Page 13 of Where We Bloom

I watch her roll her lips together and narrow her eyes. Her cheeks flush, and her breathing increases.

“You want to know where she went?” she asks softly.

I catch her chin in my fingers and make her look at me. There’s a vulnerability there, and it makes me want to pull her into my arms.

“I do, aye.”

“That girl is no longer available to you.” She turns in her seat to face me but glances at Miller.

“He’s not here,” I say, and she nods.

“I had no issues with a one-night stand with a sexy man I met by chance and had a good time with. There’s no shame in that. It was fun. It made me feel good. No harm, no foul. Sure, the whole leaving without saying goodbye thing bruised my feelings a bit, but I got over it. It was a nice memory to tuck away and pull out once in a while to admire.”

She clears her throat, and I want to fuck her right here, in the back of this car.

“But it turned out that you weren’t a stranger, Connor. You’re mybest friend’sbrother. The same best friend who will probably marrymybrother. So it’s not like I can avoid you. You’reeverywhere.London? There you are. My store, Birdie’s dance recitals, even the house I grew up in, you’re there. And I could be a grown-up about that. I could shake it off and laugh about it. What a coincidence! Crazy small world. But when you’re near, you want to put your stupid magical hands all over me and kiss me until I can’t think straight.”

She’s ranting now. The words are pouring out of her, and I have no intention of stopping her because I need to know everything she’s saying.

I should have asked a long time ago.

“You want to put your hands on me and make me lose my mind, but that’s it. Then you walk away like I’m a stranger, and you’re so fuckingcold. I don’t even have your phone number. I don’t even know where you live. I don’t really know anything about you at all, except you run an empire, and you’re the brother of one of the sweetest people in the world. That’s it. So it’s not like it was a random hookup that was fun, and then I can just get on with my life. And I’m worth more than the five minutes of good you’re willing to give me whenever we happen to be in the same room together. Orgasms don’t cut it, Connor.”

She shakes her head and looks outside again.

“I’m an adult,” she mutters. “I can be civil.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

“Billie, I’m sorry. You’re right, I’ve been a daft idiot, and I shouldn’t have treated you like that. I’m so fucking attracted to you, I?—”

“You know, I don’t want to hear it.” She shakes her head again, sounding weary. “I just deserve more respect than what you’ve been handing out. That’s what I’m trying to say.”

I push my hand through my hair and blow out a breath.

She’s absolutely right.

“I’m going to nap.” She leans against the door and closes her eyes, and I take that time to watch her.

Billie Blackwellisthe most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. I didn’t realize she was Skyla’s friend that night when I asked her to dinner and then to my room. When I discovered she was one of the friends Skyla had been talking about, I was stunned.

I didn’t think I’d ever see her again, and there she was, standing right in front of me. And I couldn’t help myself.

I can never seem to help myself where she’s concerned.

If she’s nearby, I want to have my hands on her. I want to consume her.

I want to claim her.

But I’m pure shite when it comes to relationships, and this woman is close to fifteen years younger than me.

Itwouldn’t work.

Yet I can’t stay away from her.

Her breathing has evened out, and I notice Miller looking at me in the mirror.

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