Miller's Time (Southern Charmers Series Book 2)

by Ahren Sanders

  Now as he plays, taunting me, it's a mixture of us together. His hips dip and he guides himself slowly inside. "Silky, hot, wet, never felt anything like this."

  I whimper, pleasure ripping through my body. This is new for me, and with each stroke, sizzling sensations light up. "Oh God," I finally find my words.

  "That works for me, but I need your face, gorgeous."

  My neck cranes to the side, trying to give him what he needs without shifting our connection. My eyes meet his and I swear the air leaves my lungs. The deep blue orbs pierce into me, fierce and powerful enough to hold me captive.

  The air around us sizzles, cracking with intensity. He bends, placing his lips to mine, barely kissing me. My lungs come back to life with short, shallow breaths.

  He speeds up, hitting at the right angle to set my nerves spiraling out of control. His hand covers my breast, twisting and twirling my nipple before moving to the other one.

  His fingertips skim down my stomach, tracing a lazy circle around my navel until they slide lower.

  "You feel this?" He brushes along where we're connected.

  I close my eyes and just feel.

  The velvety smoothness of him moving in me. The heat of our bodies cradled close. The wisp of his breath against my lips.

  "Yes," I whisper.

  "Addicted."

  My heart flips at the declaration. He continues to make love to me slowly, playing with me until I can't take it anymore.

  My eyes flutter open as the tingling races up my spine. "Sweetie…" There's a longing in my voice that he picks up on immediately, increasing his strokes. The friction is too much. I curl over, ramming backward.

  "Jesus," he growls, pummeling into me.

  After last night, I didn't think it was possible, but sparks, electricity, fireworks all erupt at once and my body gives in. The orgasm rocks through me with a dynamic force. "Miller!"

  "Keep it coming, baby. I'm right there."

  Even in my haze, I find the strength to clamp down and roll my hips. A loud hiss fills the air as he thickens and convulses, letting go. The twitching sets me over the edge again, and I scream into the mattress, feeling him throb.

  Neither of us moves for a few minutes until he gently nudges me back to him.

  "Waited a lifetime for this, Princess. Thank you."

  My nose stings, and I bury my face into his neck to keep from bursting into girly sobs. "Me too."

  He gives me a minute to compose myself, cradling me tenderly.

  I whimper when he slips out, rolling us to where I'm draped across him.

  "You need to get to work?"

  "Unfortunately, yes."

  "You sure it's unnecessary for me to go by the house?"

  "Not today. This is basic stuff I'll handle. Take today to settle in here. Set up the office the way you want."

  "I'm not used to idle time. Although, I probably should wash these sheets."

  "We're going to dirty them up when I get home."

  I scrunch my nose. "That is such a guy thing to say. And unsanitary."

  "You think we will wash the sheets every morning?"

  "No, but last night was very… athletic."

  His chest vibrates against my cheek. "Baby, I plan on every night with you being athletic."

  A little tremor travels through me.

  "I'll swing back by around lunch and we'll go by the furniture store."

  My head pops up. "Furniture store?"

  "Your mom said you found a bedroom set but wouldn't commit to it. She thought I should know."

  "She's sneaky."

  "She's perceptive."

  "Don't you have work to do?"

  "Perk of being a partial owner is making my schedule work for me."

  "I'll be ready." My excitement grows at the simple thought of picking out furniture with him.

  "I'll go make your coffee." He loosens his hold, scooting back.

  "I'll do it. You get ready."

  "Coffee is in the—"

  "Right cabinet by the window."

  His grin is charged with approval.

  "I pay attention, even if I spent a lot of time this last week in my head."

  He kisses my forehead and gets up. I can't stop myself from staring at his sculpted physique before he disappears in the bathroom.

  "God, Ashlyn, you have it bad." I swing off the bed, grab his shirt from yesterday, and follow behind. By the time I've cleaned up and brushed my teeth, he's standing at his sink, splashing water through his hair.

  "Aren't you going to shower?"

  "Nope."

  "But you're covered in… me."

  "Exactly." He swats my ass on the way to the closet.

  I grab a pair of panties, slip them on, and head to the kitchen. A few minutes later, he walks in, and my throat goes dry. I did the best I could with my appearance, which was basic at best. He, on the other hand, looks thoroughly rested and hot as hell.

  I slide his insulated mug to him, openly gawking like a lustful hussy.

  "You wanna walk into that furniture store today on your own?"

  I squint, tilting my head in confusion.

  "You keep looking at me like that, you won't be walking anywhere."

  I jerk, my eyes dropping to his groin, which has an obvious bulge.

  "I'm rethinking my obsession to have this bedroom set ordered."

  "Fuck me." He scrapes his hand over his jaw. "I'm changing my office hours starting tomorrow."

  "Perk of being a partial owner." I wink, sipping my coffee. "And we agree that this house needs to be christened."

  My phone rings from the counter, pulling my attention to it. Stephanie's name pops on the screen.

  "Answer it, I'm gonna leave so I can get shit done."

  I swipe to connect the call. "Good Morning!"

  "I sure hope it was a good morning because I'm about to ream your ass! I'm sitting up here in Charlotte, thinking you need time to adjust. Living on your piddly messages and wondering if you are truly okay. Then I learn you are moving in and playing house with Miller Kendrick—who, by the way, you already knew?" She's shouting so loud I wince at the ding in my ears.

  Miller chuckles hearing her rant.

  "Ummm, things are kind of happening fast."

  "Fast! These fucking Kendrick boys defy the speed of time."

  He tops off his coffee, coming to me and hooking a hand behind my neck. "I'll text you when I'm on my way. Seriously, Princess, make yourself comfortable." He kisses me quickly, flicks a wave, and heads out the back door.

  "Hey, Miller?"

  He twists his neck to glance at me over his shoulder.

  "I'm really glad my dad didn't shoot you."

  His smile takes over his face, and his eyes glitter with amusement. "Yeah, Princess."

  I lean over to follow the view until he gets into his truck.

  "Hello! I'm still here."

  "Sooo…" I draw out. "I may have some things to share."

  "You bet your ass you do. Lucky for me, I had Scottie clear my schedule this morning. Spill it!"

  "Well, where should I start?"

  "At the beginning. I want the whole shebang."

  I take my coffee and go into the living room, settling in Miller's favorite chair. Like a good friend, I follow her instructions and begin at the beginning.

  •—•—•—•—•

  I stare blankly out the back window, struggling to concentrate on what Mom is saying. The roaring in my ears and twisting in my gut grows strong with every word she says. After a beat of silence, I realize she's no longer talking.

  "Ashlyn, are you there?"

  "Yes, Mom, I'm trying to reign in my temper before I blow the roof off this house."

  "He took me off guard, honey. But I think I held him off your trail."

  The 'he' in question being Brock Donner. My old boss, and former lover, who phoned my parents' house today.

  "You did nothing wrong. He's fishing. I should have thought to change my emergency
contact information with HR before walking out. That's my mistake."

  "The thing is he was charming, seemed genuinely concerned about your well-being and health. Asked all about the family, figuring you relocated to Atlanta. He even offered to be a reference for your new employer."

  "Like I said, he was fishing for information."

  "Your dad may think he's a slickster, but today he was nothing like the high-powered attorney we met the few times in Chicago."

  "Dad is right; slickster is a friendly way of putting it. Mom, he gets paid a hell of a lot of money to turn on the charm. He's lucky Dad didn't answer the phone."

  "Yes, I guess. That could have gone badly.”

  “You think he believes I'm in Atlanta?" Considering Ian knows I'm in Charleston, this seems highly unlikely.

  "I didn't dispel his assumption, only confirming you were doing quite well, we'd spent time together, and you were settling into a new life outside of the big city. I knew better than to get personal and redirected the conversation back to him."

  "Sure he loved that."

  "Yes, well, I think he was onto me. I learned that one of your former paralegals is having a baby shower next month, and she's pleading for you to be there. Some attorney is getting married, and she's distraught about your disappearance because she wants you in the wedding, and there's an intern from Columbia who's built his academic career on working under you. I thought you said you didn't have any close relationships in your firm."

  "Jesus," I groan, snatching a beer out of the fridge. "Mom, he's playing you. The pregnant paralegal is having an illegitimate child with a Senior Associate that cheated on his wife. The girl is young and stupid with no sense of morality. The Senior Associate denied the paternity until it was proven, and now she's blackmailing him so his wife doesn't bring him down and damage the reputation of the firm. As for the attorney getting married, it's out of convenience and she had no intention of even inviting me to the wedding. The intern, that's another bullshit story because they'd never allow me to have a male intern under me." I pop off the cap and swallow half the bottle in one gulp. "They don't want me, Mom! They want the revenue and billable hours I can bring to their bottom lines. Now you see why I wanted away from that circus?"

  "Yes, I can understand." There's an edge to her tone that I know well. I may be thirty-four but she's still able to send a tremor through me with a look and 'the voice'. "When things calm down for you, we are long overdue for a conversation of exactly what kind of place you stuck around."

  "When that time comes, remember I finally had the wits to get the hell out of Dodge."

  "Fair enough. Do you want me to text you the number he left?"

  Every contact number for Brock is burned in my memory, but I still say, "Yes, and if he calls back, contact me immediately. Day or night."

  "Somehow, I don't think Miller would like to be woken in the middle of the night with this news."

  No, he would not. "Excellent point."

  "Okay, get it out of your mind." Her voice is back to cheery. "Tonight's a special night. Send me pictures of the final product."

  "Shit! The vegetables!" I glance at the clock and sigh in relief; there's plenty of time to finish the prep work. "Thanks for your help. Love you."

  I swallow the rest of the beer, welcoming the cold rush down my throat. It's time to focus. Then I remember Darby's been gone to the bathroom for a long time. "Darby? You okay?" I pivot and squeak when I find her perched against the back counter with the bowl of vegetables in front of her.

  "Since it's rude to eavesdrop and I've been known to overreact, let's say I was hanging back in a shadow of support."

  "How much did you hear?"

  "Enough to know it's time you come clean and talk about what's happening."

  "It's nothing to worry about."

  She pins me with a glare that sends the same type of Mom shiver up my spine. "Ashlyn, you witnessed one of my lowest points in life. I knew that day in my bakery you were hiding behind a strong shield. We're way beyond distant acquaintances at this point, so I feel comfortable telling you to cut the shit."

  I slink back into the counter for support. "There's a partner that wasn't pleased with my leaving, and he's scoping out my family to find me. He will try to persuade me to come back. I know a lot of shit about the firm that he wants under wraps. He's probably scared his dark secrets are going to come to light."

  "Another vague response," she deadpans.

  "I slept with my slime bag coworker that later became my superior. We weren't exclusive, and it wasn't a relationship. He let me know in the beginning he wasn't interested in anything with a label. After a while, it didn't bother me because it was easy. No strings, no attachments, and no messy mornings afters.”

  Her eyes fill with sympathy, and she reaches in the refrigerator, bringing me another beer. "That sounds miserable. I don't have any experience outside of Pierce so I can't imagine how that felt."

  "Don't feel sorry for me. I knew what I was in for."

  "Hey." She lays a hand on my arm. "Don't mistake my concern for pity. There's no judgment here."

  God! Her sweet voice is so understanding it hits me square in the chest. Shame washes through me. "He used me from the day I started. Easy target and all that."

  "If he was such a prick, why does he want you now?"

  "Because he thinks he can manipulate me."

  "Are you in danger?"

  "Nope. Brock is a resourceful man, and he'll figure out how to squirm his way out of whatever mess he's in."

  "Have you shared this with Miller?"

  "He's heard his name, and judging by his reaction, I don't think it's smart. You are the only person I've ever discussed this with."

  "I can understand being cautious of his response, but don't shut him out. First, it was your financial problem, and now this."

  "Exactly, I'm a mess! Why would I expose him to the train wreck of my life?"

  "You still don't get it. Miller won’t see it as a train wreck."

  Her amber eyes hold mine hostage, and it's clear there is no judgment, only support. My heart does something funny and I fight the urge to cry.

  "Beauty, talent, kindness, and a soul of pure gold. You're pretty awesome, Darby Kendrick."

  She blushes and squeezes my arm. "I think you're pretty awesome, too, Ashlyn Rhodes."

  "I'll tell him."

  "Good." She hands me the beer and goes back to the counter, spinning the bowl of vegetables. "Now, tell me what to do to help."

  "Darby?"

  She tilts her head and raises her eyebrows.

  "You're gonna rock this whole mom thing. He's a lucky little guy."

  I am helpless to what happens next. She wraps her arms around her huge belly and her eyes brim with tears. "Thank you." She sniffs, grabbing a napkin and swiping her face. "Damn hormones."

  I give her a minute to compose herself, and when she raises her face to mine, she's back to radiant. "Okay, those guys will be here soon, and they'll be sweaty, gross, and ready for a beer. God help us if they see tears."

  "You're right, Pierce won't let me have my best partner in crime for another spa day."

  She giggles, nodding in agreement. "And Miller won't let me steal you again."

  I twist the cap off the beer and put the cutting board at the edge of the counter, sliding up a stool. "Okay, sit, chop, and let's talk about something much more important—Stephanie."

  Her face lights up and she wiggles into the seat. "She told me you two have been talking a lot lately."

  "Every morning. She calls me on the way to work."

  "Hmmm." She concentrates a little too much on the broccoli.

  "Am I missing something?"

  "She's calling me after you, upbeat, perky, full of life. I got suspicious."

  "We usually have a few cups of coffee. Maybe she's hyped up?"

  "Maybe, but my sixth sense kicked in and I called reinforcements."

  "Scottie?"

  "Yep."
>
  "And?"

  "She's met someone." She practically bounces out of her seat.

  "She's been holding out on me."

  "That makes two of us. I laid into her about keeping secrets. It hurt that she didn't share. Then I realized I was so wrapped up in myself, it was me who overlooked the signs. That sucked even worse."

  "You have a lot going on."

  "That's a bullshit excuse."

  It may be overstepping, but I take the chance and ask anyway, "Are things better with you and Pierce?"

  She brings her eyes to mine with a slight grin. "All day I've been waiting for you to ask that."

  "It seemed personal."

  "You're new at this girlfriend thing, but I'll give you a hint. It's okay to ask personal questions. As you noticed, I have no problem with it."

  She's right. Another casualty of my previous personality. "Okay, I'm a little rusty. How's this—did you and Pierce work things out?"

  "Good job," she praises. "I know you and Miller shared stories and you're partly to thank for his advice."

  "I didn't mean to betray—"

  "You didn't. It's natural for couples to talk. I don't feel betrayed at all. To answer your question, Pierce and I are great, and everything is back to where they should be. But this thing with Stephanie threw me for a loop. My best friend in the world has met a man, and she held back because she thought I was too overwhelmed. It was an eye-opener."

  "I wasn't much better. I didn't pick up on it. The better question is when do we get to meet him?"

  "Meet who?" Miller's voice comes from behind and both of us jump in surprise.

  "Miller! You can't sneak up on a pregnant woman like that!" Darby squeaks, dropping the knife.

  "I walked into my house. How's that sneaking up?"

  Pierce comes in behind him with Runner trotting straight to Darby's stool and nosing at her knees.

  "In case you didn't know, pregnant women don't have the best reactive instincts." She wriggles to get up, and Pierce is at her side in an instant, nudging Runner out of the way.