“I’ve been known to ruin girls for all other guys.” All it takes is one narrow-eyed look from me, and he laughs. “I’m kidding. Sorry, Penny.”

There’s a bit of silence between us, like he’s processing, and maybe I am, too. Processing that some hot girl flew all the way up here to see him, didn’t have sex with him, and then turned around and left. Who is this guy?

“I should also tell you that I was even nice and didn’t kick Mitch’s girlfriend’s ass when she stalked me out.”

“That was cool of you. I had no idea you knew how to exercise self-control.”

Bishop’s grin is immediate, and the moment our eyes connect, it softens, pooling warmth in my stomach.

He shifts his weight, but his eyes don’t leave mine. “So…were you really into him?”

Despite the hot water, I shiver under his gaze. I’ve never responded to a guy just looking at me. Not this way.

“I don’t know. I thought I was, but maybe I wasn’t. We’ve been so close for so long that I think I just assumed we’d be together—and I thought I would like it. Then we weren’t, and I was confused. I think…” I let my words trail off as my thoughts form in my head. Different puzzle pieces snap into place, and they make a truth I never realized was there.

“You think what?” Bishop scratches his neck like he’s nervous.

“This is going to make me sound a little pathetic, but I think it’s because I didn’t want him to leave me. He was leaving me for her and…that freaks me out. Being left does.” Not only can I not wrap my brain around this new piece of information, but also that I admitted it to Bishop. “God, I can’t believe I’m telling you this.”

He blinks a few times like he’s absorbing what I just said. I’m absorbing what I just said. Before he even speaks, I know he’s going to say something else that makes me know he understands.

“You can handle anything. It’s crazy how strong you are. He wouldn’t leave you, but if he did, you’d show the world you didn’t need him. I’ve never known anyone like you.” He rubs a hand over his face like he’s also thinking he’s revealed too much.

“Bishop…”

He shakes his head. “Can we not? I just wanted you to know that, okay?”

Honestly, I’m not sure what to say, so it’s probably smart to let it drop.

Still part of me wants to ask a million questions about the girl, and part of me just has a million questions about him. “I know nothing about you except you’re not half-bad on a snowmachine, you can beat the shit out of a set of drums, and you seem to see things in me people I’ve known my whole life don’t. Want to fill me in on anything else?”

He runs a hand through his hair again and looks down, frowning. “I have a lot going on, but when we hang out, you kind of make me forget about the rest of it.”

Am I flattered? Being used? More insecure than I should be? “You didn’t really answer me.”

“I know.” He sighs. “I’m here because I have to be, but I wouldn’t change it. Is that enough for now?”

“Maybe. I guess.” I sit up on the edge, needing to cool off after being low in the water for so long. Steam rises from my body, and I watch him watch me as I move. There is no way he’s not checking me out. Okay. I need to shake off whatever girl he had up here because I don’t need another thing to over-think. I’m ready to just be. “If I’m so good for you, then strip down and get your ass in here.”

“Yes, ma’am.” His face loosens enough for a smile to hit the edges. It’s the first time he’s actually agreed to come in.

Guess we’re okay. Or maybe just back to where we were before the kiss, and the California blonde pop-in.

I openly stare as he strips down. Drummers are hot. He’s seriously toned in all the right places, and in about a minute he’s down to his boxers.

Tight sides. Great arms. Impressive shoulders. Touchable abs, and he doesn’t have chicken legs. The tattoo on his side is drumsticks, big and in an “X.”

He must really like drums.

“Damn, it’s cold.” He half-jumps into the water, sitting across from me, and I’m still just watching, letting the steam float off my body. “What’cha looking at, Penny?”

“Oh, please. Like you didn’t watch me slide out?” I lower myself back into the water. “I like your tat.” And might be thinking about touching you.

“Thanks.”

“Man of few words.” I push his calf with my foot, needing to touch him.

“Girl of many smart-ass remarks.” He leans back until his hair is wet.

I watch him and know that the only other guy I’ve had in here that I wanted my hands on was Mitch. If Bishop kissed me right now, I’d definitely kiss him back. There’s no way to scoot closer without it being obvious. And maybe I should. Show him I’m okay with it. But maybe I just suck at being a girl, and I’m not someone he’d want to deal with anyway.

I can’t sit here in silence with him, though. Not if we’re not kissing. “I’ve wanted a tattoo since I turned eighteen. Just before Christmas.” I want to touch his, but I’m not sure where we stand even though I’d like to be on his lap, so I keep my hands to myself.

“Do it… Let me take you to get one, Penny Jones.”

Excitement rushes through me at the thought of it. “What, now?”

“I’m sure you know who runs a tattoo parlor around here. Maybe someone to do it for free or for a Penny discount or something,” he teases.

In a few words, his whole face has changed. The way he holds himself, even though he’s underwater, is different.

“You’re lighter.” The words just come out.

He nods, his face a shade more serious than it was a moment ago. “A little… I want to be.”

“I don’t know what I am yet.” I wait for him to say something profound. Something that puts all this crap in perspective.

He winks, smiles and slides lower in the water. “You’re a girl who’s going to get inked with me.”

I laugh and move as low in the tub as he did, letting my chin touch the surface. I pull my feet out to rest them on the sides of the tub next to Bishop. Part of me is curious to see if he’ll touch me while I’m there.

His gaze travels up my calves like I hoped they would, and then his brow gets all wrinkled. “Damn, Penny.”

“What?”

“That’s a killer bruise on your knee.”

I pull my leg out of the water, and his fingers rest on the edge of the purple mass, sending jolts through my body. Holy shit, touching a guy has never felt this good, and that’s really saying something because I’m around them a lot. What else can I get away with?

“You should see the one on my side.” I stand and turn for him to see the blue/purplish and yellow-at-the-edges bruise on the top of my hip. The one I have to nudge my bottoms down a little for him to see. “That was courtesy of Chomps.”

Bishop traces the edge of my bruise, letting his fingers linger.

My breathing stops.

The heat from my body is fogging up the air.

No one speaks.

He clears his throat twice before speaking. “Any more?”

I rest my foot on the seat next to him to show him the inside of my thigh where I got caught on the edge of the goal. My body’s going weak on me again as his fingers slide up my thigh from my knee. His eyes follow the trail, and my leg is going wobbly at his touch.

“Penny!” Mom yells.

I jump, Bishop’s hands splash back into the water, and we both exhale at the same time.

She’s leaning from the second story window. Her voice has that forced brightness to it that says I’m the friendly mom to my friends, but it tells me she isn’t happy about Bishop’s hands on me.

“Yes?” I say with equally forced sweetness as I step back and sit down, much farther away from Bishop than I’d like to be.

“Not too late!”

I wave and grin to make her close the window and leave me alone. “She’s never here, and now she’s trying to be like super-mom or something.”

Bishop swallows, watching me with the same want in his eyes that he had while touching my leg. “Guess that’s our night then.”