Page 42 of Where We Bloom (The Blackwells of Montana #3)

Chapter Twenty-Three

CONNOR

I want to run after Billie and make sure she’s all right.

Aye, her backbone is something to behold.

I’ve never seen her so angry, and as much as it’s a turn-on, I’m also worried that Fiona has pushed her beyond what she can bear.

Or is willing to tolerate.

And that would be unforgivable.

I cannot lose this woman. My heart. How many unwanted situations will Billie have to contend with by being in my life? I want to reassure her that nothing Fiona said was true. Not for us.

But before I can do any of that, I have to talk to my ex-wife.

Calmly, I stride into my office and close the door behind me. Fiona’s standing before my desk, breathing hard, but when she sees me, she pastes on a smile.

“You just missed Billie,” she says .

“I saw her,” I reply and stop ten feet from her, shove my hands in my pockets, and rock back on my heels, watching her. She stares me dead in the eyes. “She didn’t look happy.”

“Oh, you know how young people are,” she replies, waving me off as she strides toward the door. “So emotional.”

“Especially when their man’s ex-wife tries to warn them off the relationship.”

That has her coming up short, and she turns to stare at me with a frown. “Pardon?”

“You heard me, Fiona. I heard every bloody word you said to her.”

“It’s not like you to eavesdrop.”

“I didn’t realize it was like you to be a condescending, coldhearted bitch, but here we are.”

Fiona gasps, clutching at her very real pearls. “You can’t speak to me like that.”

“Oh, aye. I can. That woman did nothing to you. She’s not the reason our marriage failed. She’s not trying to take anything from you. So would you like to explain to me what in the actual feck your problem is?”

“I didn’t try to be cruel,” she says, her shoulders drooping in defeat.

“I honestly wanted to make sure she understood what she’s getting herself into with you because I know from experience that the aftermath can be devastating.

She’s so young , Connor. And she’s so desperately in love with you, she might as well be walking around with heart eyes, and we both know that you don’t do love. ”

I shake my head. I don’t want to hurt her, but she took a shot at my angel, and no one in this world gets to do that without consequence. “I’m in love with her. Desperately. Completely. Irreversibly, and I’ve told her so. Often.”

Fiona’s eyes register hurt before she schools her features and clears her throat.

“I see.” She swallows hard and nods. “Do you know that in the five years we were married, you never once said those words to me? Not one time.”

I lift an eyebrow. “No, I didn’t.”

“So it’s not that you’re not capable, just that you weren’t able to love me. ”

“Fiona.” I sigh and push my hands through my hair.

“What in the actual — Where is this coming from after a dozen years, another marriage, and two kids? None of this is news. I’m not cheating on you because it’s been over for what feels like a lifetime.

If you’re half the friend you claim to be, you’d be happy for me, with maybe a hint of concern.

You don’t attack the woman I love in my own bloody office. ”

“It has disaster written all over it. Besides, what am I supposed to think? The age gap is significant, Connor, and she comes from a family with such meager wealth, it screams gold digger.”

“If you want to keep your position with this company, you’ll watch your goddamn mouth.”

Her mouth opens and then closes again.

“Like Billie told you, you don’t know us, and what’s between us is none of your fecking business.

I don’t care what you think about my relationship with Billie.

If you think I’d choose you and our friendship—which is hanging on by a bloody thread—over the love of my life, you don’t know me at all.

But I’m going to give you a piece of advice. ”

I cross to her and sense that the rage boiling inside me is written all over my face. Her eyes widen.

“Upset her again, and you’ll regret it. If you can’t handle seeing me with her, you need to find another position elsewhere. Because she’s not going anywhere.”

“Ronan—”

“Agrees.”

Both of our heads turn to see my best friend standing in the doorway, his blue eyes fierce as he stares at his wife.

“I don’t know what you did,” he says, his voice hard, “but you were wrong. And if you’re still in love with him, you should have said so a long time ago.”

“No, that’s not it at all,” she says, shaking her head, looking desperate now. “I’m not in love with Connor. I don’t know if I ever truly was. How can you love someone like that when they don’t return the feelings?”

Ronan’s eyes soften slightly, but I can see the hurt there, too, and it makes my stomach clench.

Jesus, Fiona.

She sighs, shakes her head, and throws her hands up at her sides.

“I had good intentions. Warn the girl that Connor Gallagher is emotionally unavailable. Then I discovered that there are real feelings there, and yeah, it bruised my pride because once upon a time, I wanted those feelings from you. It doesn’t matter that I don’t want them now. It still gave me a jolt.”

“We need to have a private conversation,” Ronan says, suddenly looking tired, and I nod.

“And I need to find my angel and make sure she’s okay.”

I breeze past Fiona, but when I get to Ronan, I lay my hand on his shoulder.

“I’m happy for you,” he says to me. “And that’s the truth of it, mate. You deserve to be happy.”

“So do you,” I remind him before I walk out of the room and head for the restroom that Billie walked into ten minutes ago.

When I walk inside, I find her standing in front of the sinks. Her arms are crossed over her chest, and she’s scowling at her own reflection.

Without a word, I wrap my arms around her, capturing her arms between us, and hold on tight.

“I wasn’t prepared for that,” she whispers against my chest.

“Of course, you weren’t, and it’s sorry I am that you had to deal with it. She’s so out of line, a ghrá. ”

“I know.”

“I’m sorry that you’re upset.”

“I’m not.” She looks up at me, and I see a fire raging in her eyes.

She stood up for me to Fiona. Like a goddamn warrior.

“She doesn’t ever get to say those things about you,” she says, her voice hard, not shaking in the least. “I had to leave before I decked her. ”

“God, you’re bloody incredible, Billie Blackwell.”

“I’m questioning your judgment in friends right now,” she says, still scowling at me. “I haven’t even met Ronan yet, but if he’s anything like her?—”

“Listen to me.” I frame her face in my hands, and she wraps her arms around my waist, leaning into me. Her body is tight with anger, and the fact that it’s on my behalf is humbling. “I spoke with her and made it clear that if she has a problem with you and me, she needs to go.”

Billie blinks fast. “Go … where?”

“Find another job. I don’t fecking care. Because you’re my heart, and if she can’t be happy for me and accept you, then she’s no bloody friend of mine.”

Surprise flashes through her amazing eyes. “You’d give her up because I had a fight with her?”

I can’t help the chuckle that escapes me as I brush my lips over hers.

“I’d do anything for you. You are priority number one, and if they don’t approve, they can go.

Because you’re here for the long haul. I heard you in there, your magnificent spine in every bleeding word you handed her.

It was the sexiest thing I’d ever heard. ”

“She pissed me off,” she admits. “I know she was trying to be a mean girl, maybe bully me a bit, certainly let me know that I’m far beneath her shiny Louboutins, but she messed with the wrong fucking girl.

I’m not a shy wallflower who will cower to her or anyone else.

You’re mine, and I stick up for what’s mine. ”

“ Mo chroi. ” I pull her in and kiss the top of her head, then I pick her up in my arms. She wraps her legs around my waist, her skirt bunching up around her hips, as I carry her to the door and flip the deadbolt, locking us in.

“I’m not having sex on that sink. Public restrooms are gross. ”

I grin against the curve of her neck and hitch her up higher, then pin her against the opposite wall so no one can hear us.

“This works,” I growl against her ear. “God, you’re so goddamn strong and sexy and perfect for me in every way.”

I get my pants undone and my cock freed. Sliding her panties aside, I run my finger through her slit, groaning when I find her wet.

“Inside me,” she breathes. “Please, Connor, I need you inside me.”

“Such a good girl,” I whisper against her ear as I push inside her, pausing when I’m balls deep to nibble on her neck.

She squeezes around me. She loves being praised, and I love doing it.

With my hands planted on her arse, I start to move, long and slow strokes at first, but then I pick up the pace until I’m driving her into the wall, her back hitting it with every thrust, and she starts to unravel against me.

“Yes,” she breathes, her hands clenched in my hair. “ Yes , baby. Oh God, it’s so good.”

“So bloody good,” I echo. “I need you to come for me, bumble. Come apart for me, good girl.”

She gasps, lets her forehead fall to mine, and then she’s quaking around me, her pussy clenching me so tightly, there’s no way to hold back my own climax. Eyes pinned to hers, I empty myself inside her.

“Thank you,” she whispers against my lips as she continues to cling to me, and I brace her against the wall.

“You never have to thank me for this.”

She grins and brushes her nose against my own. “Not for this , billionaire. For being you. For giving me more. For showing me how you feel about me.”

“It’s entirely my pleasure. Every minute with you is an absolute pleasure , and that’s the truth, a ghrá. ”

I capture her mouth with mine, showing her how much I love her before I set her down and we both clean up. I unlock the bathroom, and we walk out.

No one looks at us. No one even hints that they might know what was happening behind that door.

Good, I don’t have to fire anyone today.

“Are you finished with your meetings?” she asks me.

“Aye. Did you get everything done that you needed to?”

“No, actually, I was interrupted.” Dammit, Fiona. “But I can finish on the plane or in the car or whatever mode of transportation we’re taking.”

“You get motion sickness, baby.”

I brush my hand over her hair as we walk toward my office.

“I’ll probably be okay.”

“No, you’ll sit at my desk and finish up. We can leave any time. There’s no hurry.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes. Are you hungry?”

“Actually, I’m starving.”

“Then I’ll order in some food, and we’ll leave in a couple of hours.”

She bites her lip as she sits behind my desk.

“What is it, bumble?”

“My work isn’t as important as yours. It can wait if you want to go.”

I shake my head at her. “I don’t know where you get the idea that what you do isn’t as important as what I do. You run a business, same as me. They’re equally as important. Do what you need to do, mo chroi. ”

“Okay.” She smiles and wakes up her laptop. “I’ll be done within the hour.”

“Perfect, I’ll go order the food.”

I walk out to Scott’s desk, and he looks up at me expectantly.

“Aye, sir, how can I help ye?”

“I need you to order in fish and chips for two, along with some Bailey’s cheesecake.”

“The whole cheesecake, sir?”

“Aye. Within the hour.”

Walking back into my office, where Billie’s already hovered over her computer, her brows pulled together as she scans the screen, I fetch my laptop, sit on the other side of the desk from her, and dig into my own work while we wait for the food.

“You can have your chair back, and we can switch sides,” she offers.

“No need,” I reply. “I’m happy where I am, bumble. I like watching you be the boss.”

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 about you ?”

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 are beneath 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.