Page 40 of Where We Bloom (The Blackwells of Montana #3)

“Hey,” she says as I set my laptop aside, and she climbs in my lap, straddling me, wraps her arms around my neck, and hugs me, burying her sweet face in my neck.

“I’m sorry. I should have stayed with you.”

“It’s fine. I don’t think I would have slept more anyway. I should work, too. I have a bunch to do since I took a couple of days off to shop.”

I feel her smile against me.

“Not that I’m complaining.”

I chuckle and rub my hands up and down her back. “I understand. Want to go cuddle for a wee bit before we get back to work?”

She sighs, and I know I just hit the nail on the head. She didn’t want to ask, but she needs to be touched, and I will never turn her down. I love that she craves my touch.

Billie’s needs always come before anything else.

I nod at Miller as I stand with Billie in my arms. She wraps her legs around my waist, and I carry her to the bedroom, and we get comfortable on the bed. I pull her against me, and she tucks her face against my chest.

“I know I’m needy,” she says, hugging me close. “And I’m not sorry.”

“Nor should you be.” I tip her chin up and kiss her softly. “I enjoy cuddling you, a ghrá. ”

“Something occurred to me while I was lying here, and I want to talk to you about it.” She’s still looking up at me and raises her arm to brush her fingers through my hair. “If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s okay.”

I ghost my fingertips down her smooth cheek. “What is it? I’ll tell you whatever you want to know. ”

“I was just thinking about the other day, when you were so upset, just sort of replaying it in my head?—”

“I’m sorry I was an arse.”

“No, that’s not what I was thinking about.

I was just contemplating the events, and then I realized why you might be extra overprotective.

Because of Skyla and everything she went through at the hands of that piece of shit who stalked her and tormented her.

I know that had to have impacted you because the two of you are so close. ”

I frown and kiss her forehead, breathing her in, so fucking grateful that she’s so perceptive.

A psychopath stalked my baby sister for three bloody years, and every day of those was a torment I don’t wish on anyone.

“I felt incompetent,” I finally say. Our voices are quiet, and lying here with her intimately, I’d confess anything she wanted to hear.

Her compassionate eyes hold mine as she gently brushes her hand up and down my arm.

“No matter what I threatened or bribed him with, nothing mattered. He wouldn’t stop.

Every day, I watched Skyla’s security cameras, checked in with her, and kept an eye on his comings and goings.

It was always easier when he was out of the country. ”

“Who was he?” she asks with a scowl. “I mean, I know his name, and that he was wealthy, but as you said, most people do exactly what you say, especially if you threaten them. So, why didn’t he fear you?”

“He was a senator’s son,” I reply. “He had people in his pocket, and he wasn’t afraid of anything.

I had Miller threaten him. I called the IRS, but nothing came of it.

Anything I did, aside from kill the motherfucker, bounced right off him.

It was incredibly frustrating, and it terrified me.

Because he would have killed my sister.”

Her arms tighten around me. “No, he wouldn’t. Because she has you.”

“I didn’t do her any good in that situation, angel.”

“Yes, you did. You made her feel safer. She loves you. You’re her big brother. With four big brothers of my own, I know how that feels, and the fact that you took care of the security, that you helped her move to Montana and settled her in, and came to visit so often, helped her.”

“Nothing like that will ever happen to you.” I’m squeezing her so tightly, I’m surprised she can breathe.

“You’re the blood in my veins, and I will not allow you to be hurt.

Aye, I likely have anxiety from the experience with Skyla, and that could trigger some of my reactions, but at the end of the day, you’re the most important thing in my life, and there are no lengths I won’t go to keep you unharmed.

I want you to keep Simon with you when I can’t be there when we’re not at home. ”

“Which home?” she asks, her lips tipping up in a sassy grin.

“Any of them.” I nip at her lips. “There’s a new property that Gallagher Hotels is working on in Sweden that has garnered some attention from extremist groups who don’t want to see any building on the site we’ve chosen. We’re getting some threats, and I want to make sure you stay safe. ”

“Thank you for telling me.” Her voice is soft, her hand still roaming over me. “I’ll stick with Simon and won’t do anything stupid.”

“Thank you.”

“And you have to promise me that you’ll stick with Miller.”

I smile down at her. “Worried about me, angel?”

“Of course, I am. I’m in love with you.”

Rolling over her, I kiss her with everything in me, my entire world knocked off its axis at her words. I’ll never get tired of hearing them. I’ll never lose this feeling of possession, of obsession, whenever I merely think of her.

“I’m so fucking in love with you, mo chroi ,” I growl as I reach between us and rip her leggings away, making her gasp, her eyes widen. “I never get enough of you. It’s like a fever I can’t shake, and I don’t want to. You need to be quiet now.”

Her hands fumble with my pants, and finally, my cock springs free, and I push inside her, both of us gasping at how wet, how hot, how goddamn perfect she is.

“I need you,” she whispers against my lips. “And it scares me. Because I don’t need anybody.”

“You don’t have to be scared, mo rúnsearc . Because I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

Linking my fingers with hers, I pin her arms over her head and move in and out, almost coming undone by the way her inner walls squeeze my cock.

“It’s so good,” she moans, lifting her hips with every thrust and squeezing around me as her orgasm gathers. “Fucking hell.”

“Shh. Go over, baby.” I lick over the seam of her lips, then kiss her mouth as she cries out, quivering around me and pulling me into my own climax.

As we catch our breath, I brush her hair back from her face, murmuring, “You’re so beautiful. So damn sweet.”

With a happy smile, she presses her lips to mine. “You’re so sexy. And for as long as I live, it’ll never be long enough with you.”

“Christ.” I lower my forehead to hers. “You undo me, a ghrá. ”

She makes me feel special. Not because of my name or the money but because she sees me. And she loves me.

And I will treasure her until I take my last breath.

“Do you want to go to the office first or the house?” Miller asks me once we’re in the SUV leaving the plane.

“The office,” I reply. “We’ll go straight to Galway from there tonight. I don’t want to stay in Dublin.”

Miller’s eyes meet mine in the rearview.

Yes, I’m changing the plan, but I only get one more week alone with my angel, and I’m going to spend it in my favorite place with her, not at work .

I lift an eyebrow.

“Yes, sir.”

I feel Billie’s eyes on me, and I turn to look at her.

“I take it you were supposed to be in Dublin longer than a few hours?”

“The best thing about being the boss is, I make my own rules, angel. I’ll be in Dublin as long as I wish to be, and right now, that’s not long. I want to show you my home on the cliffs and spend time with you there, so that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

“Sounds great to me.” She squeezes my hand and leans over to press a kiss on my shoulder.

Thirty minutes later, Miller pulls into the car park under my building, and we’re headed up to my office.

“You’re welcome to work in my office,” I offer her. “I have to sit in on a couple of meetings.”

“Perfect.” She smooths her hands down her Dior blouse. After we made love and slept for a couple of hours, we each had a shower and changed clothes. Billie is once more impeccably dressed, her hair and makeup flawless.

I know she prefers luxury fashion labels, but it seems her favorite is Dior. I’ll have to take her to the flagship store in Paris for Christmas.

When we arrive on the top floor, where my offices are, we step out of the elevator, and Billie takes it in. The building is several centuries old, but this space has been decorated with sharp lines. The color palette is black and white, with splashes of color here and there .

Her heels clip on the hardwood floor as I lead her to my office. Once I’ve unlocked the door, I gesture her inside, and she sets her bag on the couch on the far wall.

“This is a big office,” she says, her eyes touching on everything in the room. “How often are you in it?”

“Before I started the Montana property? At least once a month. Now? Quarterly.”

She nods, and I cross to her. Taking her chin in my grip, I lower my mouth to hers. Her hands land on my sides, holding on to my jacket as I devour her mouth, and when I pull back, her eyes shine with lust.

“What was that for?” she asks.

“You look sexy in my office. Pity we don’t have time for me to fuck you on my desk before we leave.”

That has her blinking rapidly, and before I can kiss her again, there’s a knock on the door.

“You’re here.”

I tuck Billie into my side as I turn to my ex-wife and smile at her. “Hello, Fiona. This is Billie Blackwell.”

Billie tenses beside me, only enough for me to feel it, but then she immediately walks forward, offering her hand to my ex.

“Pleasure,” Billie says, shaking Fiona’s hand.

Fiona raises an eyebrow and looks at me over Billie’s shoulder, and I know she’s about to underestimate my girl.

“How lovely to meet you,” Fiona says. “And a beautiful girl you are at that. That’s a lovely blouse.”

Billie stiffens as she steps back. “Thank you. If you’ll excuse me, I have a lot of work to see to.”

She smiles at both of us, then crosses to her computer bag and pulls out her laptop.

“Connor, can I sit at your desk, or should I?—”

“Make yourself comfortable, angel,” I reply easily, still watching Fiona. “I’ll be a couple of hours. If you need anything at all, Scott is at his desk, and he can help you. He’s Fiona’s and my assistant since I’m not in the office often.”

“Thank you,” Billie says with an easy smile. “I’m fine for now.”

“Everyone is in the conference room,” Fiona says, waiting for me.

I nod, but I don’t move toward her. Instead, I cross to Billie and press my lips against her forehead, then lean down to her ear and whisper, “I love you to distraction, a ghrá . Make yourself at home.”

She smiles up at me and doesn’t bother to whisper when she replies, “I love you, too.”

With that, I walk toward Fiona, not missing the way her eyes have widened, and when we’re in the hallway and my office door is closed, she immediately starts asking questions.

“This is serious, then? And how old is she, Connor? She looks like a bleedin’ uni student.”

I stop and turn to her. “You’ll want to be careful how you talk about her. I won’t warn you again.”

She scowls, but I keep walking into the conference room. She’s my friend, but she’s also my ex-wife, and I won’t confide in her about my relationship with Billie. I know that’ll piss Fiona off, but I don’t care.

I want to get through these meetings quickly so I can take Billie home.

The sooner I get out of here, the better.