Authors: Sadie Grubor
"Sophia –" his eyes increased in intensity and he came to the side of my bed. I scooted away from him. His presence was drawing me to him and distracting me from my thoughts.
"I know you think there isn't anything wrong with…this, but –" My argument was cut off. He knelt onto the bed and, in two quick movements, had me on my back with him hovering over me.
"Stop fighting it." His eyes left mine and wandered around my face. He positioned himself against me. The position was the same as the time he showed up drunk. He was pressed against my right side with his head lying above my right breast, right hand on my left hip, and his right leg entwined with mine.
"Dr. Bishop –?"
His hand moved from my hip to cover my mouth.
"I have an hour before I need to get ready to leave and frankly I missed your presence last night."
While his words sounded more like a direct order, I was growing accustomed to the many phases of his cold tone. I believed this was his soft side. We lie there next to each other, across my bed, for an hour until I realized it was now seven. I nudged the arm he stretched over my stomach.
"Dr. Bishop, it's seven," I whispered.
Why the hell am I whispering if I want to wake him up? I shook my head at my stupidity and tried again.
"Dr. Bishop, it's seven."
He buried further into my side before I heard him groan loudly and stretch onto his back. I began to move to my left side, trying roll out of bed. His arm wrapped around me and pulled me back to him, burying his face in my neck.
"Mmm…you smell so good." He breathed heavily against my skin.
"Caress body wash," I blurted and then slapped myself in the forehead.
I'm an idiot! He chuckled.
"No, I don't quite think it is body wash, but simply you." His lips touched my sensitive skin and brushed back and forth over it.
"It's seven," I squeezed my eyes closed tight and willed myself not to launch a full scale attack on his body.
He growled quietly against my neck before rolling off of me and slipping off of my bed. As he walk toward my door I clenched my hand on my heaving chest and took a deep breath.
"Until the next time."
I raised my head at the sound of his voice, but he was already exiting my room.
Dropping my head back down, I could only pray he didn't run into anyone in the hall. Half of me, the hormone induced half, wanted him to intrude on my sleep regularly. The other half of me, the rational side, was concerned he had entered my room with no hesitation and implanted himself in my bed.
Groaning I rubbed my face and pulled myself off the bed and into the shower. Focusing on the tasks I set for myself today, I thought about the need to go through my mail and then go through Victoria's things to make a list of what she would need for school.
After my shower, I sat with my mail as I intended; however, there were some bills that needed my immediate attention, so I logged on to my laptop and began setting up some payments. Then a moment of brilliance struck me and I went to Victoria's school website.
Low and behold, they had a class list assignment posted and what materials would be needed for the start of school. I did mental happy dance and sipped at my coffee as I printed out the information.
As soon as I had everything I needed, I finished getting dressed and headed to check on Victoria. She was just coming out of her bathroom when I walked in. Her hair was frizzy and she was walking sluggishly.
"Rough night?" I giggled.
"I just woke up." She yawned.
"Let's get some breakfast." I extended my hand to her. She grasped it and headed to the kitchen.
The house was eerily quiet. I was so used to the chaos of the Bishop family from over the past few weeks. It was odd to be back to just Victoria and me like in the beginning. Briefly I wondered where Allison had gone and if both Connor and Juliet had gone with her. Shaking off my thoughts, I started breakfast for the both of us.
We ate quietly at the breakfast bar and then headed back up to her room to go through her clothes. She was in the middle of trying on her third uniform when Dr. Bishop appeared. Twirling in a pleated skirt that was way too short for her, I couldn't help but laugh.
"I'd say you've definitely grown over the summer." I giggled.
"I have to agree."
Victoria and I both turned our heads toward her door, surprised to see Dr. Bishop leaning against the doorframe.
"We are going to buy new school clothes tomorrow." Victoria beamed.
"That sounds fun." He smiled at her.
"I can't wait," she exclaimed and ran into her bathroom to change remove the too small uniform.
I shook my head and watched her disappear behind the door. The intensity of him fell upon me. My body could feel every breath and movement from him without one glance. I knew he was standing behind me before he spoke.
"You've been busy today." The coolness of his voice was in drastic conflict to the heat radiating within me.
"A little," I managed to squeak out from the floor.
After exhaling a deep breath, I continued to fold the clothes piled around me. Victoria emerged from her bathroom in another uniform and tossed her skirt at me.
"Hey," I laughed at her. "How about handing it to me next time?"
"Sorry," she smiled sweetly at me. "Hey look, these are too short." She pointed to her ankles.
I raised one eyebrow at her and then used my pointer finger to motion her toward me. She walked over and I examined her waist, which was pulled up way too high. I laughed and adjusted her pants.
"I think these will be okay for a couple of months." I tapped her butt gently. "But I definitely give you mad props for the attempt." I winked at her.
Victoria gave me a sly smile before running back into the bathroom. I folded the skirt.
"Can I ask about how things went?" I slowly placed the skirt onto a pile.
"You can." Without looking, I could hear the smirk that would be on his face right now.
"Well, um –"
"She still has to visit with Grace."
"What?" I finally turned and looked up at him.
"It will be supervised visitations; however, since she is her mother they are giving her this last chance." He cleared his throat. "It didn't help when I stormed over there and removed her from Grace's home without contacting my lawyer or hers before doing so."
My eyes narrowed at him.
"When does she have to go?"
"I will be driving her to Grace's on Saturday. The court appointed chaperone will arrive when I do and will stay until I pick her up." His emerald stones had once again captured my eyes, and he wasn't releasing them. Victoria appeared and broke the trance.
"So, how much bigger did I get?" She handed over the pair of pants she had been wearing a few moments ago.
I turned back to her.
"Um, it seems like you grew a lot." I forced a smile.
"Victoria, I need to have a word with you." Dr. Bishop moved away from me as he spoke. I heard the sigh of her mattress as he sat down on it. "Come."
Victoria obeyed her father and sat next to him on the bed.
I couldn't stand it. Grabbing the pile of clothes that still fit her, I stood from the floor. In her closet I hung them back up. As I was placing each garment on a hanger, I could hear the conversation.
Dr. Bishop told the judge's decision to Victoria. She argued that it wasn't fair and that she didn't want to go. He tried to explain the details of the chaperone and not spending the night with her, and then finally I heard the quick stomps of her feet before her bathroom door slammed shut. Dropping my head against the wall in her closet I sighed heavily.
"She's not happy with me."
He startled me and my body went rigid.
"I heard." I bit my lip.
The intensity started to build. I think we both realized at the same moment that I would have nowhere to run to. "I should check on her." My words came out quickly as I brushed by him.
I knocked lightly on her bathroom door.
"Victoria?" I could hear her sniffling. "Can I come in?"
"No," she sniffed.
"Please?" I placed my palm against the door.
"No," she sniffed again.
"Okay," I resigned. "I'm gonna go make some cookies, so when you feel like coming out, I will be in the kitchen." I waited for a few moments, but she didn't say a word. I left her room and went down to prepare for baking.
I combined ingredients, mixed and stirred, as well as spooned the cookie dough onto ungreased cookie sheets. She never showed up. When I finished baking all the cookies, I poured a glass of milk and put
some cookies on a plate before going back to her room.
Victoria's bedroom door was still open, so I walked right in. My first glance was to the bathroom door, which was now open. Then my eyes landed on the bed and I stopped mid-stride. Dr. Bishop had his back resting against the headboard while Victoria's sleeping body clung to him. His head was lolled back and his eyes were closed.
Was I dreaming, or is Dr. Bishop actually behaving as a father would to his daughter? The warmth in the moment I just witnessed would forever weaken his icy cold persona. I quietly turned around and padded back out of her room.
It was about two hours later when Victoria burst into my bedroom. I was sitting at my desk with my laptop working on my book and glanced up when she came in.
"Hey you, are you feeling better?" I closed my laptop and sat back in my chair.
She shrugged.
"A little."
"Well, that's better than not at all." I winked at her and stood up, "So, how about some cookies?"
"Before dinner?" There was a gleam in her eye.
"Yep, before dinner," I smiled and we headed to the kitchen. The rest of the evening went smoothly and Victoria didn't mention Grace again that night.
Dr. Bishop disappeared into his office while Victoria and I went about our evening activities. It wasn't until Victoria was sound asleep, after a movie, he reappeared.
"Ms. Ashwood."
I just closed Victoria's door and spun at the sound of his voice.
"Quit doing that." I scolded in a whisper.
"Doing what?" His one eyebrow arched.
"Appearing out of nowhere" I breathed.
He half grinned.
"Good night Dr. Bishop." I turned and walked to my room.
I expected him to say something, but he never did. Once in my room, I took a deep breath and grabbed a pair of cotton shorts and t-shirt before heading to the shower.
The steamy water felt amazing rolling over my bare skin, loosening up some of the tension in my back. My mind went to work with processing Dr. Bishop's persistence and the irrational idea we should be more than employee and employer. The moment the water started to cool I shut off the valve and stepped out of the shower.
I towel dried my body and hair before I lathered my body in my 'lavender relaxation' lotion. Since I was only climbing into bed I decided that underwear and bra weren't necessary, I slipped on the shorts and t-shirt.
The conditioner I had used in the shower made my hair easier to brush through before I braided it down my back. I brushed my teeth and with a final look in the mirror headed to my bed. Flicking off the bathroom light
, motion around my bed caught my attention and I froze.
"Sophia." Dr. Bishop's voice was as intense and cool as always.
How is it possible for such a cool tone to make fire rip throughout my body? And, why, oh why did I forgo the bra and underwear? The lump in my throat made it impossible for me to respond.
"Uh…"
I heard a light chuckle from him.
"I told you, sleeping without you the night before was not pleasant for me. Not now that I know what it's like to sleep next to you."
His words sent heated waves of embarrassment coursing through me. I thanked God that the lights were out and he probably couldn't see the affect he was having on me.
"Oh."
As soon as I managed to squeak out the ridiculous reply, I wanted to smack my palm to my face. Before he could say anything else, I slowly approached the bed and slipped under the covers, keeping close to the edge. When my head hit my pillow his arm slinked around my waist and pulled me toward the middle of the bed.
"We don't want you to fall off of the bed."
There was no way he couldn't hear my breathing hitch from his closeness.
"Dr. Bishop –"
"Ms. Ashwood?" he rebutted.
"I…I just…I think this is a really bad idea." My words came out breathier than I intended and my bottom lip was going to be paying tomorrow for the amount of action my teeth were giving it.
"And why is that?" His ever present cool and level tone was used.
"You know exactly why." I snapped.
"Sophia, we've been over this. There is no way I could stay away from you, especially not now." His hand cupped my neck and his thumb traced my jaw.