Page 163 of Where We Bloom

“Wait.” I pull back so I can scowl up at him. “They’ve been threateningyou?”

“Aye.” He lets out a gusty breath. “It happens all the time.”

“But you didn’t tell me.”

“They’re mostly idle threats to try to scare me to do their bidding,” he replies, but I’m shaking my head. “But when they dared bring you into it, they unleashed the fire of a thousand suns because I’ll burn it all to the ground to make sure you’re safe.”

“Connor.” My hands circle his wrists. “When did this happen?”

“Which ones?”

I blink at him. “All of them.”

“It started in New York. But they didn’t send me the photos of you until just before I boarded the plane to come home.”

“You should have called me.” I step out of his embrace and pull my hands down my face. “As soon as ithappened, you should have called me and told me, so I could understandwhyyou were so adamant about me being with Simon.”

“I don’t?—”

“We’repartners,” I remind him, turning back to him. “You’ve said several times that you love my backbone. Well, here it is, billionaire. If you think that I’ll sit back and let you dictate how things go without question, then I’m not the girl for you. You need to go find her. I deserve your respect as well as your love and protection.”

His eyes narrow, still so hot, and then he slowly walks to me until he’s just an inch away, but he doesn’t touch me.

And it’s torture.

Chapter Thirty-Two

CONNOR

She’s so fucking beautiful, standing here in my office with her chin up, her whiskey eyes shooting sparks at me.

So bloody strong.

And mine.

“You think I need someone else,a ghrá?” My voice is low and hard as my stomach tightens at the mere thought of being without her.

“No, I’d kill any other woman who dared put her hands on you, but?—”

That’s all I need. I cup the back of her neck and yank her against me. Covering her mouth, I slide my tongue against hers and finally breathe her in.

With a whimper, Billie’s hands grip my sides, and she pushes her stomach against my cock, leaning into me.

“Mine,” I growl against her lips as I lift her, and she wraps her legs around my waist as I walk us up the stairsto our bedroom. Her arms loop around my neck, and she kisses me for all she’s worth, and finally, I’m home.

Setting her down long enough to strip us out of our clothes, I guide her back to the bed and crawl over her, caging her in with my pelvis between her legs. I brush her soft hair away from her face and rub my nose over hers.

“I know you’re strong.” I love the way her hands skim up and down my back. “I know you can handle anything that comes our way, but a part of me will always want to shield you from shite like this because you’re my heart, and I don’t want you to worry.”

Her expression softens, and she cups my face and lifts up to dust her lips over mine.

“And I don’t want you to carry anything alone.” Christ, she steals the breath from my lungs. “If they threaten one of us, they threaten both of us.”

I slip inside her, making us both groan, and when I start to move, I cup her neck and jaw, and her walls tighten around me.

“If I tell you to be careful, I need you to do it,” I growl against her lips.

“As long as you tell me why.” She bites my lower lip and sucks it into her mouth.

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