up, facing him.

  “No,” he replied, then shook his head. “I mean, I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “Are you nervous?” She cocked her eyebrow at him, then laughed at the face he made.

  “Fuck no.” He bristled. “I know exactly what I’m doing, what’s going to happen, and—”

  “Bishop, I was just kidding.” Bonnie soothed him; at least, she tried to. She sighed, looking away from him. “If it was anyone else here with me, I would be very nervous.”

  “Who in the hell would be here with you other than me?” Bishop's body stiffened, making her head jerk back toward him.

  “No one,” Bonnie assured him, her cheeks turning red in a blush as she sighed. “I guess I am a little nervous, but not for the reason you probably think.”

  “Meaning?” Bishop knew he was making a fucking mess of this, but dammit, he wanted to make certain she was sure and that she was comfortable. Seriously, what in the fuck was wrong with him? He wanted her more than he wanted anything in his life. She was naked, beautiful, and obviously wanted him. And here he was talking and asking stupid fucking questions.

  “I’m not nervous because it’s you, Bishop. I trust you and believe me, that’s saying something because I trust no one. I’ve wanted this for a long time, to feel wanted by someone, and after meeting you, I wanted that someone to be you,” Bonnie said, looking straight into his eyes, but then she shifted her gaze away. “What I am nervous about is being a disappointment. I can only
imagine the women you’ve been with, and I know I could never come close to—”

  “Stop.” Bishop put his finger against her lips, then gently forced her to look at him. “You are the most self-assured woman I have ever met.”

  “I am very self-assured,” Bonnie agreed, but wasn’t cocky about it. “But I’ve never opened my soul to anyone. Ever. To give myself to anyone this way is not easy for me, but right now, in this moment, it’s the easiest thing I have ever done in my life because it feels right. To disappoint you… yeah, that makes me nervous.”

  “I would never be careless with your soul, Bonnie.” Bishop made sure his tone conveyed the seriousness of his statement. “And this is right. And as for disappointing me, not possible.”

  A tear leaked from her eye, and he caught it with his finger as he pulled her to him. He knew her life had not been easy. He didn’t know it all—he was sure of that—and for the first time in his life, he wanted to know everything about this woman. Never had he felt that way about anyone. Even with the aversion spell, he’d had an attraction to her, but since she had dropped the spell, his emotions were all over the place. Bishop was a man who kept his emotions closed off to everyone. Most Warriors were. They had to be with what they dealt with every day. It hardened them to the point emotions were foreign to them, or at least for him. But this woman had unleashed every single one of his feelings.

  As he stared into her eyes, Bishop saw himself reflected in their depths, and he liked what he saw. A man who’d finally found what he had been searching for, but he’d never known it until this moment. He also saw the trust she was fully giving him, and he swore he would not betray the trust he knew wasn’t easy for her to give.

  Slowly, he lowered his lips to hers, capturing her mouth in a tame kiss, wanting to take it slow, but slow wasn’t easy. Bishop wanted nothing more than to claim her. Instead, he controlled that instinct. He’d be damned if he ruined this first for her. Even if it killed him, he would make sure her trust in him was never questioned.

  Focusing solely on Bonnie, he realized her kiss was becoming more impatient, and he internally smiled. And to think she was afraid of disappointing him. He could smell her passion, feel it in her body, and it pleased him more than anything ever had. Deepening the kiss, he roamed her body with needy fingers, and nothing felt sweeter than her curves. She moaned as his hand brushed against her breast, and she even arched as if asking for his touch. More than happy to oblige, his large hand cupped her breast, his fingers plucking at her sensitive nipple.

  Bonnie squirmed against him. The sweet moans in her throat drove him crazy, crazy to the point he had to talk himself down so as not to move too fast. That plan almost failed in a major way when her small hand wrapped around his cock. He hissed, their lips parting.

  “Did I hurt you?” she whispered, her voice husky and sexy as fuck.

  “No,” he assured her, his voice strained with the undeniable need to claim her. “Quite the opposite.”

  “Really?” Her womanly smile almost did him in. His reaction was like a teenage boy copping a feel for the first time. She moved her hand up and down, gripping with just enough tightness that he wanted to lie on his back and let her finish him off. It felt that fucking good. Damn!

  Bishop let her explore his body until he was at the point of no return. Alert to danger, he glanced around before stopping her and quickly covering her body with his.

  “My turn,” he growled, then gave her a wicked smile as his mouth began to worship her body.

  * * *

  Bonnie sucked in her breath, her eyes closing, and for once in her life, she lived in the moment. Instead of worrying about how to stop her madman of a father, what steps must be taken, and the absolute horror if he succeeded in his evil plan, Bonnie wiped her mind clean of all that to enjoy a moment for herself. Her eyes stared at the clear night sky above. With the stars winking down at her, she cherished the sensations that the man above her bestowed upon her. Never in her life had she felt wanted by another, but that was by her own doing. She had never trusted anyone enough to even think it was possible, but this man changed that.

  The stars above blurred. She blinked as tears slid into her hair. She knew what a few short hours could bring and thanked the Goddess for leading Bishop to her tonight. Bonnie’s fear—her true fear—was never feeling wanted by another before she died. Her eyes moved down and landed on Bishop who was kissing her stomach before he looked up at her. Her hope was she would have a little more time, but nothing in this world, her world, was promised, especially tomorrows.

  Soon, her mind went blank of anything other than what this man was doing to her body. Strung tight, her body was alive like never before. As his hand moved to her very core, his fingers working their way inside her, she cried out at his touch.

  “Relax.” His deep voice soothed her, but was he serious? Relax when he was doing such amazingly wicked things to her body? “You are so tight, and I just want to make sure you’re ready for me.”

  “Relax?” Bonnie chuckled, sighed, and hissed all at the same time. “Easier said than done. My body feels like it’s going to explode.”

  His smile was full of male pride as he winked at her. “You haven’t felt anything yet.”

  “Oh Goddess.” Bonnie bit her lip. How was that even possible? As he continued to kiss and suck at her breast, his fingers ignited a fire inside her as they worked in and out slowly, then picked up speed, taking her to the edge of something she wanted to go over so badly. She cried out in frustration a few times until she couldn’t take it anymore. “Please, Bishop.”

  Bonnie had never begged for anything in her life, ever, and it honestly shocked her a little that she did now. He moved up her body, their faces inches apart. He kissed her softly.

  “Use your magic to dull the pain,” he whispered against her lips. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  Slowly, she shook her head. “No.” She looked into his eyes. “No magic. I want to feel everything.”

  “Bonnie—”

  “I trust you,” Bonnie whispered, touching his cheek as she opened her legs wider with a slow smile. “Are you going to make me beg, Bishop? Because if you are, I’m the queen of paybacks.”

  Bishop chuckled and growled at the same time. “You definitely are a witch, aren’t you?”

  “You have no idea,” she shot back, then prepared herself for what was to come.

  Her heart raced so fast she swore he could feel it. Her body trembled with need and anticipation. Bishop’s handsome face blocked her view of the world around her, and she was fine with that. He was all she wanted to see at this moment. She groaned as the tip of his hardness touched her.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered, just before he pushed inside her.

  Words escaped her, as did all thought. Burning pain flushed through her body for only a second. She’d had worse pain in her life, but the fullness and the absolute feeling of being owned shocked her. Her eyes opened wide as they searched his.

  “Bonnie?” He sounded worried as he started to pull his body out of hers. “Hey. Are you okay?”

  “Shut up.” She hissed, wrapping her arms around his neck as she also wrapped her leg around him, holding him to her. “If you pull away from me, I will turn you into something horrible.”

  “I’m a vampire.” He chuckled, sounding relieved by her words. “Spells don’t work on me.”

  “Are we going to talk or are we going to fuck?” Bonnie said bluntly, then smiled at his shocked expression. “This may be my first time, but I’m no prude. Make love to me, or I’ll find someone who will, Warrior.”

  “Damn.” He hissed, then his eyes narrowed as if her words finally sank in. “Anyone other than me touches your naked body, they will die the most gruesome death possible.”

  “I really like when you talk caveman,” Bonnie teased, then gasped in pleasure when he moved.

  “Look at me,” he demanded, his tone serious.

  She did, and she would never forget what
she saw reflected in his eyes. The intensity staring down at her changed her instantly. She wanted to live. For all of her life, she had been prepared to die knowing what her future had in store for her. It had always been safer for her to prepare for her exit from the world, but now, with just one look from the man above her—the man inside her—that all changed.

  “No man will ever touch you the way I have touched you tonight.” Bishop’s words were a vow, and his tone clearly stated he meant every single word. “You are mine, Bonnie Grail.”

  There was so much she wanted to say to him, but the words were taken from her as his body moved slowly at first, and then quicker, as if he were making his words true with the action of his body. The pain was gone, replaced with a feeling she couldn’t even explain in words. She could only feel, and Goddess, it felt so right. She matched his movements with thrusts of her own, unable to get enough.

  Their eyes held, each watching their passion in the reflection of each other’s eyes. It was bliss. It was what she had been searching for during her darkest hours, and yet, never once did she think she would find it. But she had, and she found her true desire in the most unlikely of men. A witch hunter. Story of her life.

  All thoughts left her as his fingers tortured her in such an arousing way she didn’t even know if she could recite her name if asked. Their bodies worked together in unison, and she no longer knew where she ended, and he began. It was like they were one. Her body was building toward something amazing, and she wanted to experience it more than anything, and yet, she knew it would end this moment—her first, and she wasn’t ready for that.

  Bonnie realized that it didn’t matter what her mind was ready for. Her body under Bishop’s talented hands was making all the decisions.