Pierced Hearts (Southern Charmers Book 1)

by Ahren Sanders

  Oh lord, he’s struck a nerve now. She jerks up, one hand snaking around his bicep and yanking. “How dare you insinuate that I take child support money for myself. And screw you for publicly announcing our personal business.”

  He doesn’t budge, but his eyes fall to her hand. “Take your hand off me, Connie. Now,” he demands in a voice low and scary.

  The woman returns with his credit card, and he signs the slip, briefly showing me the tip he left. I nod approval.

  “Baby, grab your stuff,” he instructs me. “We’re getting out of here.”

  I’m about to tell him I can’t put my shoes on yet, but it’s not necessary when he bends and scoops me out of the chair. There’s a chorus of giggling and soft laughter that follows us out of the spa.

  The blonde named Andi is laughing so hard her face is red. On our way out, he stops beside her, dips his chin in an appreciative nod, and then leaves without a word.

  I was right earlier. Pierce came here today to make a statement, and he didn’t hold back. To me, to Connie, to anyone who witnessed what went down. Pierce and Darby… Darby and Pierce… Any way you say it, he’s staked his claim. He obviously doesn’t think we’re doomed.

  Unfortunately, he may have also started World War III.

  Chapter 14

  Darby

  “Peirce!” His name leaves my lips on a strangled cry.

  “More,” he demands, pumping harder and lifting my hips to hold me in place. He doesn’t let up, and when my eyes clear, my stomach twists and curls at the sight of him. A sheen of sweat covers his neck and chest. Every ridge and plane of his muscles are strained. I lick my lips, craving to run my tongue back over him.

  His eyes flare, and I know he’s remembering the same thing. My mouth around him, massaging his balls, swallowing deep. It had been a long time, but I hadn’t lost my touch.

  “Fucking addicted,” he grates out. “On your knees, sucking my dick like a pro, taking me in so fucking deep I was banging the back of your throat. Ten seconds in, and I wanted to blow. Twelve fucking years I missed that. Knowing it’s all mine.”

  I reach out and scale my nails down his chest. “All yours.”

  Saying Pierce is pleased about my celibacy is an understatement. His possessive nature is borderline obsessed.

  What started slow and sweet turned frantic the instant he tried to slide out of my mouth, and I shook my head, working him harder. I needed to taste him, give him the same pleasure to drive him wild. He wanted to be inside me, but I didn’t give in, pushing him over the edge as he erupted with a loud groan. I savored the few seconds of power it gave me.

  Then I was flying through the air, tossed on my back, and he was between my legs, devouring me. He showed no mercy, and I came twice before he finally kissed his way up my body and slid inside me. It didn’t take long until he had me screaming again.

  “Give me another one.” His fingers dig into my skin.

  “Impossible.”

  Now, his eyes flame for a different reason. The challenge is there.

  “Hands on the headboard, baby.”

  He picks up speed, slamming into me with such force, I know I’m going to come again. I close my eyes, thrilling waves shooting through my veins, feeling everything. He swells inside me, filling me more, and I moan at the sensations building.

  “Watch, Darby. Look at me.”

  My eyes flutter open in time to see him trail a hand over my hipbone and run a finger along my slit where we’re connected. He continues the movement, brushing my clit with each swipe. My hands grip the wood, and I arch into him, needing more.

  “Oh my God.” My body trembles, and he grins, knowing he’s going to get what he wants.

  My breathing is unsteady as I watch the scene. He’s proving that he owns my pleasure. His hand dips lower, moving between us until he’s rubbing a circle around my tight rim. My eyes grow wide, and he grins wickedly.

  “Come for me, beautiful. Come on my cock.” He drives in over and over, teasing me with his finger while I’m helpless to what’s happening. I can’t take it anymore.

  “AHHHHHHHHHHHH!” I yell, coming up off the bed. Fireworks cloud my mind as I shatter. He’s with me this time, calling my name. Everything is a blur. My body goes limp, but he catches me, holding me close.

  “Jesus, Darby.” His voice comes out hoarse. “Every time, every single time with you is the best.”

  My heart soars, and I tilt my head to kiss him. He lurches inside of me, and I whine down his throat.

  “I’ll give you a little break.” He nips my bottom lip.

  After a few minutes, when I can move, I slip away from him. “I need to clean up.”

  “It’s sexy as hell, knowing you’re full of me.”

  My legs wobble when I stand, and he grins triumphantly. “You really are a caveman.”

  He swats my butt as I limp away.

  A few minutes later, I shuffle back to the bedroom to find Pierce with his back against the headboard, sheets across his hips, and his eyes trained on Runner, who’s laid out full length beside him. This leaves little space on my side of the bed.

  “We’re gonna have a problem.”

  “I don’t need much room.” I arrange my pillows and start to climb into bed.

  “Stop.”

  “What do you suggest I do? He’s used to sleeping with me.”

  “You need to figure something out. We don’t have a night like we had, fuck like we fucked, and then sleep with a dog between us. The first night, I had to leave because I was installing your security system. The second night, I left to organize my life so I could take off to Aspen. This is the first time I’ve had you all night in twelve years. We need to find another place for Runner.”

  I go the hall closet and drag out the oversized dog bed that never gets used, and then throw it on the floor at the end of the bed. “Runner, down here,” I coax him off, and he sniffs the unfamiliar bed, glancing at me, confused. “It’s okay, lie down.” He huffs, falls over, and rolls to his side.

  “Better?” I prop my hands on my hips, pretending to be annoyed.

  “I’ll be better when you lose the clothes and get up here.”

  “I’m not losing the clothes because we need to talk.”

  “We can’t talk naked?” He crooks an eyebrow.

  “Not the way I want to.” I crawl in and sit cross-legged next to him, wincing at the sting between my legs. “How’d you know what was happening at the salon? Did Stephanie message you?”

  “Yes, but she was far down in line, and her message was a little more graphic in nature.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You want to talk about this tonight? We haven’t seen each other in over a week.”

  “That’s why we need to talk about it. You blindsided me today. I thought you finally saw my reasoning about our impossible reconciliation. Then you walked in, swept me off my feet—literally—and probably brought a world of hell upon yourself.”

  His lips form a hard line, and a flicker of irritation flames in his eyes. “Apparently, you do want to talk about this tonight.”

  “Of course, I do.”

  “First of all, I never agreed with your reasoning because this reconciliation has already happened. You’re the only one who isn’t seeing it. Secondly, my world has been hell for a long time, and today didn’t add anything new. But I’m not living that life anymore, and I’ve been working my ass off this last week to make sure of it.”

  I take a deep breath, clap my hands together in my lap, and tell him, “Explain that.”

  “When you told me about Brasher’s offer, I knew I couldn’t ask you to give that up for me, but I’m not willing to lose you again. Stephanie had said something earlier that day that clicked into place, and I knew I had to be proactive. Connie’s been a bitch since she found out you were back in town, or I should say, more of a bitch. That’s why she was at dinner that night at Rosen’s. She has no problem using my kids to her advantage. Maya and Cole had
already hinted at coming to stay with me earlier than usual. The timing was perfect. It sucked I couldn’t be with you, but in the long run, it was a good step in the right direction. When I have my kids, I’m in charge, and Connie knows to back off. It’s one reason Maya has a phone. Connie can reach them, but my time is my time, and she knows better than to question me.”

  Like always, when his kids are mentioned, my body tenses and I clasp my hands stronger, digging my nails into the skin. “I wouldn’t know anything about parenting, but I’m sure it’s tough.”

  He studies my face and sighs. “We’ll talk about that statement another time. Right now, I need to know you’re focused on what I’m saying, not the fact that I have kids with another woman.”

  It would be easy to tell him that fact is never going to change, but I nod my understanding so he will go on.

  “Being part owner in the company has a lot of perks, and one of them is adjusting my hours when needed. It’s easy when they’re in school. But the last few days, with school out, my mom helped me. I’d pick them up afternoons. We’d do our thing, and then they’d need their own time. They’re independent kids. It fucking killed me staying away, but our nightly conversations became one of my favorite parts of the day.”

  “I liked them, too,” I say, loving the way his eyes go soft.

  “Outside of planning the trip to Aspen, first up was making amends with Evin. I called and asked for an appointment, and we met. Things weren’t easy, but we both unloaded. In the end, we decided to bury the hatchet.”

  “What? You met with Evin? Why didn’t he tell me?”

  “Because he was step one in my plan, and out of respect, he gave me the time to get my shit together so I could tell you myself.”

  ‘That explains why he’s going to help with the horses tomorrow.”

  “I’m pretty sure, if I didn’t make the first move, Edward was going to throw us in a boxing ring and make us fight it out.”

  “Dad was involved?”

  “I had to contact Annie to help with my travel, which meant Edward was blowing up my phone.”

  “I can’t believe my entire family was keeping this from me.”

  “Don’t get angry with them. I may have used emotional manipulation and asked them to let me get things straight on my end.”

  “And they fell for it?”

  “I can be pretty convincing.” I almost want to slap the smug grin off his face… almost.

  “Go on.”

  “Evin, Edward, and Annie are all on the same page. Then it was time to cover my ass with Connie.”

  “Oh, God,” I tense.

  “I met with my lawyer. He’s a smart guy and totally out of the gossip loop in Charleston. He knew a little about you from his wife, who, by the way, is a nurse at the hospital, but otherwise, he’s clueless of our history. After I explained my concerns, he’s now on call.”

  “Why would he need to be on call?”

  “Because I’m in love with a woman, and the mother of my kids is not going to take that well. I’m not delusional and need to be prepared for anything. Connie’s a wild card, and if she thinks of dragging my kids through the mud, then I’m prepared.”

  My heart sinks because this is exactly what I was trying to explain to him. We will never work. “Pierce, I think we need to be realistic. There are too many cards stacked against us.”

  “No, Darby, there aren’t. What we have is a lot of balls in motion. And I’m getting ready for a fight.”

  I draw in a breath and decide to say it before I lose the courage. “I’m not strong enough for a fight. I’m about to enter into a new stage of my career, and your life doesn’t allow you to be a part of it.”

  “Baby, you don’t need to worry about anything because I’m strong enough to fight for both of us. You’re going to kick ass, and I’m going to be there cheering you on. You stay focused, and I’m going to protect you from anything that threatens that.”

  “Protect me? That’s why you showed up today.”

  “You had to know all that backstory to know what happened today. I told Connie last week I had a business trip out of town and would be leaving on Sunday. She didn’t question me because my job is not her business. Connie’s mom wanted the kids early. I already had plans to surprise you and take you to dinner. I knew you were spending the day getting ready for the trip, and when I was finishing up at my last site, my assistant, Andi, messaged me. She told me that Connie had approached a woman named Darby in the nail salon.”

  That’s who she was! I knew I’d heard that voice before. She was talking in the background when Pierce called me the other day.

  “Andi must have heard your name before. She perked up, felt the hostility, and thought to message me. Then my mom texted that she heard Connie was there. One by one, texts came in, and by the time Stephanie got me, I was in the parking lot. Connie is not going to make your life in Charleston hell unless she wants repercussions. I’m not hiding what you mean to me, and she saw today that her games are useless.”

  “Good lord, we’re going to be on an episode of Jerry Springer.”

  “Not in my lifetime. She can act like a fool, show her ass, and try as hard as she wants, but she has nothing going for her.”

  “She has two things I don’t,” I confess.

  His face goes pale, and I can see the turmoil building behind his eyes. He knows I’m right. “Give me time to prove this to you, Darby. Give me tonight, give me Aspen, give me these experiences we should have been celebrating all along. I need that. I need you.”

  The desperation in his words hits me square in the chest, and I unclasp my hands and fall over, hugging him tightly. “Okay.”

  He shifts me easily over his body and squeezes. “Trust me enough to stick with me.”

  I don’t answer, burying my face into his neck. “I think you’re crazy, but I’ll jump on the bandwagon.”

  “Thank fucking God, because I wasn’t taking no for an answer.”

  Chapter 15

  Pierce

  “I’ve got about a quarter of an ounce of patience left, which means there’s not enough to deal with you.” I gulp my whiskey, eyeing Miller over the rim of my glass.

  He walks through my front door anyway, setting a full bottle on the coffee table in front of me. “Peace offering.”

  “Piss off. Unless you have the ability to time travel and give me the twelve years I missed with Darby, your offering is useless.”

  “Are you going to put all that shit on me? I have the right to my opinion, Pierce, even if it doesn’t fit into your perfectly planned world. I was worried about you, had concerns, and voiced them to our parents when I thought we were alone. How the fuck was I supposed to know she was eavesdropping?”

  A growl rumbles from low in my throat, and I glare at him. “Get out.”

  “No, this has gone on long enough.”

  “You used that ounce of patience. I repeat, get out.”

  “Not leaving here until you talk to me.”

  “Fuck me, Miller. I don’t want to talk to you. I just hung up the phone with a highly pissed off Connie, who’s raging so hard, there’s no telling what she’s going to do.”

  “You can’t be shocked, considering the scene you caused yesterday. If you were going for low drama, you missed the mark.”

  It doesn’t surprise me that Miller heard about the nail salon. Over half the town knows. Even with the aftermath, I’d do it all over again to see the look on Darby’s face after I kissed her.

  “Though I’d have paid money to watch it play out in front of Connie.” He goes on with a soft chuckle. “For a man who’s spent years keeping his private life a mystery, you certainly gave a good show. A lot of people took enjoyment in their front row seats.”

  “Glad I could provide the entertainment.” I pour another shot as he sits across from me. “Why are you here?”

  “Why are you shooting back whiskey by yourself on a Saturday night?”

  “None of your business.�
��

  “Fair enough.” He grabs the bottle he set on the table, unscrews the cap, and swigs straight from the bottle.

  “Peace offering my ass.”

  “I got thirsty.” He shrugs unapologetically.

  “Seriously, Miller, go home. I’m not in the mood for you tonight.”

  “Too bad. I’ve given you enough time to stew over this shit. Darby comes back into town, and you’re acting crazy. Going to war with your family, fighting with the mother of your children, taking off to unknown places, this is what I was afraid of.”

  “Do not come in here, spewing this shit to me tonight. I am not at war with Mom and Dad. They understand exactly where I’m coming from.”

  “What about me, Pierce? Don’t I get to understand where you’re coming from? Maybe you could explain it to me since I’m now the enemy.”

  “Why do you even care? You made up your mind and cast judgment a long time ago.”

  “Goddammit, Pierce! Talk to me.”

  I tilt my head to the side and look at my brother. Digging deep, I wonder what I would do if the roles were reversed? Images flood my mind of those first weeks after Darby left. He’s the one that made sure I survived.

  “Darby didn’t get pregnant on purpose, Miller. The week before her finals, she got so stressed, she took an anxiety pill. We think it interacted with her birth control. She was mortified. It took me weeks to convince her it was meant to be.”

  “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

  “It never crossed my mind because I never imagined you were such a dickhead. I thought you were happy for us.”

  He guzzles from the bottle again. “Tell me what happened.”

  Darby’s face flashes in my mind at the same time Stephanie’s advice comes back to me. I’m pissed at my brother, but he’s still my brother, and I will need him to get through this.

  Except for the frequent tugs of the liquor, he sits impassively as I tell him what happened from the time Darby knew she was pregnant until the time she returned over a month ago. By the time I’m done, he’s leaning on his knees, his shoulders slumped and head hung low. “Jesus, what do I even say to this? How do we come back from it?”