Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 115435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
My phone pings with a text, and I pull it out of my pocket, pleased that it’s my angel.
Angel: Did you seriously send this?
Angel: *Photo of a case of water*
You need to stay hydrated. It’s your favorite.
Yes, I sent a case of her favorite water to the bookshop just to make her smile. Because her smile is my favorite thing.
How are you today? Is your shop busy?
I want to go in and see her, but I have to be here for this. Then I have work to catch up on from yesterday.
“I have to take this call,” Lyle says, stepping away from me and giving me a few minutes to enjoy my girl.
Angel: It’s Saturday, so we’re busy. I hope the interviews on Monday go well because I’d like to start being open on Sunday as well. Holy shit, now flowers are being delivered?
I can’t help but laugh at that. I love that she doesn’t have a filter and says what she’s thinking. She’s not shy in the least, has no poker face, and it’s a breath of fresh air. It makes me wonder how I’ve survived so many years of yes-men who’ve bent over backward to appease me but have never shown interest in me as a person.
She’s one of a kind.
Christ, I want to see her.
A few seconds later, my phone rings.
“Hello, bumble.”
“You bought out the whole florist,” she says, her raspy voice a little shaky. “Summer just said that you bought all of the flowers, Connor.”
And I’d buy her more if they’d had them.
“I hope you like them.”
“Like them?” She huffs a breath, then chuckles. “The whole store? You couldn’t save some for someone else? What if someone has an anniversary or something?”
“Not my problem. Tell me you like the flowers, mo rúnsearc. And the water.”
She’s quiet for a moment, and then her voice is soft, and I ache to touch her. “I like the flowers and the water.”
“Good. I’d like to take you to dinner tonight, if you’re free.”
“I’ll be finished here around six thirty.”
I smile. Something that’s been happening more often. “I’ll be there, bumble. Have a good afternoon.”
“You too. And Connor?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
I pocket my phone and nod when Lyle raises a brow, wondering if I’m ready to move on.
“Let’s wrap this up,” I tell him.
I have to get ready for a date.
Her back is to me when I walk into the bookshop. Bouquets cover every available surface, filling the space with fragrance and color. Was it over the top to buy every bloom available at Paula’s Poseys?
Yes.
I don’t care. She deserves them.
She’s wearing the blue Dior dress she bought that day in Big Sky, her dark hair is in the usual curls down her back that never fail to make my fingers itch with the need to touch, and she’s wearing black heels that make me think of her naked and writhing with her legs on my shoulders.
I want this woman more than I’ve wanted anything else in my life. Her body, with all its curves and soft skin, is my fantasy brought to life. I know she was kidding yesterday when she said she’d fucked the owner of this place to get him to sell, but at that moment, I saw red.
I wanted to kill a faceless man at the mere thought of him having his hands, or his cock, anywhere near my angel’s perfect arse. Hell no.
And I’ll make it crystal clear to her that she’s mine.
Later.
She laughs at something her employee says, then turns around and stops short when she sees me, but the smile doesn’t leave her gorgeous face. I walk straight to her, tip her chin up, and cover her lips. I want to deepen the kiss, to brand her here, but I respect that these are her employees, so I keep the kiss light.
“I missed this face,” I whisper against her lips.
“You saw it just yesterday.”
“Still missed it,” I repeat before pulling back. Now that I get a good look at her, I can see the fatigue in her eyes. She reaches up to press on the tension on her neck as she turns to her employee.
“This is Emily,” she says, turning to me. “And this is Connor.”
“Hello,” Emily says with a polite smile. “I know you sent the flowers to the boss lady here, but I’m taking some home, so thanks for the flowers.”
I nod and shove my hands in my pockets. “Enjoy.”
“Oh, we are,” Emily says, walking off to return some books to a shelf.
“They won’t all fit in my house,” Billie says. “So I handed some out. But I’ll have you know, I kept my favorites for myself.”
“As you should. Are you all right then, mo rúnsearc?” I brush the pad of my thumb under her eye, and she leans her cheek into my palm, closing her eyes as if she’s exhausted. “We don’t have to do dinner. We can simply relax.”