“Again,” I said, picking up the cards and setting them in front of him. “Winner deals, right?” He nodded. “Good. So, deal.”
Bishop picked up the cards and began shuffling. It came as no surprise that he was good at it. After all, I knew how talented those fingers were. No one had ever made me come like he had.
We played the next three games hard and fast, not stopping for pleasantries or small talk. So far, Bishop and I were tied at two wins a piece. Our last hand would be the tiebreaker—a winner-takes-all kind of bet.
I chewed on my cheek, watching Bishop deal out one final time. If I’d lost to anyone else, I wouldn’t have cared. Losing to him after all the shit I’d talked was out of the question.
“Alright, last one,” he grumbled, raking his hand through his hair. “And then everyone goes the fuck home and gets some rest. I don’t wanna see a single yawn tomorrow.”
He was met with a chorus of “Yes, Boss” as they settled in to watch our final showdown. Sitting between us was a five of clubs, a four and five of diamonds, and a nine and Jack of hearts.
Nerves fluttered as I peeked at my hand, letting my bravado slip just a hair. Bishop, on the other hand, looked like a kid in a goddamn candy store. He was waiting for me to place my bet. Imean, I didn’t care about losing the pot. But I wanted to antagonize him a bit longer by making him wait.
“Come on, Lennox. The cards aren’t gonna change just because you’re staring at them. Make a bet so we can get this over with,” he snapped, patience fraying.
“I don’t see what’s wrong with taking my time. Heard some guys like that?” Bishop’s cheeks flamed beneath his beard, but the cowboy-sized shadows hanging over us hid them well. “I guess I’m all in?” I pushed the rest of my winnings in the middle, watching Bishop’s eyes flash with something that looked a hell of a lot like unease.
“Want to show me what you’ve got there, killer?”
“Not particularly,” I said dryly. “But let’s get this over with.”
I flipped my hand, holding my breath as Bishop’s eyes darted from my cards to the two he had. “Holy shit,” Keith laughed, slapping Bishop on the shoulder. “She fucking won.”
“What?” I asked, looking down at the cards I’d dropped on the table. “I did?”
“It’s the luck of the draw,” Bishop muttered, tossing his own. “Doesn’t mean anything.”
I pouted, trying like hell to keep the excitement out of my voice. “Aw, Bishop. Are you upset the cards didn’t favor you this time?”
If Bishop had rolled his eyes any harder, I swore they would’ve popped out of his head. He stood, downing his beer before tossing it in the trash. “Time to wrap it up, boys.”
They started gathering their things and cleaning up as if waiting for his orders. I moved to fold up the table, but Bishop stopped me. He bent down, leaning into my ear, and whispered, “Not you. Let’s go, killer.”
“I—I should help clean up,” I stammered. “I mean, I helped make the mess after all.”
He shook his head. “Oh, no, you don’t. You may have started this war, but I’m gonna fucking finish it. Outside. Now.”
“Jeez, okay!” I said as he poked my side. “I’ll see you tomorrow, boys!”
There was a chorus of goodbyes as we walked outside. “Pack up and get outta here,” Bishop called over his shoulder. He ushered me around the barn and toward the woodshed. “Remember what I said about tomorrow. Y’all did this to yourselves, staying up so late when we’ve got shit to do in the morning.”
“Are you always this much of a killjoy?” My giggle turned into a yelp as he lifted me up and pushed me against the small building, concealing me from prying eyes. His mouth found mine in the darkness, swallowing my moans as I ground down on the bulge in his jeans.
“I’ve been wanting to punish that fucking mouth all night,” he said breathlessly, pulling away only to trail kisses down my neck. “Christ, you drive me nuts.”
“Maybe you should shut me up then,” I challenged, panting as hard as he was. There wasn’t a single thing he did that didn’t absolutely consume me. I was always searching for some reason to get his hands on me somehow.
“You’d like it too much,” he bit out. “You don’t deserve a fucking reward right now. Not after I sat through an hour and a half of the world’s most grueling poker tournament with a hard dick in front of a bunch of employees.”
I tried not to laugh, but I couldn’t stop myself. The sound bubbled over my lips and into the world before I knew what happened. “Oh, you think that’s funny, huh?”
I shrugged or tried to. Bishop slid his hands up my side, lifting my wrists until they were above my head. “What if I did?”
He hummed, low and soft in my ear. “Then I’d have to add it to your list of offenses. At this rate, I don’t know if you’ll ever come again.”
“Wait, what?” I said, trying to break his hold, but it was too strong.
“Bad girls don’t get fucking rewards. And you, killer, have been a pain in my ass all night, taunting me with that bratty mouth.”
