"I moved here because of you." Her hand flies to her mouth, and her eyes grow wide with her admission.
My heart speeds, not sure I heard her right.
"I shouldn't have blurted that out." Her voice is muffled behind her fingers.
"You didn't know where I lived. Maybe you should explain."
She drops her hand and looks around nervously before answering. "When my life was spiraling out of control, there was no way I could go back to Atlanta. I am done with big cities. That last night in the hotel, you talked about doing a job in Charleston, and it brought back memories of the few times I visited with my parents and how much we loved it. It made my decision easy. This was where I wanted to be."
"I'm not sure that means you moved here because of me."
"I had no clue you lived here and our paths would cross, but you mentioning it set the wheels in motion."
"It's a far stretch."
"Maybe," she shrugs, "but that weekend with you changed my life in many ways. It's crazy how I uprooted and moved to a city because of a passing conversation with a man I met in a bar and spent the rest of the time in a hotel room. Then I ran away. Doesn't that freak you out?"
"Nope."
"Of course not. You're unshakable."
"Not exactly. I was pretty shaken the morning I found you gone."
She scans my face, her eyes shining bright as she cups my cheek. "I'm usually not this mercurial. I've always been steady and responsible. Two times in my life I've been impulsive. Both have to do with you, and being here this morning," she pauses, tracing her thumb across my bottom lip, "it's surreal."
"It's real, Princess, as real as it gets."
She leans in, brushing her lips over mine. "Thank you for a wonderful evening."
"You already thanked me."
"Thank you for carrying me inside."
"Carrying you is never a problem."
"And giving me something to wear."
"You didn't give me much choice when you ripped it off me."
"Very gentlemanly." Her legs link around my waist, and she closes the space between us. "But if you're cold, I can give it back."
All my blood rushes south, and my dick grows hard against her. "Baby, you shouldn't tease a man like me."
"Who says I'm teasing?"
Ashlyn's phone dings again in her purse where she dropped it last night. "That's probably my mom, texting me again."
"If that's her, she's been blowing up your messages."
"I'll deal with her later."
I groan my approval, slipping my hands under her ass, taking her mouth and lifting her off the counter. She smiles, kissing me lightly and holding on as I make the way back to my room. My phone rings from my jeans on the floor.
"You need to answer that?" she purrs down my throat.
"Not a fucking chance." I crawl up on the bed, laying her gently in the middle and breaking away to kiss along her neck.
She arches up, keeping her legs locked and giving me total access to her throat. Her hands scrub through my hair as she swivels her hips and moans when she grinds on my cock.
"Princess, I promised you we'd take this at your pace, but I need to hear you say it's okay." I suck on the skin at her collarbone and feel her freeze beneath me.
I try to pull away and she locks around me tighter.
"Do you hear that?"
I can't hear anything over the roaring in my ears and the blood pulsing through my veins.
"Is that a dog barking?" she continues.
I strain to listen and hear what she does. But this isn't just a dog barking; it's a familiar dog trying to barge his way into my house.
"Son of a fucking bitch!" I hiss, hoping like hell I am wrong, but knowing I'm not.
"What's happening?"
"We have company." I lower myself to kiss her quickly.
"What do you mean we have company?"
Right then, there’s the unmistakable sound of nails scratching at my back door followed by a loud knocking.
"Someone may die today."
"Oh my God!" Her legs drop, and she wiggles to get free.
"You wait here." My voice comes out a little harsher than expected as I push myself up. "I'll get rid of them."
"I have to get dressed!"
"No," I growl like an animal, "you do not. You stay right here in this bed, in this position, and don't move. I'll be the one to undress you when I get back."
The knocking comes louder this time.
"Miller—"
"Stay." I roll off the bed and take a few deep breaths to calm down.
"You can't answer the door like that." She points to the outline in my sweatpants that is now throbbing painfully.
"Baby, I was close to finally fucking getting you back after months of dreaming of you. The least of my worries is my dick." I storm out, not bothering with a shirt, and don't have to worry about the bulge very long when I spot Darby through the door with her hands over her eyes. Runner is sitting dutifully beside her, wagging his tail. When he sees me, he barks eagerly.
"Miller? Are you there?" She leans in, her stomach hitting the glass, and calls through the door, keeping her eyes covered.
I blow out another breath, my irritation gone at the sight of the glowing pregnant woman talking to me through the glass.
"Yeah, I'm here." I open the door.
"Are you decent?"
"Yes, Darby."
"Thank goodness." She drops her hand and shoots me a regretful look, not fazed by my state of undress. "I thought maybe… is Ashlyn here?"
"Why would you think that?" I cross my arms and arch an eyebrow.
"Look, we don't have much time. Is she here? If not, no big deal, but if so, we have to act fast."
"Act fast for what?"
"We have less than half an hour before Warren and Jill get here, and they have Cole. Pierce is picking up Maya from a sleepover and thinks I am at home waiting for him to get me before heading over here." She speaks so fast it's hard to follow, but I pick up on the major points.
"Why are all you people descending on my house on a Sunday morning?"
"You know the answer to that! Word is out. If you two would answer your phones, you'd know this was happening."
"That should have been your clue when we didn't answer our phones."
Her light brown eyes fill with excitement, and she grins. "So, she is here."
"Dammit," I grumble, scrubbing my face.
"I'm sorry, but can you let us in?"
I step out of the way, widening the door, and Runner flies inside with Darby following. "This is ridiculous. I'm calling Dad. All of you need to make different plans."
"Pierce and I tried our best to stop this, but it's your fault."
"How the hell is it my fault?"
"You should have known better than to parade Ashlyn around Mrs. Glenn's neighborhood, holding her hand and making out in public. Jill was on the phone half the night with the ladies of the Garden Club. Also, your appearance at Brasher did not go unnoticed."
"That shit is ridiculous. Give me a second."
When I get to my room, Ashlyn didn't listen to my instructions because she isn't laying and waiting for me. Instead, the bed is fully made with my jeans from last night laid on top. She's standing on the side with her arms crossed and her death glare aimed at me. In one of her power outfits, she may look intimidating, but in nothing but my shirt and panties, she's sexy as hell.
"Princess—"
"Don't you princess me! I heard what's happening, and you have twenty- five minutes to get dressed, get me home, and get back to your family."
"I'm not taking you home."
"Yes, you are!" She stomps her foot down hard. "This is no way to meet your parents."
"I know it's not ideal, but they're cool people. They aren't going to make you uncomfortable."
"Uncomfortable? That doesn't even describe it. If I was to meet your parents, it wouldn't be like this."
The way she throws that out
there sets my nerves on edge. "There is no if, Ashlyn. You'd have met them eventually."
"Not like this."
"Like what exactly?"
"Like some floozy that sleeps around on the first date!" Her high-pitched shriek is laced with panic.
There's a sharp intake of breath in the hallway behind me, but it barely registers as my vision goes red. I make my way across the room and yank her to me, breaking the death clutch she has on herself and gripping her scalp to keep her face forward.
"Never fucking ever say that shit about yourself again. We don't have time to analyze why that's even on your mind, especially considering what didn't happen between us last night."
"They'll assume."
"It's none of their damn business, and I'll set them straight."
"You can't do that either. It would be better if I go home."
"Look at me."
Her eyes stay on my chest, glassing over.
"Baby, I'll call them off."
"You can't," comes out on a whisper. "They'll want to know why and think I'm a bitch."
"No, they won't."
"Meeting the parents is a huge deal. I need time to shop for the perfect outfit, buy a hostess gift, and practice my introduction, stress out and call a girlfriend to talk me off a ledge."
"That is bullshit."
She slowly raises her eyes to mine, and my gut stirs at the desperation in them. "I've never done this before."
"That makes two of us. But, baby, we got somewhere these last two days and we're not going back."
We stay silent, me massaging the back of her neck until her eyes clear and she nods. A new woman takes her place. "Okay, not ideal; however, I work well under pressure."
"You are not alone. You have me."
"And me."
Out of the corner of my eye, Darby appears in the doorway.
"I came bearing gifts."
Our heads swing to her at the same time she sways her oversized bag. "I don't have the hostess gift, but I have the outfit and the 'girlfriend talking you off a ledge' thing ready to go." Her mouth splits into a wide smile, and Ashlyn sinks into me, blowing out a sigh of relief.
I'm once again reminded why my sister-in-law is one of my favorite people.
"We now only have about twenty minutes. Miller, you need to get dressed, preheat the oven to three-fifty, and make a fresh pot of coffee. You also need to call Pierce and tell him I'm already here so he can save the time of going home," she bosses, coming right in and dumping her bag on my bed. "He'll have Maya, so hopefully, he'll keep his cool."
I nod, caressing Ashlyn's cheek and bringing her face back to mine. "You okay with Darby?"
"Yes."
"No judgment, no stress. I got your back. I'll bring your coffee and your purse. Take your time getting ready."
"Okay."
I take advantage of her scattered mindset and bend down, kissing her mouth from corner to corner, then step away, grabbing my jeans off the bed and a shirt from the dresser.
"Ahhhh, I miss the romance with a new relationship," Darby gushes, rubbing her stomach.
"Take care of her." I flick my wrist, leaving them alone.
"You may need to learn that the Kendrick brothers are bossy," Darby tells Ashlyn.
"I think I got that," she responds through nervous laughter as the door closes.
•—•—•—•—•
"Gotta say, this is not how I saw myself spending the day." Dad settles between Pierce and me, watching Runner chase Cole around the backyard.
"That makes two of us."
"I heard she was pretty, but I think the guys on the crew were holding back."
"They probably haven't seen much of her. Miller's been keeping her out of the house on purpose," Pierce throws in.
"Smart choice."
"Don't you two have somewhere else to be?"
"I know better than to try to pull Jill away right now. She's in her own version of heaven."
I look back through the house at the women in the living room in the same spots I left them a while ago. Maya is sitting on the floor between Darby's legs as Darby braids her hair. Ashlyn is half-laying on the couch, propped up on the armrest, listening to my mom who is talking non-stop. Every few seconds, she glances at Ashlyn, and the happiness Dad's referring to is beaming.
My eyes go back to the relaxed redhead, and I make another mental note to do something special for Darby. No telling what happened in the time those women were in my room, but when Ashlyn came out in the hip-hugging jeans, a face of light makeup, and her hair slicked in a ponytail, she was calm. The best part was she was still wearing my shirt, tied in a knot around her waist. My gut twisted and it took all the control I could find not to drag her back to my room.
She sent me an appreciative smile and slid onto a barstool, sipping her coffee. Pierce stormed through the door less than a minute later, and the madness began. He went straight to Darby, dragging her into my office, and Maya bounced in, waving at me and sidling up to Ashlyn to show her something on her phone like they were long-lost friends.
I loved my niece, but at that moment, I fiercely loved my niece for acting like it was normal to walk in and find Ashlyn.
Any awkwardness of my parents meeting her was lost when Cole ran into the house demanding we turn on ESPN. He gave a half-hug to Ashlyn and passed with Runner at his feet.
Ashlyn's eyebrows shot up when her eyes came to mine, and she burst into laughter. Mom and Dad followed him in, and when I questioned my mom on the impromptu lunch, she shoved a casserole dish at me. Dad unloaded a few bags before they both went to introduce themselves.
I waited, ready to break in if needed, but Ashlyn showed no signs of discomfort. By the time Pierce and Darby returned, Mom and Dad were discussing the renovation casually.
The rest of the day has gone as smoothly. Now I stare at her. Like this morning, she looks natural in my place. I love my family, but I want them gone. I bring my attention back to the yard and start the process.
"Darby needs a daughter." Pierce is the easiest target to ruse.
His head swings to me, and his eyes narrow. "I'll work on that in March."
"Just saying, Darby mentioned missing romance earlier. You may need to step up your game." I'm a dick. Using Darby's words against Pierce is like fueling an already burning inferno. “Isn't the honeymoon period supposed to last at least a year?”
"You're an ass, and I know what you're doing."
"Trying to switch our focus to you? Yeah, I know, too." Dad catches on, zeroing in on me. "But why don't we talk about how you've hidden this for so long?"
An uneasy feeling stirs in my gut, but I keep a straight face. "She's only been here a few weeks."
"You're a terrible liar."
"Who's lying?"
"You know, when Pierce told me you decided to take on this project, something seemed off. It didn't take long for the office rumblings to kick-in, and word has it she's high-maintenance. That isn't your style. But seeing the way you look at her, it all makes sense now."
"Not sure what you're getting at. What makes sense?"
"You boys think your mom has all the instincts, but I'm an observant old man. All those years, it was obvious why Pierce didn't find a woman and settle down, but we couldn't figure out why you didn't. Meet someone, date, get married, have kids."
"Because Pierce was the best form of birth control there was."
"Kiss my ass," Pierce mumbles under his breath.
"Maybe that's true, but you two didn't fool us with your frequent weekend trips out of town. They drove your mother crazy. Before Darby came back and they worked out their problems, we held on to hope that you'd be the one with a normal relationship."
"Did I miss the memo that today is insult Pierce day?" Pierce throws a finger my way. "Don't forget who had your back this morning."
"It's not an insult if it's the truth. After the issues with Connie, we knew you'd be a lifetime bachelor. Thank God, Darby came home. But Miller is a
different story." Dad slices his eyes back to me. "All these years, you've openly avoided relationships. That drove your mom even crazier. Charleston is filled with tons of beautiful, successful, and single women. Yet, you never once took interest. Suddenly, that woman blows into town and things change. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled you've found someone, and hopefully, she'll be the one to settle you down. But something in my gut tells me there's more to this story."
"What can I say? She's special."
"Just a few hours with her and I already know that. My question is, when did you figure it out?"
The weight of their stares burns into my skin. I glance through the house and find Ashlyn with her head thrown back as she shakes with laughter. My chest tightens at the sight, seeing her happy, and knowing those walls she's put around herself are nowhere to be found.
"I knew it the night I met her, in April."
"What the hell?" It takes a lot to shock Pierce, but it seems like I’ve succeeded. "April?" he repeats.
There's no way I'm telling them the whole story because it's none of their business and would embarrass Ashlyn. But I highlight some details, hoping they'll drop it.
"The week I was in Chicago meeting Todd. He had an emergency on one of his projects and had to fly out early, leaving me with time on my hands. I met her at a bar. She was coming from a business dinner, and we struck up a conversation. I bought her a few drinks and enjoyed the time until she had to take a call." I cross my arms and lower my voice. "And before either of you ask, she left so fast I didn't get her name."
The story is spotty at best, but I can hope they buy it.
"Are you kidding me? You had a woman like Ashlyn drinking with you in a bar and you didn't get her name? That's amateur hour." Pierce whistles in disbelief. "I don't know what is more unbelievable, that she ends up in Charleston with connections to us or the fact you let her slip away the first time."
"She made an impression, that's for sure. I regretted the mistake."
"Quite a turn of events." Dad assesses, studying me closely. "Few people could believe that type of coincidence."
"That's exactly what it is, a coincidence. But the moment I recognized her, I corrected my mistake. It's taken a few weeks to get through."
"What do you mean get through?"
"She's got some issues back in Chicago that she won't discuss. But I think we finally turned a corner. That is until you guys decided to bust into our day."
Miller's Time (Southern Charmers Series Book 2) Page 9