"I'll help you." He takes her hand, looks at her sparkly nails, and kisses along her fingertips. "Beautiful."
She melts into him, and my heart does a flip at the sweet gesture.
"Do I even want to know what that was about?" Miller's face scrunches as he watches them disappear down the hall.
"I think she has to use the restroom. That baby has her going all the time, hence the surprise."
His expression relaxes and he steps into me, his eyes lighting with humor. "Got it, no more surprises."
My gaze travels over him, taking in the workout shorts, his wet shirt, his hair damp, the smell of his cologne mixed with sweat, all of it the image of raw sex appeal. My mouth waters as the air between us heat.
"You see something you like?"
"Admiring the view." I use his words from the morning he watched me stripping wallpaper in my bathroom.
His arm slinks around my waist, pulling me to him and dropping his mouth to mine. My lips automatically part, welcoming the way his tongue sweeps through, curling around mine. I grip his biceps, hoping my wobbling knees don't give out.
His mouth moves possessively over mine, sending blazing sparks of hunger racing through my body. He slides his hand up my back and into my hair, slanting my head so he can deepen the kiss. I'm powerless, drowning in him as he kisses me like a starving man. A little whimper escapes when he slows, easing back and sucking on my bottom lip.
He keeps our faces pressed close, tugging and fisting at my hair for a few seconds. Then he licks his lips, his eyes glittering. "Been waiting for that kiss all day, Princess."
"Me too," I reply breathlessly. "How was the gym?"
"It was the gym. How was spa day?"
"Divine."
He grins, brushing his lips across mine once more before stepping back and taking in the dishes covering his countertops.
"I may have gotten a little carried away, but I've been without a proper kitchen for a while. Beef Wellington is an intense dish," I rush to say.
"This is your kitchen now."
Like many times in the last few days, his meaning is clear. This isn't about dinner, it's about us.
Runner chooses that moment to nuzzle up to my legs, circling me for attention. "Hey, sweet boy." I bend and wrap my arms around him, and he shows his appreciation by licking my cheek.
"Be careful," Miller commands, and Runner slinks to my back.
"You hurt his feelings."
"He's about to take you down."
"We're fine." I pat the dog's hip and stand. "We had a German Shepherd growing up. I learned how to brace."
His face softens and he brushes his hand across my cheek. "Love learning these little things."
I smile shyly back at him. "It's coming naturally."
"Want to tell me who you were talking about when we came in?"
The conversation comes back to me and I smile wider. "Stephanie has met someone. I was asking when we get to meet him."
His face registers understanding and he nods. "The mystery man. Pierce told me all about it but said Stephanie had yet to give Darby many details. She's keeping a lot under wraps. They're coming Thanksgiving weekend."
My face falls and my mood instantly evaporates. "I'll miss him."
"You'll miss him?"
"I'll be in Atlanta for Thanksgiving."
His face is blank.
"Seriously, Miller, Janette Rhodes turns into a different beast at Thanksgiving. None of us miss it."
He studies me for a beat, then his grin turns wicked. "We'll see."
Chapter 15
Miller
Andi pops her head into my office, gauging my mood before she walks in.
"It's safe. The distributor knows I'm pissed. We should have the replacement fixtures by Friday." I hand her the file that was laying on my desk this morning with the bold message about a problem with material delivery.
"Great, now only a dozen other issues to deal with. I swear this is the craziest Monday in months."
"Anything else I need to handle?"
"No, but I don't remember November being this insane."
"That's because last year you were Pierce's assistant and his focus was on Darby in Aspen."
"Oh yeah. Maybe this is a better gig. He was wound tight. Must have blocked those months out of my brain." She laughs, pulling another folder out of her stack and pushing it across my desk. The "Rhodes Reno" label catches my eye instantly.
"There better not be a problem here." My voice comes out more abrasive than intended.
"Just opposite, take a look." She sits back smugly.
I scan the documents, once again thankful for Andi's organization. Then I catch what she's so proud about. Not only are we on track, but Ashlyn's budget has a significant surplus on top of our contingency fund.
"Your girlfriend has expensive tastes, but if she was aiming to save money, her efforts worked. Rarely do we see this."
"This is true." More times than not, our clients are over budget in the first week.
I knew there were a few places we cut costs. Pierce and I doing the kitchen demolition and the front porch, Ashlyn's work inside, and her dad's contribution to the landscape removal had saved thousands in labor.
It's my job to watch budgets, and I know this one off the top of my head. "Guess all the extra hands added up."
"Yes, now look at the materials."
I flip through the pages and see all the price codes have been altered to reflect discounts. These codes have to go through two managing owners for approval. On the last page, Dad and Pierce's signatures are inked with today's date. Ashlyn's material costs are now at Kendrick's employee costs.
"Sneaky sons-of-bitches." I had planned to discount the material costs to an extent, but this excess gives Ashlyn some options.
It's also going to send her through the roof to think she's gotten special treatment.
My eyes go to Andi, who is outwardly grinning like a Cheshire cat. "It's not often I get to share good news with you, so I begged Warren for this opportunity."
"Dad likes to make people happy."
"She wanted that extended closet."
"Yes, she did." I think of the bins in my garage labeled shoes. The image of her walking in that bar in those sexy stilettos crosses my mind. "If she wants to do anything additional, it needs to happen fast while we have the electricians there. She has folders of ideas. When you call her, tell her to bring them to the office to discuss with you."
"You want me to call her?"
"Not going to end your streak of sharing. She's going stir crazy at my house. My guess is she'll be here soon."
Andi leaps out of her chair, bubbling with energy. "On it."
"Do me a favor, don't mention the reduced material costs yet. Give her the overall number and work with that."
"You want me to lie to her?"
"No, I want you to finesse the news that we're under budget. It'll be better if I explain the discount and ease her into it. She's a little sensitive to accepting generosity."
"Got it, I'll do my best," she tells me on her way out.
I shoot off a quick text to Ashlyn to expect Andi's call. A minute later, my phone rings and I assume it to be her, knowing her curiosity is running wild. But it's not her name on the screen.
"Hey, man. Long time, no hear." I lean back in my chair, propping a foot on the edge of the desk.
"I could say the same thing. Your phone broken?" My friend, Todd, greets.
"Not broken, just been busy. Work is ramping up with the end of the year. You know how it goes." Todd runs a house flipping and renovation business.
"Hell yeah, I know how it goes, but from what I hear, it's not work keeping you busy."
"Don't know who you're getting your information from." An uneasy stir rolls in my gut.
"It comes from a reliable source. Sexy little redhead sound familiar? Got to say, didn't peg you for the high-maintenance type."
My foot drops to the ground, and I straighten i
mmediately. "What the fuck?"
"Moving her in with you? Never thought I'd see this day."
My mind scrambles to figure out how he would know any of this. He's been a good friend for a long time, but I haven't seen him in months and our communication has been scattered. Last we spoke, Todd was living in one of his properties in.... oh shit… Charlotte.
That was six weeks ago.
"You have got to be fucking shitting me. Please tell me it's not what I'm thinking."
"You always were sharp. Less than a minute, impressive."
"You? You’re Stephanie's unknown mystery man?"
"Not a mystery anymore. That's why I'm calling. I wanted you to hear it from me."
I shake my head a few times, trying to clear the confusion and absorb this. "How? I mean, I can't think of two more opposite and ill-matched people."
"Pot, meet kettle." A deep, long laugh comes through the line.
I think about what I've said and fall back in my chair. He's right. He and Stephanie fit about as well as Ashlyn and I do. Two career construction dudes paired with high-class attorneys. "Touché." I laugh along with him. "But seriously, how'd this happen?"
"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."
"You sound like a fucking chick."
This gets another chuckle. "Fine, I met her at Pierce's wedding and we hit it off."
"Pierce's wedding was in May."
"No shit. After the weekend, I couldn't get this woman off my mind. She was a hard nut to crack, keeping me in the friend zone and insisting she wasn't interested in anything involving a long-distance relationship. When the job in Virginia finished, I drove my ass to Charlotte."
"And that was that?"
"Hell no. Do you have any idea how stubborn this woman is?"
Ashlyn pops into my head. "Yeah, think I might have an idea."
"Then you know I had my work cut out for me."
"Why the secrecy?"
"Not my idea."
"It's none of my business who you sleep with, but this hits close to home."
"That was her point. She's been cautious. I've never met such a methodical and disciplined person in my life. If it were up to me, our relationship would have been public from day one."
"Exactly how long has this been going on?"
"You mean when did I wear her down?"
"Yeah."
"Like I said, a hard nut to crack. Three weeks ago, I signed a lease on a condo. She saw I was serious and dropped the front."
"She didn't drop it too far, not sharing with Darby."
"Darby was going through some things and Steph didn't feel right. That's why I'm calling you. She's calling her this morning, and I wanted to be the one to tell you."
Steph?
"Man, I’ve got to be honest here. You've stunned the hell out of me. Stephanie is Darby's family, which makes her mine as well. You screw this one over, it's gonna be a big hit."
Even in the distance between us, I can feel the change in him. "Fuck, Miller, I'm not screwing her over. I'm crazy about her. Game over, I've met my match."
That hits me hard, saying the same words myself recently.
"You told her that?"
"She knows."
"You met her family yet?"
"This weekend."
"Moving right along."
"Says the bachelor who moved his woman in at breakneck speed. Gotta say, smart move with the electrician."
"Thank Dad for that."
"Stephanie may be a ballbuster, but she's nervous about Darby accepting this. I may need your help."
"You're one of the best men I know. If you say your single days are over, I believe you. But be warned, you hurt her, I'm not sure I can keep you alive. Darby may be sweet, and giddy with this pregnancy, but she's protective."
"Noted. Now that my story time is over, your turn. Stephanie's version is filled with lots of girly details. I want to know how the hell you let a woman like Ashlyn Rhodes walk away from you and the world's biggest coincidence she's now in your bed?"
It's my turn to roar in laughter. "Talk about being knocked on my ass…"
•—•—•—•—•
"You fuck up?" Dad asks, his eyes trained on Ashlyn across the house.
"Depends on what you mean by fuck up."
"It isn't the drop in temps that is chilling this place; it's her cold shoulder."
"She didn't take the news well when I explained where her additional surplus came from."
"Ahhhh." He rocks back.
"Ashlyn doesn't take generosity well. She's a bit…"
"Stubborn?"
"Yeah." I chuckle.
"Instead of sitting you boys down to discuss the facts of life and safe sex, I should have told you two to watch for these stubborn women."
"Not sure it would have worked."
"Probably not, but I could have grown old knowing I tried."
"You feeling like an old man?" I rib him.
"Shut up, lightweight." He shoves me and I lose my footing, tripping on the leg of the card table and landing on my ass.
Ashlyn's head swings my way, and for a split second, there's a touch of concern before she narrows her eyes and goes back to the drawing in her hand.
"Looks like I need to handle this."
I don't try to stop him, watching as he goes to her, wraps his arm around her shoulders, and leads her out onto the back porch.
I haul myself off the ground and go back to her bedroom to look over the new closet build-out. It wasn't a surprise that once Ashlyn heard she had the extra money, this was her first choice. It took two days to tear out the old walls and reframe the interior, but it is going to be worth it.
Shortly after our meeting at the office on Monday, I received a call from Dozer. He was understandably curious, digging around for answers after talking to Ashlyn. I told him about the extra discounts, explaining she wasn't aware yet. Hearing this, his usually gruff attitude thawed a bit and he grunted his approval. I took the chance on inviting the Rhodes family to Charleston for Thanksgiving.
He declined immediately, saying the same as Ashlyn; Janie didn't budge on this holiday tradition. He begrudgingly invited me to their house. I was ready for the resistance and had my ammunition ready. Dozer had a soft spot for my sister-in-law. It could be that she was pregnant or that she kept him loaded up on chocolate. Whatever it was, I used this to my advantage, explaining she wasn't able to travel and this would be the first Thanksgiving we had with her in over thirteen years because of the circumstances.
He cracked, agreeing to talk to Janie.
I was waiting for the official confirmation, but Mom told me she had a lengthy conversation with Janie last night and she was certain it would work out.
With all this, plus the news of Todd and Stephanie's union flying around, I purposely waited to tell her about the additional funds until we got here today. This was a mistake on my part because as soon as her green eyes started blazing, I was hard as steel. There was nothing I could do about it with a house filled with people.
She knew this, so she pulled out the extra sass all day. That is until Dad arrived and she went into glacial mode.
"I did what I could. Good luck." Dad tears me out of my thoughts, poking his head around the corner. "Gotta get home."
"See you tomorrow."
I find Ashlyn in the large living space staring at her fireplace.
"You still holding a grudge?"
She shrugs.
"Dad didn't look blistered from your heat."
"That's because I like Warren."
"You like me, too, hopefully a fuck of a lot more than Dad."
"He gets where I'm coming from."
"Why don't you explain to me where you're coming from?"
She twists her neck to face me, and the scorching glare is back. Shit if my dick doesn't twitch at the laser beams aimed my way. I cross my arms, forcing my feet to stay planted.
"You know I spent years in the dark of things happening in my
life."
My gut twists and my anger builds low. "Don't you fucking compare me to the assholes you worked with."
"I'm saying you kept something from me."
"Warning now, Princess, be very careful how you take this conversation."
"Be careful? Or what? Don't you see how keeping this from me would upset me? I received special treatment because I'm sleeping with the boss. How's this going to look?"
"Look to who? I already explained I had nothing to do with this decision. That doesn't mean I wouldn’t do my part, but Dad and Pierce did me a favor by taking care of it for me. You really want to bring out the bitch because people were kind to you?"
"I will not live a life where people keep things from me again. If you can't handle that, then we need to rethink this thing between us."
The snide resolution in her tone sinks deep, and I'm in her space in two strides, yanking her close. "I'm cutting you some slack since you're not used to nice gestures, but I'm telling you now—no matter how fucking mad you get, don't fucking threaten me with walking away. If you haven't clued in yet, I'm a pretty easygoing man when it comes to you. I've shown a lot of patience and you have been at the center of all my decisions. But you try to back away from what's happening here, you'll see exactly how bossy I can be. A man like me doesn't wait a lifetime to find the woman he loves to let her go."
She jerks, a tremor rolling through her, and she head plants into my chest. "Damn you, Miller!"
There is a certain power behind her words, and when I lift her chin, the searing attitude has vanished. Her eyes are now glittering and full of emotion.
"I've been channeling my inner bitch for hours! My panties were gone the moment your dad walked out the door! Now you ruined the Ashlyn's being a bitch sex!"
"You spent all day being rude because you wanted bitch sex?"
"Well, yes. I got upset, but it didn't hit the high Prada Princess level. So I dug deep and prepared to provoke you."
"And?"
"Then you go and say I'm the woman you love and I can't..."
I barely process what's she said, dropping her chin, working my belt, button and fly until my cock springs free, and I’m hefting her up. She latches around me, wiggling until her skirt moves and her pussy glides along my shaft.
Miller's Time (Southern Charmers Series Book 2) Page 18