Miller's Time (Southern Charmers Series Book 2)

by Ahren Sanders

  "She gets it." Lynda reaches over and pats my arm.

  "I do get it, and your support means the world. But for the first time in a long time, I'm one-hundred percent content with things. Miller helped me find my way back from the self-disgust that clung to me. We're moving into the house and taking things step by step after that. Things will slow down and fall into place."

  There's a sharp intake of breath and my eyes cut to Annie. "Fill 'er back up, Lynda. We've got more work to do."

  Lynda scuttles by, and in less than five seconds, my glass is almost to the rim again. "What did I say?"

  "Ain't nothing slowing down for a while, girl. You need to buckle up. We're gonna have a whirlwind of years ahead of us."

  "Let's take one step at a time. I think Ashlyn will be fine." Jill winks at me.

  "My advice is to take this all in the first time. I had two interventions, one I was clueless to over margaritas and real talk. The next came with an ambush over French martinis,” Darby informs me.

  "I'm a quick learner, and even if I wasn't, I'm a master at disguise."

  "All I can do is pray Evin finds a sweet thing that can handle him. Lord, Darby was tough enough," Annie pops in.

  Darby's eyes bulge, popping out, and she sighs in exasperation. "Evin's going to need to move. Mom will chase even a saint away. Are you sure you're attached to Miller? We can save a world of hurt if we switch out now."

  At this, happiness and amusement rush through me, and I throw back my head howling.

  •—•—•—•—•

  I sneak out of bed, careful not to wake Miller. It's been so many years since I've taken part in this tradition, I wonder if my brothers still do it.

  My answer is clear when I step into the living room and find Austin and Andrew sitting on the floor in front of the lit tree with a bottle of Jack Daniels.

  Austin's head swings around and he holds up an empty glass. "We've been wondering if you'd show."

  I shuffle quickly, sitting in the empty place between them. "I didn't know if you two still did this."

  "We wondered if you remembered. It's been a long time." He hands me the glass.

  A lump clogs my throat, and I sip lightly, feeling the burn of liquor. "I'd never forget. I'm sorry to miss it these last years."

  "You're here now." Andrew shoulders me playfully. "Who wants to go first?"

  "I think my year in review is obvious."

  "Maybe we should do something a little different this year. Let's go forward. What are we looking forward to?"

  "Dad wants me to take over full operations. He wants to travel and move toward retirement. I think I'm ready, but the business is built on his name. There's a chance I’ll run this shit in the ground," Austin admits, filling his glass back up and taking a large gulp.

  This is news to me, but not surprising. "Impossible. You are the only one who can keep the legacy alive. You learned under the best. He's not stepping away; he's giving you your shot to make it. I fully support this, and I'm not invested in the ins and outs, but you always have me. I'll do whatever it takes if you need me."

  "I'm here, too, brother. I may have chosen a different career path, but it doesn't mean our legacy doesn't matter. You need me, I'm there," Andrew adds.

  "Thanks." He toasts his glass, indicating it's someone else's turn.

  "I think I want to make some changes in my life and my business." Andrew sounds like I've never heard. "Consulting is great, and all the years I've poured myself into building my reputation have been satisfying. But now, I think there's something else out there."

  "Any idea what you want to do?"

  "I'm considering a change of scenery. Maybe relocation."

  "But you love Atlanta." The thought of Andrew leaving Atlanta is unheard of.

  "Thirty-seven years old and never lived anywhere else. The sun, sand, and surf sound good."

  "You forgot the important 'S'." Austin doesn't seem surprised at all. I'm too busy looking between them to pick up on the clue at first. Then it hits me.

  "What's the important 'S'?" My heart hammers double time, pounding against my ribcage, hoping like hell I know the answer.

  "Sister." He smirks. "I want to be near the sun, sand, surf, and my sister."

  "Oh God, does this mean...? Are you…?" I stammer over the words, not believing them.

  "Yeah, Ash, I think I'm coming to Charleston."

  I swallow down a little cry, covering my mouth. "Really?"

  He nods, his eyes lighting as he takes a drink. "You aren't the only one that gets to make life changes."

  I stare at the tree and feel it coming, helpless to stop the emotions as tears spillover.

  "Not exactly the reaction I was hoping for."

  "I didn't think it was possible. Considering how my year started, and everything that's happened, but this has been the perfect Christmas. And you somehow made it even better."

  "Damn, I thought I had it in the bag with my present," Andrew jokes.

  "Maybe we'll get you here next." I bump his shoulder.

  "I just told you I was taking over operations for Dad. Unless he plans on expanding, that'll be tough."

  I suck in a breath, the idea hanging in the air. "Maybe…"

  "Let's take one step at a time. Your turn."

  I swipe my cheeks and hug my knees to my chest. "I'm looking forward to discovering my new normal, whatever that may be. Finding a job I'm passionate about, being at home at night to cook dinner while Miller and I talk about our days. Watching Devin grow up and celebrating the little things in life that passed by all these years. Taking a step back, slowing down, speeding up, whatever I want to do, I can."

  "Cheers to that." Andrew raises his glass in salute, and we do the same.

  "It may be too soon to bring it up, but this would be a great place for you to rent until you decide what your future holds. We'd have to talk to Miller and let him know."

  "I have a feeling he knows." His eyes cut over his shoulder, and I follow them.

  Miller is leaning against the wall, arms and legs crossed, in only his flannel bottoms. He grins sending my insides fluttering.

  "Hey."

  "Woke up and figured I'd find you by the tree."

  "Want to join us, man?" Austin holds up the bottle.

  "No thanks, I was checking to make sure she was okay."

  "I'm perfect."

  Even in the dim light, I see his eyes soften. "Yes, you are."

  Chapter 27

  Miller

  Her time is up.

  I switch off the shower, wrap a towel around my waist, and take off to find Ashlyn.

  Tonight is officially our first night in the house, and being it's New Year's Eve, I have plans. Plans that included her in the shower with me.

  She's standing in the middle of the dining room, staring ahead and twirling the diamond pendant around her neck that I gave her for Christmas. Her mind is a million miles away, not noticing my approach until my arms are around her waist, tugging her back to me.

  "You're wet." She rests her arms on mine. "I was coming to join you."

  "Princess, I've been waiting fifteen minutes."

  "Really?" She slants her head enough to look at me. "I must have lost track of time."

  "You okay?"

  "Absolutely."

  "You upset about your family leaving?"

  "Not at all, everyone has their own plans tonight."

  "Then what's on your mind?"

  "Today, tonight, New Year’s Eve, closing out this crazy year, yet knowing that I will wake up to a new year with you."

  "That's a lot to process. Especially staring into space."

  "Not space, I was staring at the dining room."

  "Any reason?"

  "Because it's special to me."

  I glance at the elegant table that took her almost a month to decide on. Her hesitation made little sense to me, considering it fit her vision perfectly. "The table is gorgeous."

  "I bought it because of you."


  "Want to explain that?"

  "When you told me I had the extra money, even before my closet was decided, I knew we'd need more room in here. It was important to have a place all of us could sit together. Deciding to extend this room made us real."

  "Baby, we were very real before that."

  "Yes, we were." She sighs, nuzzling back into my neck and inhaling. "I love the way you smell. I'm sorry I missed the shower."

  "We'll take another one after."

  "After what?"

  "After I fuck you on the dining room table."

  She turns fully in my arms, her eyes falling to my bare chest and growing wide. My cock stiffens at the hunger passing over her face. She trails her fingernails down slowly, my abs flexing with each inch she goes lower. "I guess we have to start somewhere." Her index finger flicks the tuck of the towel and it falls, my dick springing into her palm. She grips my length, licking her lips. "It's been a long time since we had sex in this house."

  The night against the fireplace flashes in my mind and the possessive brute inside rears. "Ashlyn, get naked."

  She hikes the shirt slowly, with each inch revealing she's wearing nothing underneath. Inch by inch, she takes her time, rolling her pants down her legs and tossing them to the side. My already hard dick pulses. I drag my eyes over her from head to toe, my heart racing at the memory of this morning. My mouth waters to taste her again, hear her begging for more.

  "You're stunning."

  "Not so bad yourself." She pushes a chair to the side and perches on the edge of the table.

  Out of the corner of my eye, the kitchen island catches my attention. I haul her into my arms. "Change of plans."

  She latches around me, swiveling her hips, and impales herself on a cry of pleasure.

  "Shit, baby. You ready for me?" She's slick but so damn tight.

  "Always ready. My body is attuned to you."

  I crash my mouth to hers, gripping her thighs as I make my way to the kitchen. Her tongue tumbles with mine, greedy and demanding more. Her nipples scrape mine and fuck if my balls don't throb.

  "More," she pleads into my mouth, and I change direction, pressing her to the fridge and thrusting up hard. "Yes!" she murmurs down my throat.

  "Hold on," I demand, and slide my hands to clutch her ass.

  Days of pent up sexual frustration of having her brothers a room away come to a point as I pound into her. She keeps her lips pressed to mine, but her breathing comes faster.

  Power, possession, obsession all mix together. She holds my scalp, her eyes meeting mine, and an eager boldness flares in the bright green spark. Without warning, she pivots and drives down hard.

  "Fuuuuccccckkk," I groan through gritted teeth.

  She grins slyly, running the tip of her tongue along both our lips. Her hips swivel and rock, meeting me stroke for stroke.

  Jesus, I'm gonna crack. Fire blazes through my bloodstream and coils low in my spine, spurring me faster.

  She tenses, her pussy contracting and sucking me deeper. The little control I have snaps and I drill into her over and over. Her head rolls back, arching her chest upward. My mouth goes to one hardened nipple, sucking it into my mouth and scraping my teeth along the sensitive skin.

  "Please," she whimpers.

  "Get there, baby."

  She shakes her head, fighting me. I move my mouth to the other side, sliding my tongue over the peak.

  "Princess, I need you to hold on to the top."

  Her arms go up and she grips the top ledge. My eyes drop to where I'm sliding in and out of her, the silky smoothness of her warmth taking me deep. Hard, rough, slow, sweet… every single time, this woman owns me.

  "Lock your knees," I order.

  Her thighs tense, and knees press around my waist. I leverage her weight on one arm and glide my other hand around to where we're joined. Slowing my movements, I strum my fingers along her wetness, grazing her clit with my knuckles.

  "Miller… you can't… I want you…" her words come in puffs.

  Her eyes flutter closed and she arches her neck, grinding down. Her movements quicken and I give over control, watching in fascination as she finds her rhythm. Her breathing quickens, her arms tremble, and when I know she's on the verge, I flick across her clit, bending to suck her nipple hard.

  She comes apart, one of her hands flying to my scalp as she screams into the room. Heat scorches through my bloodstream and my cock thickens with each spasm. I slide my hand to her lower back to hold her close as I shove up, slamming into her over and over.

  There's no mercy as I fuck her like an animal, her whimpers fueling me further. She fists my hair, urging my face to hers. There's a split second of warning before her pussy clenches. Her muscles grip me like a vice, and there’s a wild look in her eyes, and that does it. I explode, hammering up and letting go. The rush threatens to take me to my knees. The wild in her gaze turns to a shade of green that sends a shock rocking to my bones.

  This is us, and this woman is my forever.

  Unguarded, responsive, bold—not holding back.

  Fuck my plans for later tonight. The champagne, the diamond, the declarations can all wait. Right now is exactly how I want to remember this for the rest of my life.

  "I love you."

  "I love you, too."

  "You're going to marry me."

  It's not a question, but it holds the same weight. Her expression changes, her lips making a little 'o' as understanding settles over her features.

  "That didn't sound like a request." Her voice is faint and shaky.

  "It wasn't. A request gives options."

  I've learned to read her, and right now it's easy to see her temper is triggered. A flush spreads up her neck into her cheeks, defiance glazing in her eyes as her eyebrows draw together.

  My lips twitch, and when she catches it I know what's coming.

  "We officially moved in together four hours ago." The screech ricochets around the room, her chest heaving against mine.

  I arch my eyebrows, not engaging in this stupid argument. "Keep it up, Princess. I just came hard, but it doesn't mean I'm not ready to go again." My ass shifts to prove my point, my dick still firm inside her.

  "I am not telling my children their dad proposed to me seconds after fucking my brains out against a stainless steel refrigerator!" she sasses.

  She doesn't realize she's given me my answer until it's too late. Her mouth twists in an ugly scowl. "Stop smirking."

  "Not happening." I hitch her up, balancing her on my way back to the bedroom.

  She huffs, squirming to get down with each movement, bouncing on my cock. I sit, adjusting and curling around her so she's trapped. "Now, let's have a civilized conversation."

  "Don't try to manipulate me with your power of seduction."

  "You've got it wrong. The power of seduction belongs to you."

  "Flattery won't get you a yes." She tosses her hair over her shoulder, giving me direct access to her neck.

  I take advantage and run my tongue along the column of her throat. "We have hours for me to convince you."

  She opens her mouth, ready for a fight.

  Good thing I'm prepared to go at this all night long.

  •—•—•—•—•

  "We need to call my parents. Especially since I'm walking into an ambush." Ashlyn mentions as I park in the front of Rosen's.

  "It's a family dinner. This place is special to my family. Stephanie and Todd are in town. You already know this. How could it be an ambush?"

  "Don't be coy. Everyone has been quiet and distant for days. Now we're having a 'family dinner'?"

  "You're overreacting. They were giving us space to get settled in the house."

  "They all know, don't they?"

  "I think they've figured it out."

  "You brought me here to celebrate when you haven't even proposed!"

  "You're wearing my ring. That's all that matters."

  "ARRRGGGG!" She tosses me a side-eye full of
attitude, reaching for the door handle. "You coerced me!"

  "Don't move." I angle out of the truck, going to her side and lifting her out, purposely sliding her body against mine to place her feet on the ground.

  Before she can throw attitude, I kiss her softly, barely touching my tongue along the seam of her lips.

  Her resistance wavers like it has all week when I’ve mentioned us getting married. "You're a brute, not following the guidelines of how this all works."

  "I'm your brute, forever. Never been one for following rules when it comes to you. You want a traditional proposal, that's not me. I'm not giving you the option of saying no. That doesn't work for me. The fucking sass, the attitude, the steely bitch, it does works for me. So does the soft and sweet, giving me everything."

  She melts, her arms resting on my shoulders. "Maybe all of that should be in your proper proposal."

  "How about if I say my purpose in life began the night a sexy as fucking sin redhead strutted her fine ass into a bar and stole my heart?" I capture her mouth with another quick kiss. "Relax and enjoy the night."

  She peers at her hand, twisting the diamond ring that I slid on her finger at exactly midnight New Year's Eve. She may be full of snark and sass about the way it happened, but the instant the ring was at the base of her finger, she knew it was real.

  "And after dinner, we'll call your parents."

  Ashlyn's eyes fly up, and she bites down on the corner of her lip. "The Pinterest boards."

  "Your family expected this. Everyone did. You're the only one holding out. Stop denying it, baby. We're getting married. Time to embrace reality."

  "I'm ridiculous, you're rubbing off on me."

  It's on the tip of my tongue to comment about rubbing off in her, but I refrain. "You ready to go inside? Not sure if you noticed, but we've got an audience."

  Her head swivels to the front window where my family is shamelessly watching, most with cocktails in their hands.

  She nods, linking her hands with mine.

  The instant we hit the bar area, she's surrounded by Darby, Maya, Stephanie, Mom, Annie, and Lynda. Maya reaches for her hand first.