He scoffs. “Because I’m afraid you’ll kick my ass if I tell you yes.”
She scowls at him, then turns back to me. “I won’t keep you from coming to train with my cousin, because this is his career. I don’t interfere with that. But…”
I knew there was a but coming…
“But what?”
There are so many things she could ask of me, that she could demand, and most of them, I would probably do without even thinking about it.
She releases a little sigh, averting her gaze and shifting on her feet as if whatever she is refusing to say makes her uncomfortable in a way I haven’t seen her yet. “Just…”—she throws up a hand dismissively—“never mind.”
Whatever she was about to demand still sits on the tip of her tongue, and she shifts uneasily, wincing, as if holding it back physically hurts her.
I lean in, disregarding the fact that I stink from the workout and the twins are still watching us. Because something tells me she won’t say it when they might hear. “But what, Bishop?”
“Just…”—she glances toward me, then away again—“stop looking at me like that.”
There it is.
Heat flares through my blood, my cock stirring to attention with the admission underlying her words. That the way I look at her is actually getting under her skin.
“Like what?”
Bishop presses her lips together firmly, her hands fisting at her sides. If steam could shoot out of someone’s ears like it does in the old cartoons, it would be from hers right now.
She hates that she admitted it. Despises the fact that she’s given me anything that might spur me on. But the longer we stare at each other, the longer I wait for her response, the more confident I become that she is going to break.
When it finally comes, it’s because she glances over at Astrid and Atlas and realizes they’re watching us and she has to do something.
With a huff, she leans closer so they won’t hear. “Like you want me to pin you again.”
I can’t help the smirk that pulls at my lips. “That I can’t promise you. I told you I’m a bad liar.” And I would most certainly be lying if I said I was going to stop looking at her like that, or that I don’t still mean my offer. I wink at her again. “See ya around.”
She watches me walk over to Atlas and Astrid but doesn’t make any move to follow.
I hold out my fist to bump with Atlas.
He grins at me. “Thanks, man. That was a great workout this morning.”
“Anytime. You have my n0 now. Give me a call and we can set up a schedule.”
Being the same weight class as Atlas means that we can actually spar in a way that he can’t with people in his family. Based on what he told me before we started in the ring, the Hawkes have a long history with the sport and have all spent time in here at some point. But none of them give him the type of competition he needs—save for Bishop.
This is the perfect opportunity to get in a good workout and work out some of my frustrations.
Hopefully often.
Though, the main source of one of them stands staring at me and watching me carefully from the other side of the gym right now, so maybe not.
Astrid smiles, leaning against the side of the ring. “It was nice to meet you, Gage.”
“You, too.”
Shifting a little closer to me, she drops her voice so only Atlas and I can hear. “Can I ask…what’s with you and Bishop?”
I raise a brow, pretending not to know what the hell she’s talking about when it would be clear to anyone in the same room with us that there’s tension. A lot of it. “What do you mean?”
She laughs lightly. “Come on now. I’ve known that woman my entire life, and she has been rattled ever since the moment she walked in here and saw you, so spill.”
