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)
“You told me I had a driver, Connor. No one said a fucking word to me about him being security or that you wanted him with me all of the time. It was my fault that I asked him to wait for me and to stop hovering because I didn’t know.”
“It’s not your fault,” Connor counters, shaking his head. “He’s a fucking professional, and he knew what his job was today. He works for me, not for you. I need to trust that he’s doing that job and keeping you safe.”
“Why wouldn’t I be safe?” I demand. “I’m just a girl from Montana, Connor. I’m not rich. I’m not famous. I’m nobody. I’m just a tourist, wandering around the city, spending money that doesn’t even belong to me.”
Connor’s jaw clenches, the muscles bunching as his eyes gleam with rage. He stalks to me, palms the back of my neck, and pulls me against him, lowering his face to mine.
“You’re not nobody, and you’re not just anything. Do you understand me? You’re fucking everything in this world to me. And you’re mine. And that makes you a target. If someone has been watching my comings and goings here, they’ve seen you with me, and that means that if they want to hurt me, they could try by hurting you, and I will not, today or any other goddamn day, let that happen.”
“You’re hurting me,” I whisper.
He drops his hand, but he doesn’t walk away. His brows pull together. I can see the emotion raging through him, the frustration, the anger, and the … love?
“Christ, I’m sorry. I’d never hurt you, angel.”
“I know you wouldn’t. I’m okay. You’re upset.”
“That’s no excuse.”
“Hey, I’m fine. We just need to talk this out. You’re always telling me to talk to you.” I want to reach for him, to touch him, but we’re both so damn angry with each other. “It goes both ways. I didn’t know he was there to protect me. I didn’t know there was a threat to you and, therefore, me. I. Didn’t. Fucking. Know. And I don’t want Simon to be in trouble or lose his job just because things happened a certain way because of choices I made out of ignorance.”
“Why are you sticking up for Simon?” he demands, then his whole face changes. “Unless—”
“Do not fucking go there.” I stomp to him and take his hands in mine, holding on tight. “We’re not doing that, Connor. Are you crazy? You didn’t like it on the plane last night, and I won’t tolerate that now.”
He sighs and closes his eyes. “Feck.”
“I simply know when to own my own shit. Yes, he knows his job, but it was also on me for sending him away because I didn’t know better. So I guess you should yell at me, too.”
“Goddammit, I was fucking terrified!”
He paces away from me, fisting and un-fisting his hands before he wipes his hand over his mouth and then turns and pins me in his stare.
“You know, I think I’m going to change and give you some time to calm down.”
I walk away, headed for the stairs, and then suddenly, I’m airborne, in Connor’s arms, and he’s carrying me bridal style to the couch.
“You won’t walk away from me in anger,” he says, sitting and keeping me in his arms, holding me against him. “Never. We’ll have this out and move on with it.”
“Did you fire him?”
“No.”
“Did you threaten to?”
“Fuck, yes.”
I wiggle and straddle him so I can see him better. “Why didn’t you tell me that he’s security and not just a driver?”
“I didn’t think about it. I put him with you to act as another Miller, and it didn’t occur to me to spell it out to you because I don’t ever explain myself, Billie. I’m the boss. I make the rules, I give the orders, and everyone else follows them to the letter, or they’re gone.”
“But I’m not an employee.”
“No, you’re everything.” His voice is rough, and he looks so fucking tired when he closes his eyes for just a heartbeat, then he pins me with his gaze again and skims his fingertips down my cheek to my neck, holding me so tenderly, it makes me swallow hard. “I’m not used to relationships, angel. The one I had ended in divorce, and there hasn’t been another since. So far, I think our communication has been pretty good.”
“Pretty good,” I confirm. “Once you pulled your head out of your ass.”
His eyes narrow, and his hands rub up my thighs and around to my hips, and I continue.
“I’m not asking to be privy to every decision you make because that’s ridiculous, but if it involves me, I need to know, Connor.”
“You’re right.” He licks his lips, his eyes on my mouth, his hands firming on my body, as if it’s getting harder for him to keep himself under control, and it makes my nipples tighten against his chest. “I apologize. I won’t apologize to Simon because he fucked up. He’s going to be your personal security detail for the foreseeable future.”