Page 129 of Where We Bloom

She smirks, flashes me a sassy wink, then gets back to work. Sometimes she mumbles when she makes notes on her iPad. Sometimes she grins when she sees something that pleases her.

I hear texts come in on her phone, and she easily shifts focus to handle those, then returns to her computer.

Unable to help myself, I send her a text from my computer.

You’re fucking beautiful, a ghrá.

Her eyes dance up to the corner of her screen when the message comes through, and she grins as she types out a reply.

Angel: You’re the sexiest man I’ve ever seen. From the minute I saw you in my bookstore all those months ago, I knew I wanted to climb you like a fucking tree. And you are way better than any fantasy I could have conjured up.

Before I can round the desk and fuck her into next week, there’s a knock on my door.

“Come in,” I bark.

Scott pokes his head in. “Delivery, sir.”

After my nod, Scott walks in and sets two bags of food on my desk.

“Let me know if you need anything else,” he says before he leaves, shutting the door behind him.

“It smells good,” Billie says, her eyes full of mischief.

“We need to eat and finish working so we can leave.”

“I didn’t think we were in a hurry.” She pulls two boxes out of the bag, one for each of us, and passes one over to me.

“That was before I decided that I need to get you home, naked, so I can fuck you into next week.”

She licks some salt off her thumb, her gaze pinned to mine. “I could eat this on the plane.”

I bark out a laugh and open my own meal. “How are you feeling now?”

“After earlier?” she asks, and I nod. When she takes a mouthful of her fish and her eyes close, she hums with appreciation. I have to adjust my dick, who always twitches when she makes that sound.

It’s not for you, mate.

“I’m still mad at her for what she said about you.”

“What about what she said aboutyou?”

Billie shrugs at that. “Meh, whatever. I let a lot roll off. I’m not one of those people who needs everyone to like them. I mean, I’m kind to pretty much everyone, and I’m a total hype girl when it comes to other women, and my friends, and people I love. But I didn’t lie when I said I’m not for everyone, and that’s okay with me. I’ve been judged my whole life, Connor. So if your ex-wife has an issue with me, I guess that’s not my problem. I’ll always be cordial to her because she’s your friend and your very best friend’s wife, but I don’t think I’ll be inviting her to my book club meetings. I get the feeling romance novels arebeneath her.Whatever, she’s missing out.”

Fiona thinks this amazing woman is too young for me, but Billie has more maturity, more integrity than most people I know, regardless of age.

“But I’m warning you right now.” Her hazel eyes flash over her fish. “If she says one more fucking word about you that I don’t like, I’m taking her down.”

“I don’t need you to protect me, angel.”

“Need? No. Gonna get it? Yep. Because you’d do the same for me, and this relationship works both ways.”

It’s said so simply, I can only blink at her.

I’m going to marry this woman.

Chapter Twenty-Four

BILLIE

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