Page 78 of Where We Bloom

He narrows his eyes at me. “You hired them, then?”

“Yes. Four new girls, and I’m excited.”

He tilts his head and nods. “Good. It scared me when I walked in and saw you upset. I don’t like it when you’re unhappy. It doesn’t sit well with me.”

“You’re sweet.”

Connor laughs at that. “I don’t think anyone has ever accused me of being sweet a day in my life, angel.”

“Then they’re wrong.” I kiss his cheek and breathe him in. “I’ll be late tonight. I’ll just crash at my place.”

“I’ll meet you there,” he replies.

“You don’t have to?—”

“I’ll meet you there, bumble. No arguments.”

With a smile, I hug him back. “Okay, billionaire. No arguments.”

Chapter Fourteen

CONNOR

“Take me home, Miller,” I say as I exit the bookshop and get in the back seat of the SUV.

I have calls to make, work to do, and I need to pack a bag to take to Billie’s house this evening.

Speaking of that, Miller’s not going to like this news.

Not that it matters.

“I’ll be staying at Billie’s tonight,” I inform him as he pulls onto the road. I don’t miss the way he frowns at me in the rearview, and I raise an eyebrow at him. “Problem?”

“Her security is shit.”

He’s not telling me anything I don’t know.

“Doesn’t change anything about where I’ll be spending the night.”

Miller simply sighs and keeps his mouth shut, which is wise.

My goal is to get Billie moved in with me soonerrather than later. Not because there’s anything at all wrong with her home—aside from the security. I just want her in mine.

Permanently.

My phone rings, and I smile when I see the name of an old friend on the screen.

“Kane,” I say in greeting. “So nice of you to return my call. From four bleeding days ago.”

“I don’t answer the fecking phone,” he reminds me, sounding as cheerful as ever. “If my wife didn’t remind me to look at it once in a while, I wouldn’t even have it.”

“And how is Stasia?” I ask him. “Does she miss me? I bet she pines.”

“Go feck yourself,” he mutters, making me grin. “She can’t stand you, and you know it. Why are you bleedin’ calling me, boyo?”

“Are you on your island these days or in Galway?”

Kane and I grew up together as boys in Galway. He and his family moved to an island off the coast of Seattle before we were teenagers, but we stayed in touch. I went into the family business, but Kane became a world-renowned glass artist, with museums dedicated to his work in several major cities across the globe.

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