Shirley Jump - Escape for New Year - Amnesiac Ex, Unforgettable Vows / One Night with Prince Charming / Midnight Kiss, New Year Wish

For once too overwhelmed by his intensity, she touched a kiss to his cheek and, winding out of his hold, moved to the galley kitchen. There were times she felt completely consumed by him. That wasn’t a complaint, but she wondered whether another woman might be able to handle his brute magnetism better. She didn’t see his innate power ever diminishing.

She didn’t want it to.

“I had blueberry pancakes sent up,” he said, reaching for a casual shirt resting on the back of the lounge.

Her gaze darted to the meals area and her previously distracted senses picked up on the smell. Feeling guilty after that slab of cheesecake last night, she held her stomach.

“You’re trying to make me fat.”

“Fat, thin …” He strolled to the table to remove the silver dome. “I’ll take you any way you come.”

Inhaling again, eyeing the fluffy discs dotted with berries and dusted with icing sugar, she conceded. She had lost some weight, after all.

Joining him, she collected a fork, cut a portion off the top offering and slid the cake into her mouth. She chewed slowly, savoring the divine butter and fruit textures and flavors. Swallowing, she groaned with appreciation as well as disappointment.

“I wish mine turned out as good as this.”

“Have I ever complained about your cooking?”

She gave a coy grin. “Never.”

“The benefit with room service is …” He curled over her and stole a kiss from her ice-sugared lips. “More time for us.”

More than tempted, she touched her lips where he’d tasted hers as she sliced off a little more cake. “You really do want to stay in, don’t you?”

“That’s a given. But there’s also that surprise I had planned.”

Her mouth was full again but, needing to know, she talked almost incoherently around it. “Wha ith it?”

He laughed and pulled out her chair. “Finish your breakfast and you’ll find out.”

Ten minutes later, he and Laura were walking through the hotel lobby. He had the ticket out, ready for the concierge to retrieve his car, when he recognized a figure standing in front of the lofty automatic glass doors.

Bishop’s step faltered.

What was Willis doing here?

When his second-in-charge recognized him too, he waved and came forward. Bishop slid a sidelong glance at Laura. He and Willis were friends. Willis knew he’d been married and how badly it had ended. But he didn’t want to explain this to the younger man here or now.

As Willis joined them, Bishop made succinct introductions. “Willis McKee, this is Laura.”

Willis took her hand. “Pleased to meet you.”

“Bishop tells me you’re his new assistant,” Laura inquired.

Willis cocked a brow. “I wouldn’t have said new. ”

“Willis and I have known each other a while now,” Bishop chipped in. “Laura, can you excuse us for a minute?” Taking Willis’s elbow, he led him off to a quiet corner.

When they were alone, Bishop’s no-problem exterior cracked. He never had a day off. Now he was being hounded by the man he knew could handle the job, and for more than twenty-four hours. Nothing could be this important.

“What are you doing here?”

“You didn’t answer your phone or emails last night,” Willis replied, no sign of a tail between his legs. “And these guys are keen, Sam. Dead keen. They’ve been on the phone yesterday and already this morning. They want to look at the books as soon as possible.” Willis’s eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms. “You’re still interested, right? I mean, I understand—” he flicked a glance Laura’s way “—you’re busy. But Laura? I thought you were seeing an Annabelle.”

“Laura’s my wife. Ex-wife to be precise.”

Willis’s jaw hit the ground. “Your what? From what you’d told me, I got the impression there was more chance of a blizzard descending on the Simpson than you two getting back together.”

Bishop rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, well, it’s complicated.”

“If you don’t mind me saying, the vibes I get are more of the plain and simple variety.”

“Laura had an accident Friday,” he explained. “That’s why I left early.”

Willis took another longer look. “She seems fine now.”

“She’s great … except for the fact that two years of her life have been erased.”

Willis took a moment. “You mean amnesia? And she thinks you and she …” Groaning, Willis held his brow. “Oh, man.”

Bishop nodded. “Complicated.”

“What’re you going to do?”

“I went along at first because I didn’t have much choice. Laura thought we were still married. The doctor said if I kept a close eye on her, she could go home. So we spent some time together, and as the hours and days went on …” He rolled back his shoulders, forming the words carefully in his mind before uttering a one. “I’m wondering whether we might not be able to save what we had.”

Bishop respected this man; they were friends, but this was extremely private. Should he have been this open? It wasn’t usually his style. Still, now the words were out, he knew he’d needed to say them out loud. Maybe then he’d be able to see how ridiculous this all was.

“Save your marriage?” Willis’s hands dug into his pockets. “That would be if she remembers, or if she doesn’t?”

“That part’s a little up in the air.”

“It’s none of my business, and you probably don’t need me to tell you, but you should tread carefully. If you decide to go that way, the road will be full of potholes, deep and wide.”

Bishop grunted. No kidding.

“I’m going to book her in to see a neurologist midweek. See what can be done. In the meantime—”

“You have a beautiful bride who’s all doe-eyed for you, but deep down hates your guts. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. What a temptation.”

Feeling his gills heat up, Bishop lowered his gaze and shuffled his feet.

Willis did a double take, then swore. “Oh, no … Sam, you haven’t. She locked you out a year ago and now that she can’t remember the bad times, you’ve slept with her?”

Bishop growled, “I don’t need anyone beating on my conscience about it.” His tone dropped. “I’ve been doing enough of that myself.”

“Look on the bright side. Things couldn’t get any worse the second time around.”

“At least I know what to expect.”

“With a woman?” Willis coughed out a laugh. “You’re fooling yourself.” He drew up to his full height and got back on track. “What do you want me to do about those buyers?”

“Tell them I’m unavailable. We’ll get back to them later in the week.” He’d thought he was ready to sell. Move on. Now he wasn’t so sure. He did know that he didn’t want any reminders of his failed marriage, and every time he walked into that office, talked to his team or went on location, he remembered how he’d buried himself in his work during those hard times. In truth, perhaps those memories had more to do with his desire to sell than feeling stale at work.

Either way, he didn’t need to make a snap decision. He’d see how he felt in a day or two—in a week—about everything and decide then.

They returned to Laura, and Willis nodded his farewell. “Good meeting you, Mrs. Bishop.”

“You’ll have to come up to our place in the mountains for dinner one evening,” she said. “Bring your wife, of course.”

“I’m sure she’d like that. She loves the mountains.”

Laura beamed. “Me, too.” She looked to Bishop then back at Willis. “Why don’t we make it this weekend?”

“This weekend we’re having that get-together for my birthday, remember—” Willis stopped.