“Yeah. Okay. Thanks for calling, AJ. We’ll meet you at the hospital.”
Hmm. Gannon sounded oddly calm right then. Had he been doing it for AJ? Maybe Gannon could feel AJ’s panic? Or was he dealing with Roan? Maybe he was in the middle of something.
Shit. Milly was having the baby!
Thank God Gannon didn’t ask a lot of questions. For one, AJ didn’t have a lot of answers. Nor did he have a lot of time.
“Hey, buddy,” he greeted Liam when he lifted the little boy from his crib. “We’re gonna make a midnight trip. But don’t worry, you can sleep in the car if you’d like.”
AJ cradled the little boy to his chest and headed back out to the living room.
Milly was standing there, her hand on her belly and Liam’s diaper bag over her shoulder. He quickly relieved her of that, then handed her the keys to lock Roan’s house.
With the baby in his arms, the car seat dangling from his hand, and the diaper bag over his shoulder, AJ hurried to his truck. He tried to keep his cool but he was quickly losing his shit.
The doctor had already informed Milly she could deliver any day now. He said it wasn’t unusual for a woman to have the baby a few weeks early, sometimes a few weeks late. He prayed that Miranda—yes, that was the name they’d already given her—was healthy and happy. Otherwise, AJ was going to track down Roan’s father and beat him within an inch of his life.
Milly joined him at the truck a minute later. After placing Liam in his car seat and snapping everything into place, he pulled a small blanket from the diaper bag and laid it over him.
He once again composed himself when he shut the door and turned to Milly. He opened the front passenger door and helped her in before practically running around to the driver’s side.
“I’m gonna need someone to get my bag from home,” Milly said as they pulled out of Roan’s neighborhood. “It’s all ready to go.”
“I know,” he told her. She’d gone over the plan with him at least two dozen times. She already had a bag packed for her as well as another for Miranda.
“Plus, you’ll have to make sure we get her car seat.”
“There’s plenty of time,” he assured her.
Milly’s breaths increased and her hands cradled her belly.
“Breathe,” he instructed, trying to keep his voice calm although he felt anything but.
AJ had thought about what the birth of his child would be like at least million times, thought for sure it would be just like any old day.
He couldn’t have been more wrong.
*
Milly was so glad she had opted for the epidural. She’d never in her life experienced anything as painful as the contractions that stole her breath and her sanity at the same time.
She thought for sure she was dying, despite the fact AJ assured her that wasn’t the case. The entire time she’d been in labor, AJ had stood stoically by her side. He was her strength in the storm, and while she had yelled a few times, she knew she could never have done it without him there.
But it was over.
The labor had been intense, but there were no complications. Well, none with Miranda, anyway. There had been some touch-and-go moments with AJ. At one point, as soon as Milly had started to push, she thought he was going to pass out. Thankfully for everyone involved, that hadn’t happened.
And now he was over with the nurse as they prepared Miranda to come to her. Every few seconds, he would look over at her and smile. Her heart swelled as she watched him. He was a godsend, her rock.
And now they had a daughter.
Miranda Lynn Ballard.
She and AJ had picked out the name together, spending hours tossing around various options, many of which they had laughed about, quite a few they had vetoed. But Miranda was the perfect name for the perfect baby.
Eight pounds, six ounces with a head full of dark hair. She was the most beautiful thing Milly had ever seen, and so far, she’d only gotten a brief glimpse of her.
The instant Milly heard her baby’s first cry, her heart had swelled to the size of the earth. Not only for Miranda but also for AJ. Having him there with her… She couldn’t imagine having to have done this alone.
Granted, AJ was still taking the friends thing very seriously. Of course, she wasn’t putting much effort into seducing him or anything. Not when being friends was her idea. Why was it her idea again?
Of course, it had helped that she’d been as big as a house. It was hard to want to seduce the sexiest man alive when she felt like a blimp most days. Not that she hadn’t enjoyed the pregnancy, but sometimes, when her skin felt two sizes too small for her expanding belly, the thought of showing any part of herself had been frightening.
As AJ approached, a huge smile on his face, Milly felt her heart melt a little. She loved this man. Even if she would never tell him. She was so grateful he was Miranda’s father. And he would be an amazing father. That much was a given. He had a heart of gold.
The nurse appeared with Miranda wrapped in a little pink blanket. As the woman rested the tiny little bundle on her chest, Milly’s heart turned over.
This was quite possibly the best day of her life. She honestly hadn’t expected to ever be a mother. Not because she didn’t want kids. She’d always wanted them, but she’d never seen herself in a relationship strong enough to bring one into the world. While she and AJ weren’t technically together, Milly knew they would be great parents together.
As for anything more than that…
Well, Milly hoped that one day things would work out the way they were supposed to. She wasn’t going to get her hopes up, because that never worked out for her. However, she was going to keep going the way they’d been for the past few months. And maybe, if things were meant to be, then something would come of it.
If not, at least she had AJ in her life.
That was more than she’d ever anticipated in the first place.
Ten
It’s been so long
Twelve weeks later, May 2
AJ carried Miranda into her bedroom, setting her sleeping form in her crib. The room was decked out in pink and white, the perfect setting for his little princess. While Miranda had a room at his house, she’d never stayed there. Instead, AJ had made a habit of spending nights in Milly’s guest room so he didn’t disrupt Miranda’s routine.
Well, not only for that reason. He stayed at Milly’s because he wanted to be there with Miranda. He didn’t want to miss anything, plus it had given him the opportunity to take care of Milly. He knew Milly would’ve allowed him to take Miranda to his place if he wanted. However, he saw no reason to when he could spend time with both of his girls this way.
Not that Milly belonged to him. She still kept him in the friend zone, and honestly, it was driving him mad. But he had learned to cope. Their awkwardly designed little family was working out great and the last thing AJ wanted to do was to cause any disruption to that.
“Good night, princess,” he whispered to his daughter as he stared down at her. She was the most precious thing in the world. Over the past three months, he’d learned as much as he could on how to take care of her and he was doing a rather good job, if he did say so himself.
The thought made him smile as he reached down and touched her tiny hand. God, he loved her. Far more than he’d ever thought possible.
“Sleep tight,” he said as he backed away from her crib. She would be up in roughly three hours for her late-night feeding, and until then, he would get some quality time with Milly.
He closed the door as quietly as he could and headed back to the living room. Milly was curled up in the corner of the couch, her eyes tracking him when he approached.
“So what are we gonna watch tonight?” she asked when he settled in beside her.
They weren’t close enough to touch, but he knew Milly liked to curl up against him when they were watching movies and he definitely didn’t mind, so he ensured she knew she was welcome.
“I get to pick?”
he teased. “Because that’s never happened before.”
Milly giggled. “Is there something specific you wanna watch?”
“Not necessarily.” He honestly didn’t care. As long as Milly was happy, he could watch anything.
And he had. For months, he’d spent many of his Friday and Saturday nights watching a variety of movies. Most of them chick flicks. Milly had a fondness for Nicholas Sparks and he was sure they’d seen them all at this point. He figured that was the direction she would go tonight, and it truly didn’t make a difference to him.
“I was thinking we could watch Fifty Shades of Grey.”
AJ knew his eyes were likely bugging out of his head. He had no earthly idea what the movie entailed, but from the previews he’d seen forever ago, it looked as though it was mostly about sex.
Milly giggled. “Or will that offend your prudish sensibilities?”
His eyes narrowed. “Did you just call me a prude?”
A full laugh escaped Milly as he inched closer.
AJ knew this was dangerous territory, but he couldn’t help himself. It had been far too long since he’d had his hands on this woman and he was desperate for her. The cruise had taken place on May thirtieth of last year and since they were back around to May again, the one-year mark was quickly approaching. He wanted nothing more than to have her beneath him, her luscious body surrounded by him while he consumed her in every way imaginable.
Milly giggled, then aimed the remote at the television. “Fifty Shades it is.”
Knowing he had to take a step back before he did something to ruin what they’d spent months building, AJ tickled her, then inched back to his spot.
A few minutes later, the movie started.
For a solid hour, he watched Milly watching the movie. AJ couldn’t find any interest in what was on the screen. Well, aside from the random moaning he heard. That was rather appealing. Too much, in fact.
Milly had moved closer as the minutes ticked by until she was practically lying with her head on his thigh, her attention on the screen. In a completely platonic way, AJ had rested his arm on her shoulder, and over time, it had drifted down to her side, behind her arm. Only, Milly had started shifting onto her back, which meant his hand was now pressed against the side of her breast.
He wasn’t sure she was aware of what she was doing, but he was. His dick damn sure was. If she was completely innocent in this, then he was a dog. Otherwise, this woman was playing with fire and there was no way this night ended like the last year’s worth of nights.
Figuring he would play the game—if there was a game—AJ remained where he was, ignoring the throbbing behind his zipper as he gently brushed his thumb against the side of her breast every so often.
“AJ?” Milly’s gaze shot to him.
“Hmm?” He pretended to be watching the television before glancing down at her.
Her breathing had increased, her chest rising and falling, matching the pounding of his heart. This was the moment of truth. If she wasn’t playing with him, he knew she would make a move. Milly wasn’t shy.
When her hand came over and wrapped around his wrist, he knew it could go one of two ways. Either she would move his hand off her and things would get rather awkward, or she would move his hand so that it covered her breast and then all bets were off at that point.
He held his breath, waiting to see what she would do.
AJ’s dick jerked in his jeans when she tugged his hand so that it covered her breast. He couldn’t contain the growl that erupted in his chest.
“Milly…” He didn’t mean it to come out as a warning, but that was exactly how it sounded.
“Please, AJ.” She pressed her hand over his, forcing him to cup her breast.
He knew this was not a good idea. All this time they’d maintained a perfectly good friendship and now they were going to cross a line they probably couldn’t go back from.
But he wasn’t a fucking saint.
His body took over, his thumb brushing over her nipple. She turned her attention back to the television while he fondled her gently. He wasn’t going to rush this, and he prayed like hell she didn’t change her mind.
Her soft moans said she was enjoying what he was doing to her. After a few minutes, he got bolder, sliding his hand beneath her T-shirt and tugging her bra cup down until his palm grazed the soft, smooth flesh.
Milly’s back bowed as she arched into him and AJ knew that this was not going to end in a platonic fashion.
Not by a long shot.
*
Milly was going to go out of her mind. Her skin was too tight, her body primed and eager for whatever AJ wanted to do to her. She’d waited so long for him to touch her again, silently willing him to simply take matters into his own hands.
Since he hadn’t done that, Milly had taken the lead. Tonight, she’d decided to be the instigator. Part of her had feared AJ would reject her, but based on his rapid breaths, that wasn’t the direction he was going.
She wanted to blame this on her hormones. Ever since she had Miranda, she’d been on fire. She wanted AJ with a passion that rivaled all, even if it wasn’t the best idea she’d ever had.
Right now, it was the only idea.
Arching into his hand, Milly moaned softly. She tried to focus on the television, enjoying the impromptu make-out session. However, that became impossible when he raised her T-shirt and freed her breast. The cool air kissed her skin, making her hotter than before.
Minutes passed while he teased and tormented her nipple. Milly was barely hanging on when AJ cleared his throat.
“Take off the shirt,” he instructed. “And the bra.”
Without a second thought, Milly sat up enough to discard the items he’d mentioned before tossing them onto the coffee table. She lay back down, her head once again resting on his rock-hard thigh. His hand resumed the mind-boggling torment, although this time, he teased both breasts, pinching her nipples until she was sighing and moaning in earnest.
Milly squeezed her thighs together, trying to ease the ache that had ignited. She was so wet, so ready for him.
“Unbutton your shorts,” he insisted.
Milly quickly worked the button free and lowered the zipper.
AJ’s hand traveled down her stomach, his fingers dipping into her shorts, then beneath the elastic band of her panties. She held her breath, desperate for him to touch her, to bring her to orgasm, to alleviate this god-awful ache.
But AJ’s fingers stopped just short of where she wanted him.
“Tell me,” AJ growled. “Tell me what you want, Milly.”
“You to touch me,” she replied, the words said on a breathless moan.
“Where?”
“My pussy.” His fingers slid a little lower. “Please. Touch my clit. I hurt so bad.”
Another growl escaped him as his thick finger pressed against the swollen bundle of nerves. Within seconds, she was writhing against him, chasing that damn release that would offer some relief.
Milly moaned, saying his name over and over as he worked her to the brink only to back off at the last second. When she couldn’t take any more, Milly shoved her shorts and panties down her thighs, then managed to kick them off. She lay there completely naked, not caring that her body wasn’t quite the same as before she’d had Miranda. She had stretch marks on her belly and the sides of her breasts, but they didn’t bother her. This was her new reality and she embraced it wholeheartedly.
AJ’s wicked fingers continued teasing, rubbing her clit to the point of insanity. She was bracing herself for his retreat, only he didn’t. This time, AJ continued to rub until the electricity sparked in her core, her orgasm igniting. She gritted her teeth and came in a hard, blinding rush. Every nerve in her body felt the tidal wave of pleasure that slammed into her.
It took a few minutes for her to come down from that long-awaited high, but when she did, Milly sat up and turned to face AJ.
She met his gaze and held it. “I want to suck you.”
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He groaned, as though that was the best and worst idea he’d ever heard. Maybe they could keep this simple. Without blurring the lines with intercourse. If she got him off with her mouth, perhaps they could put this behind them, go back to where they’d been an hour ago.
Friends.
AJ didn’t make a move to unbutton his jeans and Milly started to feel self-conscious. What if he didn’t find her attractive now that she was hanging out in all her post-baby glory? She’d almost lost the weight she’d gained, but she still had about five pounds to go. What if he didn’t like it? What if she didn’t turn him on the way she had before?
With his eyes still focused on the television, AJ finally gave in to her request. He began unbuttoning his jeans, lowering the zipper. His head fell back when he freed his cock. Milly watched, completely enraptured as he began stroking himself slowly.
Her eyes locked on the silver piercing, and her mouth watered. That blasted piercing was what had gotten them to this point. Well, her fascination with it, anyway. There was no denying that Milly had thought about his pierced cock for months, ever since she’d seen it the first time.
“Put your mouth on me, beautiful. Let me feel those lips around my dick.”
His words sent a shockwave through her system, and she didn’t hesitate, leaning over and teasing the swollen head with her tongue. She fondled the ring with her tongue, loving the way he hissed when she did. AJ’s hand rested on her back, sliding down her spine as she knelt beside him.
Milly went to work pleasing him, doing all the things she knew he enjoyed. Using her tongue, she worked his shaft, licking, sucking. She cupped his balls, feeling the way they began drawing up closer to his body. He was on edge, the same way she had been before he’d given her a reprieve.
“Suck me, beautiful. Fuck, Milly. Suck me.”
She did, taking him as deep as she could while his hand trailed over her ass, his fingers probing between her legs. When he slid one finger into her, Milly moaned. The vibration must’ve triggered something in AJ, because his other hand twined in her hair as he held her in place. His hips began thrusting upward, filling her mouth, while his imploring fingers began fucking her.
Clueless (Pier 70, 5) Page 7