Page 77 of Blame it on the Kiss
Honor’s hand squeezed his thigh. The gentle pressure excited and soothed him at the same time. His eyes cut to hers for a brief moment.
“You know what it feels like to fight back to being whole again. A lot of people still look at me with sympathy and I hate that. Like I’m not ever gonna be the same as I was. Did that happen to you?”
“It did. Even my doctors thought I’d always walk with a limp.”
Coop smiled. “You showed them.”
“Yup.”
“Zane also told me I’d be an idiot to go with anyone but you. He said you weren’t the most cutthroat, but you were the most dedicated.”
Bryce settled back in his chair. “I agree with that.”
“So what happens next?” Coop asked.
“I’ll have Danny write up the contract and we’ll get a copy to you to sign. If you’ve got concerns let me know and we can talk about them.”
“Cool.”
“You’ll keep him safe,” Honor said. Question? Statement? It was hard to tell which one.
Bryce met those passionate, earnest blue eyes of hers again and he couldn’t help himself. He reached across the table and took her hand. “I can’t promise he’ll never get hurt. Accidents happen. But I can promise to do everything inmypower to keep him out of harm’s way.”
“Thank you.” She rolled her lips together like they were parched and the urge to kiss her overwhelmed him.
Cooper cleared his throat, disapproval in his eyes. “Is there something going on with you two? I thought we understood each other where my sister’s concerned.”
“What?” Honor said.
“We did, but—”
“What are you guys talking about?” Honor interrupted before Bryce could come clean to Cooper.
“I told Bryce you were off limits. My career and my family don’t mix.”
Honor looked back and forth between him and Cooper. “You can’t butt into my life like that, Coop. Who I see is none of your business.”
“It is if it affects me.”
“How would my seeing Bryce affect you?”
Cooper canted his head down as if to sayreally? “I love you H, but you’ve got like a two date rule. It would be really uncomfortable for me when things didn’t work out with you two because I’d have to take your side. And that would suck for my partnership with him.”
“I can keep my personal and professional life separate,” Bryce said. “As far as I’m concerned, whatever happens between your sister and I has no bearing on what happens between us. As my client, you’ve got me 100 percent.”
“I appreciate that,” Cooper said. He put his arms on the table. “But I can’t separate things so easily. And if you broke my sister’s heart, I’d have to find a new agent.”
Bryce let that sink in. He got it. He thought about his sister and imagined her dating one of his clients. Cooper even. If the relationship ended, Bryce would be in a tough spot. He’d defend and honor his sister until his last breath, and he’d be in the uncomfortable position of having to remain professional with the douche that caused her pain.
The unsettling truth set in. He couldn’t have Cooper and Honor.
“Why didn’t you tell me you and Coop had talked about this?” Honor asked, her irritated tone breaking into his thoughts.
“Things are that serious?” Cooper said.
Shit.
Think, Bishop, think. Right here, right now, what was he willing to risk? What did he want?
