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)
“Have you slept on many beds on airplanes?” he asks, pushing my hair away from my face.
“This is the first,” I reply. “And I don’t call this sleeping.”
He smirks in that sexy way he does when he’s amused by me. “Why don’t we have a wee nap? Since you can’t work right now, get some rest.”
“Only if you’ll stay with me.”
“I’ve nowhere else to be,” he replies as he covers us with the blanket.
“In case I forget,” I whisper to him as I thread my leg through his and wrap my arm around his middle, tucking my hand between his side and the bed. “Thank you for everything. I had the best time.”
He kisses my forehead, his hands rubbing up and down my back.
“Go to sleep, Billie.”
I can’t resist him. Between that mind-numbing orgasm and the stress of the week, I’m exhausted, and quickly fall into sleep.
Chapter Nineteen
CONNOR
“So you had someone drop this SUV, which looks exactly like the one in Montana, at the tarmac so Miller could drive us to wherever we’re going when we got off the plane?” Billie asks as we travel through the city on the way to my penthouse.
“Aye.” I reach over to brush my finger down her cheek. Christ, she’s magnificent. Watching her put the flight attendant in her place was such a fucking turn-on. I didn’t know whether to laugh or strip her bare and fuck her. She didn’t even raise her voice. She simply kept her chin up and made it clear she wouldn’t tolerate being disrespected like that.
I wasn’t aware the attendant was paying any attention to me. Why would I? I’m always too consumed with the woman next to me.
She slept through the rest of the flight, curled up around me, and surprisingly, I was able to sleep almost as long. So despite landing in New York at about midnight local time, we’re both wide awake.
And Billie is staring at the lights out the passenger window.
“Have you been to New York City before, angel?”
“No.” She shakes her head but doesn’t turn to look at me. “I haven’t been east of the Mississippi very much. It’s so … bright.”
“It is that.” I link my fingers with hers as Miller drives us into the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
Miller pulls into the parking garage under my building, and Billie turns to me with a scowl.
“What’s wrong?” I reach over to brush her hair over her shoulder.
I can’t stop touching her. Ever.
How did I stay away from her for all of those months?
“This doesn’t look like a hotel.”
I glance out the window, then back at her. “That’s because it’s not a hotel. Did you want to stay at one? I can arrange it.”
“Oh, no, I assumed we’d be—” She bites her lip and frowns, and now that we’re stopped, I unclip her seat belt and pull her against me.
“Talk to me, a ghrá.”
“That’s a new one,” she murmurs. “I shouldn’t assume things. So you have a place in this building?”
I smirk and press a quick kiss to her pouty lips. “I have the building, baby.”
Her mouth gapes, and I push out of the vehicle and walk around to open her door. When she hops out, I take her computer bag from her, carrying it myself.
“Come on, we’re on the top floor.”
“Of course, we are,” she whispers, but I catch it.
“Simon and I will bring everything up in a few,” Miller says, and I nod his way as I escort Billie to the private elevator that leads to the penthouse.
“Breathe.” I rub her back in big circles. “It’s just an apartment, you know.”
That makes her bark out a laugh. “Right. I’m sure it’s similar to the apartment I had in college.”
I can’t help but wink down at her as the doors open into the foyer of my place. Linking her hand with mine, I lead her out of the elevator.
“Wow,” she whispers, dropping my hand and immediately going for the windows that offer stunning views of Central Park. I set her bag on the sofa, watching her. She’s full of nervous energy, and I don’t like that. “You own the building.”
“I do, but I lease the other floors.” I shove my hands in my pockets as I stand back and watch her take in my place. It’s not similar to the Montana house in any way. This has a more luxurious feel, and for the price tag, it should. The living room is expansive, open to the kitchen, and everywhere you look is glass because it’s been designed to let in the views of the park and city around us.
I don’t like how quiet she is.
“Talk to me.”
“I mean, it’s—” She props her hands on her hips, takes another look around, and blows air out of her mouth, making a raspberry with her lips. “Gorgeous. Smart. Welcoming. Fucking intimidating.”