Page 110 of Where We Bloom

Simon’s kind of scary.

But he was also kind to me, and I’m worried he’s introuble. So I do what any curious person would do, and I walk down the hall to eavesdrop.

Connor should have shut the door behind him if he didn’t want me to hear this.

“What thefuckwere you thinking?” Connor barks, his voice menacing. I’ve never heard that tone from him, and I don’t think I ever want it directed at me.

“Miss Blackwell asked me to drop her off so she could shop. She told me not to hover. My orders were to give her whatever she wanted, so that’s what I did.”

He’s in trouble because of me.

But he’s just a driver.

“Miller briefed you on everything going on, and you know you were hired as her personal security. If I want a driver for her, I’ll hire her a motherfucking driver. She’s theonly bloody thingin this world that matters, and you dropped her off in Downtown New York City and parked around the goddamn corner?”

He continues to rail on Simon, completely unhinged, and I decide I’ve had enough and walk back to the kitchen.

She’s the only bloody thing in this world that matters.

Wow.

As I check and stir the sauce, I can still hear him yelling, and then things quiet, and the men walk through the penthouse again.

Simon nods at me before he calls for the elevator and leaves. Connor sighs, takes his glasses off to rub his eyes, and crosses to me.

He wraps his arms around mefrom behind and kisses my head as I turn the burner under the sauce way down and cover it with a lid.

“You had fun shopping today?”

I turn in his arms and blink up at him. “Are you kidding me right now?”

He scowls. “What are you talking about?”

“Okay, back up.” I scoot away from him so I can pace and breathe, pausing by the dining room table to take a sip of the wine I poured when I sat there with my new laptop, working earlier before he texted me. “You get home and immediately verbally beat the shit out of Simon, all because ofme, and now you’re going to pretend that doesn’t matter?”

“You don’t need to worry about it.”

My eyebrows climb, and I take another sip of wine. Connor sighs, bracing his hands on his hips.

“You told me I had adriver, Connor. No one said a fucking word to me about him being security or that you wanted him with me all of the time. It was my fault that I asked him to wait for me and to stop hovering becauseI didn’t know.”

“It’s not your fault,” Connor counters, shaking his head. “He’s a fucking professional, and he knew what his job was today. He works forme, not for you. I need to trust that he’s doing that job and keeping you safe.”

“Why wouldn’t I be safe?” I demand. “I’m just a girl from Montana, Connor. I’m not rich. I’m not famous. I’m nobody. I’m just a tourist, wandering around the city, spending money that doesn’t even belong to me.”

Connor’s jaw clenches, the muscles bunching as hiseyes gleam with rage. He stalks to me, palms the back of my neck, and pulls me against him, lowering his face to mine.

“You’re notnobody, and you’re notjustanything. Do you understand me? You’re fucking everything in this world to me. And you’re mine. And that makes you a target. If someone has been watching my comings and goings here, they’ve seen you with me, and that means that if they want to hurt me, they could try by hurting you, and I will not, today or any other goddamn day, let that happen.”

“You’rehurting me,” I whisper.

He drops his hand, but he doesn’t walk away. His brows pull together. I can see the emotion raging through him, the frustration, the anger, and the …love?

“Christ, I’m sorry. I’d never hurt you, angel.”

“I know you wouldn’t. I’m okay. You’re upset.”

“That’s no excuse.”

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