“How was the room?” he asked.

“Good. Fine. Great. Really nice. Thank you. I appreciate it. Really.”

He stayed silent after my word vomit.

The woman in front of me paid for her coffee and donuts and moved toward the counter, where the barista would undoubtedly set up the drinks.

“Ma’am, what can I get for ya?” the woman behind the cash register asked, providing the interruption I needed.

Bishop’s attention stayed on me and his feet remained planted on the floor. I opened my mouth to order before realizing I had no idea what kind of coffee I should order for Delilah.

Chancing another glance up at Bishop, I found him still watching me. “Do you know what Delilah drinks?”

His brows knitted together. “You’re coming to the shop?”

“Oh, hon, that’s all you had to say,” the cashier said. “We’ll whip her order right up. You want anything else?”

I turned from Bishop to the cashier. “Two of whatever Delilah gets is fine.”

“No problem.”

The heat from Bishop’s stare dissipated, and I glanced over my shoulder.

He was gone.

No good to see you again. No stay the hell away from the shop. Nothing.

The cashier read the confusion on my face when I faced the counter again. “Ah, don’t worry about Bishop making a quick exit. He don’t talk to many people, no matter how much they might want to talk to him.”

Her description echoed what I’d gathered yesterday.

“Do you know him well?” I asked as I handed over a twenty.

“As well as anyone, I guess. He comes in twice a day like clockwork, getting his caffeine fix and ignoring the ladies.” She jerked her head toward the woman waiting by the barista, whose eyes were fixed on the door Bishop had just exited. “And don’t forget those two.” She nodded toward the comfy seating area in the corner where two other women sat, their expressions disappointed and wistful all at the same time.

“They come in here at least three times a week to stare. He’s like our own little attraction drawing in customers ’round here, because they sure as hell don’t come for the donuts.”

I believed it. They didn’t exactly look like they ate a lot of donuts, given the way their knit blouses clung to their thin frames. Actually, I kind of wanted to buy a few donuts and drop them in front of the two women and walk away slowly.

Once the image evaporated from my mind, I turned my attention back to the cashier, whose name tag read FABIENNE. “This place is amazing. I can’t imagine you need an attraction to get people to come in here.” The wall of donuts behind her tempted the crap out of me, even though I’d already had beignets and planned to devour pralines.

If I work up the courage to go into Voodoo.

Fabienne smiled back at me. “It ain’t Starbucks, but we do all right. You want a donut to go with that order?”

“I’ve got some pralines waiting for me, but I’ll definitely take a rain check.”

The barista set two cups on the end of the counter. “Delilah’s order is ready.”

I moved toward the end of the counter and thanked her.

“Make sure to come back and try one.”

“I will, definitely.”

I refused to acknowledge that my promise meant that I’d be so close to Voodoo.

I collected the coffee and decided that regardless of what or who was next door, I would be back.

THE DOOR CHIMED, AND I jerked my head around to see if she’d actually come back.

Who the hell else would walk into a tattoo shop wearing a pink sweater?

Play it fucking cool, man. Lock this shit down.

I didn’t react to women like this. Certainly not ones who were as innocent and naive as Eden. I needed to treat her like any other customer. Except she wasn’t even a customer, so I didn’t know what to do with her. Dragging her into the back to find out if her lips were as sweet as the cupcake she made me think of when I saw her wasn’t an option.

Delilah strolled out of the employee break room and met Eden as she crossed the black-and-white-checkered floor of the shop.

“Caffeine. Lifeblood of the gods. Thank you. I’ll repay you with all the pralines you can eat before you puke. But you have to clean up your own puke. Shop rule.”

Eden’s brows went up. “I’ll try not to puke.” She held out a cup to Delilah. “I asked for your order, and the woman at the counter said this was it.”

“Four-shot skinny latte with a dash of cinnamon. The only thing that keeps me going some days.”

“I got the same, so it’s good to know you don’t drink black-tar coffee or something.” Eden sounded hesitant, like she had no idea why she was here.

That made two of us.

Delilah dropped the open box of pralines in her hand on the counter, and I pretended I wasn’t watching as Eden studied them and pulled out a candy.

Now I’m a fucking creeper. What am I going to do? Watch her eat it?

“Hey, Bish, you want one?” Delilah called to me. “Might sweeten you up a little.”

I sucked back a too-big mouthful of coffee, burning my tongue.

“I’m good.” Almost as an afterthought, I tacked on, “Thanks.”

Delilah’s eye roll was almost audible.

“Don’t mind him; he’s just cranky. Bish is still recovering from the girl who committed the cardinal sin after he dropped you at the hotel last night—she touched his beard and she grabbed his ass.”

People who talked about you like you weren’t there were fucking fabulous. But Delilah was the only family I had, so she got a pass.

“Oh wow. That’s pretty . . . forward.” Eden’s surprised gaze finally landed on me, and I held it for several long moments before it dropped to the floor.

“It gets way worse, and sad to say, he gets the brunt of it.” Delilah glanced back toward my station. “I don’t know what it is about a guy with tats and a beard that makes them think they should just grab on to whatever they want.”

“That’s enough, D. I can hear every word.”

She turned around with a smirk. “Obviously. Why else would I talk about you?”

Eden’s gaze darted back and forth between us like she didn’t know what to make of this kind of banter.

“Because you’re a pain in my ass.”