Bishop

by A. E. Via

  Edison shifted, his thigh brushing Bishop’s balls. He bit the inside of his jaw to keep from grunting. He needed to wake Edison up because he wouldn’t be able to deny Edison twice in one night. Bishop turned them until they were on their sides and Edison’s eyes opened slowly.

  “Hey, sleepyhead.” Bishop kissed his temple.

  “Mmmm. Sorry. I was exhausted.” Edison curled around him, as if he wasn’t ready to move. “I didn’t sleep much last night.”

  A fresh wave of guilt washed over Bishop as he rubbed Edison’s back. “I’m starving.” Bishop said. “You wanna get something to eat?”

  Edison nodded, his stomach growling right on cue. “I can’t lie and say I’m not, huh. I’ll fix us something.”

  “You’re tired. You don’t have to cook all the time.”

  “I like cooking for you.”

  “And I love eating what you cook… but I also like Chinese.” Bishop ignored his hard dick that kept trying to interrupt his thoughts. Edison’s nakedness smelled and felt too damn good, and it was distracting to say the least. “You get cleaned up; I’ll order us something.”

  “Or we can shower together?” Edison whispered, teasing Bishop’s nipple with his fingers.

  Dammit. What have I created? “If I get in there with you, you’re going to come out with a limp.”

  Edison rolled to his back, laughing. “Goodness. Okay, then. Let’s just get some takeout. There’s a place up the street that has online delivery. It’s the Imperial Palace. I just want some plain pancit and a quart of wonton soup… my stomach is still rebelling from last night’s liquid dinner.”

  Bishop swung his legs over the side and pulled his briefs back over his ass. He watched Edison disappear into the bathroom and waited for the shower to start before he picked up his cell phone. He hit the text-to-speech microphone and spoke quietly into the speaker, “Chinese food delivery near me.” Edison had given him a name of a restaurant, but he wasn’t about to ask him how to spell that. And he wasn’t going on anyone’s online to try to figure out how to order some food. Which there were probably no pictures anyway. A few internet tutorials didn’t make him an expert.

  After he ordered their food over the phone, he went to his truck to get his bag while Edison cleaned up. By the time he finished showering in the guest bathroom, Edison was setting out the food on the dining table.

  “Hey. Just in time,” Edison said, pouring Bishop a large glass of iced tea. He was barefoot in a pair of flannel lounge pants and an oversized T-shirt. Bishop thought he looked cute-as-fuck and it was definitely a sight he could get used to seeing for a long time.

  “Good. Because I’m about to eat you, I’m so hungry,” Bishop said, leering at Edison’s ass. He loved to make him blush with his compliments, and Edison never disappointed him.

  Bishop scarfed down his food while Edison sipped gingerly on his soup and warm tea. They talked about the rest of their work week, and Edison explained how busy he was with their new clients and some big community appreciation event their firm sponsored. Bishop told Edison about Mike wanting him to take over the residential side of the business while he ran the commercial. Edison was so attentive and supportive, telling Bishop how amazing he would be in a management position. When they finished, Edison asked Bishop to stay with him and he’d be damned if he rejected Edison ever again, not if he could help it.

  He was in bed before Edison while he turned out all the lights, locked up the house and set his alarm. Edison removed his shirt and pants and got underneath the covers with him. He automatically opened his arms, but Edison didn’t fall against his chest. Instead, he reached in the nightstand and pulled out the hardback they’d picked up at the bookstore. Bishop laughed softly when Edison held it up as if it was a prized trophy.

  “I’ve been dying to start this with you.” Edison beamed. He made himself comfortable against Bishop in the position they always read in. He cradled Edison’s head in his arm and ran his fingers through his hair while his guy read him to sleep.

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Edison

  “Edison, Edison, Edison! Oh my freaking god is that him? You have a man here with flowers for you and he’s delicious. Is that what’s had you walking on air the past couple weeks. I thought for a minute you were about to jump off the Hampton Roads Bridge. And then…” Mila hurried into his office with her hands flailing. “Is that him?”

  Edison looked at her as if she was insane and reared back in his chair, smoothing his hand over his ivory tie. “What in the world are you going on about?”

  “The guy out there, out there at my desk.” She pointed over her shoulder.

  Edison turned his head just in time to see Bishop’s tall frame fill his doorway. He wasn’t in his work clothes, instead he was wearing a green short-sleeved button-up shirt and navy cargo shorts. Mila stared with her mouth open as Bishop came inside, carrying a beautiful bouquet of red roses. Edison’s heart soared and his pulse sky-rocketed. “Oh, it’s just him.” Edison smiled, shrugging nonchalantly.

  Bishop’s eyes heated as he moved towards his desk. He was gazing at Edison like he did when they were alone in his bed. His voice was throaty when he spoke with a slight quirk of his lips, “Now is that how you’ll always introduce your boyfriend?”

  “Oh my god.” Mila giggled, covering her mouth and watching their exchange as if they were two soap opera actors.

  “Hi Bishop. This is a nice surprise.” Edison stood and reached out to accept the flowers. He brought them to his nose and inhaled the fragrant petals before he turned and set them behind him on a stand in front of the window.

  Bishop dipped his head and gently pecked him on his cheek. “Hey handsome.”

  Edison flushed, not at all used to this kind of attention in his office. “Why’d you bring me flowers?”

  Bishop shrugged. “Because it’s Monday? Because I thought they were as sexy as you? Because I had the day off. Because I was thinking about you.” Bishop caressed Edison’s cheek. “Do I really need a reason?”

  “This is too much,” Mila said, fanning her face and covering her heart.

  Edison rolled his eyes and nodded towards his silly assistant. “Bishop this is my friend and secretary, Mila Richardson, Mila, yes, this is the guy. This is my boyfriend, Bishop Stockley.”

  Bishop finally dragged his dark eyes from Edison’s chest to acknowledge Mila, who’d rushed over with her long claws extended. Bishop took her hand, giving her a pleasant-enough expression. “It’s nice to meet you. Eddie talks about you all the time.”

  “Oh no,” Edison mumbled just as Mila crooned.

  “Well, well, well. So, he gets to call you Eddie? Nice. You must be something special, Bishop.”

  “Mila.” Edison pointed to his open door. “Can you excuse us?”

  Mila brushed her hand over Bishop’s bicep. “You’re lucky. He’ll practically bite our heads off if anyone mutters an Ed, or an Eddie. He hates it.”

  Bishop chuckled, “Oh yeah. What else does he hate?”

  “Darling, let me tell you.” Mila propped her ample hips on his desk and started ticking examples off on her fingers. “One: He’s a stickler about promptness so make sure you’re never late for a date. He’s a complete snob about hygiene and thinks grooming should be a gentleman’s number one priority after his partner. Food is extremely important to him, so don’t ever say that it doesn’t matter what’s for dinner… he’ll have a conniption. And he has to have some kind of carb in the morning or he’s unbearable until noon. And he hates to be interrupted during lunch.”

  Mila tapped her chin. “That covers his major pet peeves. As far as likes—if you wanna get on his good side, compliment his tie, his shoes, or his shave. Sometimes he likes to show off, so you can ask him what’s the best way to cook a T-bone or if there’s really that big of a difference between pho and ramen noodles. And I think his dream date would probably take place in some sort of bookstore or library.”

  Edison’s head jerked up from bei
ng buried in his hands. “Okay. You’re fired.”

  “And whatever you do, please don’t agree with him if he ever asks if his ass looks fat in a certain pair of white pants.”

  Edison jumped up from his desk and began to usher Mila out of his office while Bishop had himself a good laugh at his expense. “Seriously, Judas? You’re supposed to make me look good, not scare him off.”

  “I was trying to help,” Mila said, sounding innocent. “Besides, you’re perfect.”

  “That wasn’t helping, Mimi. To a gay man, those things you just rattled off are called red flags. Now, go on, you’ve done enough damage, thank you.” Edison nudged her gently out of the door then gaped at the multiple people mingling around his office trying to get a peek inside. “Are you all serious? Go back to work, now, please.”

  “Don’t forget your meeting starts in eleven minutes,” Mila hurried to say before he turned away.

  He didn’t close his door, wanting to make sure his staff got back to business. Otherwise they’d stay at Mila’s desk pressing her for juicy details. Edison spun around and crossed his arms over his chest. “Satisfied? These girls are gonna be unbearable the rest of the day. It’ll be nonstop questions.”

  Bishop watched him hungrily as he came to stand in front of him.

  “Stop looking at me like that,” Edison whispered.

  “I can’t help it.”

  “Why?” Edison asked, glancing up at Bishop shyly. Yeah, he was fishing but he didn’t care. He lived for Bishop’s compliments and he was always more than generous with them. They’d had another amazing two weeks when Bishop had stayed at his place just about every night except on Sunday and Tuesday.

  “Because I’ve never seen you in suspenders, and it’s making my dick hard,” Bishop said boldly, almost standing on top of Edison as he ran his hand under the black leather straps, his hard knuckles grazing Edison’s nipples.

  “Jesus, Bishop.” Edison felt his knees weaken.

  “I like your office. No wonder everyone is so jealous.” Bishop touched Edison’s cheek. “Let ’em hate on you, baby. It just means you’re doing something they wish they could.”

  “Okay, you have to get out of here talking like this. I have a meeting in a few minutes, and I can’t go in there with a big stain in the front of my pants.” Edison shook his head, not knowing what to make of his boyfriend when he said things like that. When he did things that brightened his entire world.

  “Okay, I’m going. But I wanted to know if I could pick you up at your house after work,” Bishop said, smoothing his hands over Edison’s shoulder’s through his ivory dress shirt.

  “Sure. Did you wanna eat out tonight?”

  “We can eat after… There’s someone I want you to meet first.” Bishop looked uncertain.

  “Who?”

  “You’ll see,” Bishop groaned.

  Edison laughed. God, he was having so much fun. “I’ll be ready at six.”

  “Cool.” Bishop was about to leave when he suddenly grabbed Edison around his waist and yanked him hard into his chest.

  Edison didn’t have chance to wonder what was going on when Bishop’s mouth closed over his and took a possessive kiss that had him stumbling back and gripping the edge of his desk. Holy smokes! Edison stood and straightened his shirt, his eyes wide with shock. “What in the world, honey?”

  Edison turned to retrieve his jacket off his chair and that’s when he saw Skylar leaning in his door with his hands clasped behind his back and an agitated expression on his face. He and Bishop were locked in a heated stare-down, and Edison found himself shaking his head at the ridiculousness. “Is there something I can help you with, Skylar?”

  Skylar stood to his full six-foot height and shrugged. “Just thought I’d come by and make sure you were okay. Jessica said she saw a dangerous-looking man going into your office.”

  “Ha. And what the hell were you gonna do if it was, Skylar?” Mila said from her desk. “Call for back-up?”

  Edison practically bared his teeth, “My boyfriend can come to my office anytime he wants. And he’s certainly not a danger to anybody.”

  “The hell he isn’t,” Bishop growled, still watching Skylar with a look of death in his dark brown eyes.

  “Bishop, please,” Edison begged. He couldn’t bring any drama into his place of business. All the fault would fall on him.

  “Okay,” Bishop said. He took Edison’s black suit jacket out of his hand and helped him into it. Edison smiled and eased his arms into his coat and buttoned the middle clasp. Bishop leaned down and kissed him again in front of Skylar. “I’ll see you later, handsome.”

  Bishop held his middle finger up as he advanced on Skylar who still stood in the door. When he didn’t move out of Bishop’s way, Edison’s heart began to beat faster. No, please don’t. Skylar murmured something in Bishop’s face that shifted his boyfriend’s calm features into an expression of absolute rage. Edison didn’t hear the hushed conversation, and he didn’t get a chance to ask what was going on when Bishop almost knocked Skylar’s shoulder off when he muscled past him.

  Skylar’s smirk was sinister, the same one he’d worn when he’d first shown up on Edison’s doorstep with Bishop’s rap sheet. He had a feeling Skylar might have something else up his sleeve, but he and Bishop weren’t falling for it next time. They were staying together.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Bishop

  Bishop bounded up Edison’s front porch at exactly five fifty-five. He tapped a couple of times on the door before letting himself in. Edison had a key in a magnetic holder clamped under his mailbox but he’d yet to use it. But, being at Eddie’s was feeling more like home than Mike’s trailer. He loved his dad for providing him with a safe place to stay when he’d gotten out, but he didn’t want to be there forever. And now, he hated the way he slept if he wasn’t in Edison’s big bed, with his soft body wrapped around him.

  Bishop walked into the kitchen to grab a quick glass of Edison’s tea and hollered back to his bedroom, “Hey, handsome, you ready? I’m here on time.” Bishop smirked. “I’ll consider it very rude if you’re not ready when I was promptly here by six. I’m a stickler for things like that.”

  “Very funny. I’m gonna make Mila pay dearly for betraying me,” Edison said, sauntering down the hall towards him.

  Goddamn. Bishop gaped.

  Edison was clamping a big, silver watch onto his wrist. He was wearing a hot pair of black jeans that looked new, and an untucked, white and gray pinstriped dress shirt with a wide collar. The first couple of buttons were undone, and Edison had pushed the wide cuffs of the sleeves to his mid forearm, making the outfit seem dressy and casual at the same time. He even liked the dark gray canvas shoes Edison had chosen to complete the style. Bishop loved what he saw. He still couldn’t believe the care Edison put into his appearance. And as much as Bishop would’ve liked to think he did it all for him, he knew that wasn’t so. Edison had been all style and class when Bishop had first laid eyes on him. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get bored of watching Edison go through the complex routine of picking out his clothes or grooming himself with that straight razor.

  He set his glass down slowly and opened his arms. Edison pressed into his chest and tilted his head. Bishop didn’t keep it chaste. He couldn’t. He plunged his tongue deep into Edison’s mouth as if he hadn’t just had a taste a few hours ago. Edison was the first to pull away for breath and Bishop cupped his jaw, chasing that sweet mouth. Edison held his lips slack, panting on Bishop’s tongue while he continued to consume him.

  “You’re gonna give me a beard burn before we go out,” Edison moaned as Bishop went for his throat.

  Bishop growled, making Edison shudder in his arms. “You know what you’re doing when you dress like this. When you put on my favorite aftershave.”

  Edison struggled weakly to get out of Bishop’s clutches. “I’m always dressed, and you say that about every aftershave.”

  Bishop licked his lips and slapped Edison h
ard on the ass when he turned to head towards the front door.

  Edison jerked forward, turning and scowling back at Bishop as if he hadn’t secretly loved it. He knew what Eddie liked, whether he would admit it yet or not. “Excuse you.” Edison opened the front door and waved for Bishop to go ahead of him. “I’m gonna have to watch you carefully tonight.”

  Bishop could feel his cock extending down his thigh when he couldn’t take his eyes off Edison’s rump as he walked down the driveway. “Damn, you got a fat ass,” Bishop said.

  Edison jerked to a stop so fast, Bishop collided into his back. Edison spun around, his bright eyes glowing with mock outrage that made Bishop laugh.

  “Are you trying to make me hurt you?” Edison warned, and Bishop could tell he was trying to determine if Bishop was teasing him or not.

  “What? Is it my fault that those jeans make your ass look really fat?” Bishop stressed, his grin stretching his face, “Phat. P.H.A.T., pretty hot and tempting. I’m overwhelmed by your phatness, baby”

  “Bishop!” Edison barked, shoving him in his shoulder.

  “You don’t remember that movie?” Bishop laughed.

  “No, thank goodness. Just shut up and get in the darn truck. Ugh, I’m never giving Mila another afternoon off again.”

  Bishop winked at him then started the loud engine. He’d done a better job keeping his work truck neater, so Edison didn’t have to drive them everywhere they went. He’d even sprayed a little Febreze to combat the cut grass smell.

  “We’re going to Norfolk?” Edison asked when Bishop drove onto the interstate ramp.