Millie's Second Chance Read online

  His long, rough fingers caressed her throat and then both hands held her face.

  His kisses slowed down and she was grateful as the sound of approaching voices could be heard.

  He slowly released her lips. They both were breathing hard.

  “You make me want to do things, wild, wicked things to your amazing body.”

  She was startled and utterly turned on by his words, never mind his actions. She was holding on to him still and the voices came closer.

  He must have read her fearful expression and he stepped back, adjusting his pants and walking back a few steps.

  Millie lowered to the floor and picked up the water bottle and bag she had dropped.

  “Good morning, Dalton! Are we too early?” Stella asked with Lisa, Paula, and Melody following close behind. The four women were dressed kind of odd for a martial arts class. They had short shorts and half tank tops on with their breasts pouring from the tops. If Stella, Paula, or even Melody bent over, their boobs would vacate their tops. The one woman Lisa’s breasts were so small, she had the opposite problem.

  Dalton glanced at the clock.

  “You’re fifteen minutes early. No one else has arrived yet.”

  “Well, we can maybe warm up a little. I was having some trouble with the moves you taught us on Monday,” Stella whined as she ran her hand up and down Dalton’s arm. Millie wanted to grab that hand and smack Stella with it, but she had no right to act jealous and possessive. Then Dalton did something unexpected.

  He pressed Stella’s hand away from him and scowled at her. She turned red but looked determined.

  Then Millie sensed movement toward the doorway and saw Lena and Sage had arrived. They waved at her and Millie looked to pass Stella and the others to leave, but Stella made no effort to get out of Millie’s way. Stella had her arms crossed in front of her chest.

  “You running some sort of toning class or something for her?”

  Millie was not surprised by the thin bitch’s comment, and she saw that Lena and Sage were about to say something when Dalton spoke.

  He blatantly looked Millie over from head to toe extremely slowly. So much so that Millie felt body parts tremble and her nipples harden to pebbles.

  “Naw, Millie is fucking perfect.”

  She heard gasps but she was too absorbed in staring at Dalton to notice. He reached out his hand and she immediately accepted it as he practically walked over Stella and her friends and escorted her to the front.

  “You better go sniffing somewhere else, girls, looks like the Lewis brothers are staking a claim,” she heard Lena say and Dalton hugged her closer to his side, laying a hand over her waist, and nearly her ass, possessively.

  Chapter 12

  “Let me get this straight. You actually had her meet you and Dalton at the dojo so you could teach her how to fight to the death? Are you out of your fucking minds? She’s a beautiful young woman, living in fear right now because of some asshole,” Anthony said, raising his voice. They were all sitting around the back porch talking about Millie.

  “That’s exactly why we met her, Ant. She’s used to handling things on her own, but she’s scared out of mind over this jerk. She said she should have died the last time the asshole got ahold of her. She seems to be at war with herself right now and the decisions she made over the years,” Hank replied.

  “She wasn’t just fighting me on that mat. She was fighting herself,” Dalton whispered before he took a slug of beer from the bottle he held.

  Hank nodded his head then continued.

  “She would have gone and tried to find someone else to help her. It was our opportunity to gain her trust and get to know her. Dalton and I talked about it. We figured we could get her to see that she wasn’t alone in this.”

  “Well, did you change her mind about it? You could have hurt her, Dalton. You’re huge compared to her and used to pushing the limit in your classes,” Marco added as he eyed his brother. Anthony didn’t want this to turn into a pissing contest over Millie and who cared for her more.

  “I didn’t hurt her. I wouldn’t hurt her ever,” Dalton shot back at Marco.

  “He didn’t hurt her. It worked out in the end. He pushed her, telling her she wasn’t ready. She pushed back and handled his counterattacks and eventually he wound up on top of her on the mat, between her legs. It was fucking incredible to watch and then he kissed her. They completely forgot that I was there.” Hank chuckled before taking a slug of beer from the bottle he held.

  “So after you kissed her, did you tell her that she doesn’t need that type of training? That we’re all here to protect her?” Jeremy asked.

  “I was about to, but then Stella and the crew showed up and interrupted,” Dalton stated, looking annoyed to Anthony.

  “What happened?” Anthony asked and Dalton explained.

  “She’s hard on herself and thinks she’s not attractive,” Dalton added.

  “What?” They each responded with similar comments of surprise.

  “She is such a stunning woman with her dark blue eyes and long, wavy brown hair,” Jeremy stated.

  “She has a hell of a body, too.” Dalton sat back and stared out across the yard.

  “Damn straight, she does. She’s perfect,” Jeremy stated.

  “Well, we’ll just have to show her how beautiful and perfect we think she is. It’s good that you kissed her, Dalton. She needs to start accepting her attraction to each of us. Jeremy and I need to make our position known with her, too. We’ll start tomorrow at the Triple C,” Anthony told them.

  “I kissed her, too. Right after Dalton did. She looked so beautiful, her lips all swollen and wet from Dalton’s kisses. She came to me willingly and didn’t resist my touch or my kisses. It was a positive sign,” Hank told them.

  “Sure is. I can’t wait to kiss her and hold her, too,” Jeremy added and they were quiet a moment before Marco, the oldest, spoke up.

  “I think you all need to know what I found out from Stacy, Anna, and of course, the detective from New York.”

  “Sure, Marco, anything you can tell us will help us to protect her and understand where her thinking may be at,” Anthony replied.

  * * * *

  Marco began to explain Millie’s relationship with Frank, Stacy’s saving her from being killed, and Millie’s recovery time in the hospital. His brothers were all shocked and equally upset with the details. He had been, too, as he spoke with the women and then the detectives.

  “This guy, Frank, is apparently obsessed with Millie. The detectives had notes from the therapist in their possession that state Frank admitted that he regretted failing to kill Millie. He supposedly felt incomplete.”

  “Lousy, sick bastard,” Jeremy stated.

  “They think this therapist is aiding Frank right now?” Anthony asked.

  “It appears that she was helping him all along and fell in love. He led her to believe that he loved her, too. So she used her professional pull to get him out of jail on good behavior. She even set up a bank account for him with fifty grand in it. Of course, he emptied the entire account within twenty-four hours of her opening it. Then she disappears.”

  “Do the detectives think that he killed the therapist?” Anthony asked.

  “They don’t know. He’s capable, that’s for sure, and he did kill Clare from Millie’s job. She was really upset about that. She blames herself,” Marco told them.

  “She’s not at fault. This guy is out of control and it scares me to think how obsessed he is. What if he does get here to Pearl? We need to keep Millie close by,” Hank stated.

  “She’ll fight us tooth and nail,” Dalton added.

  “Well, we want to get to know her and convince her to get involved with all five of us and that’s going to take some time,” Jeremy told them.

  “It sure is. The only way to get to know her is by spending time with her,” Marco stated.

  “As far as I’m concerned, she’s already my woman. She’ll come around and accept it,�
�� Dalton stated firmly and Marco nodded his head in agreement.

  Chapter 13

  “Okay, spill the beans. What the hell happened between you, Hank, and Dalton at the Dojo this morning?” Stacy asked as Millie, Lena, and Anna painted the rec center together.

  “Nothing happened,” Millie replied, but she smiled.

  “Bullshit. They kissed you and you liked it, didn’t you?” Anna asked.

  “Were you rolling around on the mat with them? How was it? Are they good kissers?” Stacy asked.

  “Oh my God! Cut it out, will you?” Millie replied, sounding shocked. But she couldn’t help but giggle. It was just like old times. It was just like the dream she had about when they were young. She became quiet as she thought about the past and her friendship with Anna and Stacy.

  “Oh, don’t even think that you’re getting off with giving us the silent treatment,” Anna added, and Lena laughed.

  “You three are so funny. You act like sisters,” Lena stated.

  “We might as well be sisters. We always did everything together,” Stacy added.

  “We never have any secrets between one another,” Anna stated.

  “And these two sure can nag like nosey sisters trying to get info from their sibling,” Millie said, and Lena laughed, but Anna and Stacy gasped. Then Stacy picked up the bag of popcorn they had been munching on, reached in, took out a handful, and threw it at Millie.

  “Hey!” Millie raised her voice then giggled before she reached into the bag of pretzels she had and started tossing them at Stacy and Anna and then Lena.

  “Why are you hitting me? I wasn’t the one trying to force info from you. I’m just an innocent bystander.” Lena laughed and covered her head so flying snacks wouldn’t hit her.

  “Oh, don’t you get all ‘I’m innocent’ with me. You were at the dojo. You told these two crazy women about what you think you saw.”

  “I know what I saw and it was you looking incredibly beautiful and happy,” Lena stated, and Millie, Stacy, and Anna stopped what they were doing.

  Millie lowered her eyes and then looked back up to Lena, who was now standing in front of her.

  “It’s crazy, isn’t it? To come to this spectacular town and run from your troubles, the fear, the worry, and start over? To think that you’re alone in that fear, to find the fight within you and then get unexpectedly hit out of thin air by love, attraction, lust, if you want to call it that? To think that you could never have a relationship, never mind one with multiple men, and suddenly you’re considering it?” Lena asked in a whisper but loud enough for the others to hear. Then she placed her hand on Millie’s shoulder.

  “It’s going to be okay. The way the Lewis brothers look at you, absorbing your every emotion, caring about what you say, and your response to them is amazing to watch. It makes me feel so good and alive inside to think that my men look at me in that same way. Forget about your past, the men who hurt you, and embrace what is right in front of you. You’re special, Millie, and stronger than you give yourself credit for. I watched you in the dojo. I saw the passion and excitement in your eyes as you sparred with Hank. I also felt the intensity in the air when I walked into the dojo with Sage to find you and Dalton alone. I knew something was up and he made his declaration clear to those bimbos. I believe his words were ‘Millie is fucking perfect.’”

  Millie was touched by Lena’s words and she didn’t know what else to do but pull her into a bear hug. Then she felt Anna and Stacy join in the hugging and they all giggled.

  “Hey, what’s going on in here? I want to be part of a group hug,” they heard Sage state and then a moment later Sage was trying to wrap her arms around them, too.

  Millie felt Lena’s words to her heart. Everything was going to be okay. This was her new start and she needed to move on from her past. It wasn’t like Frank would be out of her mind. She would always remain on guard as long as he was out there as a free man. But she had a life, and he wouldn’t take that from her without a fight.

  * * * *

  Millie walked out toward the back of the building to find a broom so she could sweep up the mess she and the ladies had made inside. She was smiling and looking down to the ground thinking about Lena’s words. Did all five of the Lewis brothers find Millie attractive? Were they all interested? The thought made her belly quiver and a giddy feeling fill her. As she rounded the corner rather quickly, she walked right into a brick wall.

  “Oh God!” she squealed then grabbed on to the man she nearly plowed over.

  Anthony chuckled as he turned around and held Millie.

  Millie looked up and up until she locked gazes with Anthony and his sparkling brown eyes.

  His chiseled features and hard lines by his eyes, combined with the tan complexion, made him appear mature and in charge. She knew he was the manager of the company. Anna had informed her.

  “I’m so sorry. I was looking down instead of up.” She took a step back. His eyes never left hers.

  “Darlin’, you can bump into me any time you like,” he teased then winked, and damn it, did her belly just do a series of somersaults.

  She lowered her eyes and then looked around for the broom.

  “Can I help you find something?” He slowly took a step toward her. He looked her over with hungry eyes, then damn it his tongue peeked out to lick his lower lip and she almost moaned. There was a magnetic feeling surrounding her body, and as she hit the wall of the building behind her, Anthony made his move.

  In a flash, she felt Anthony’s hand on her waist and the other over her shoulder, palm against the wall. She smelled his cologne, felt his masculine presence, and she was everything but scared. Utterly turned on was more like it. She was in tune with his body just like she had been with Dalton’s and Hank’s. His tool belt slightly pressed against her waist and his eyes held hers while his thumb rubbed gently back and forth across her hip bone.

  “Don’t be scared of me,” he whispered, and it sounded more like a plea than a demand. Was he worried that he might scare her?

  “I’m not afraid of you,” she replied with more oomph than she intended, and Anthony raised one eyebrow then smirked.

  “I’m going to kiss you, sweet Millie. Your lips have been calling to me for days,” he whispered then swallowed hard. He appeared as nervous as she felt.

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I kissed Dalton and Hank, too. They might get upset.”

  She didn’t know why she rambled on or even said the words. She figured somewhere deep inside she needed Anthony to condone this fact and state that it was fine.

  “Honey, that fucking turns me on like you wouldn’t believe.”

  She felt the hand that was against the wall move to her neck as he stepped closer, nearly pinning her against the wall. Not that she wanted to move. She watched his lips with anticipation of how they would feel against her lips.

  “My brothers and I have a good relationship. We like to share.” He moved closer and then his lips touched hers, devouring any words of response.

  He kissed her tenderly and so slowly, as if he was savoring her like she was a delicacy. She found herself leaning into him and then he pressed her back against the wall and suddenly that kiss deepened. He had waited for her response, and because she showed her need for him to take her lips more deeply, he complied.

  God, these Lewis men could kiss well. She was lost in his possession of her mouth. The feel of his strong fingers, holding her head in place as his tongue explored her mouth, took her breath away and filled her heart with such desire she moaned into his mouth.

  A moment later, his other arm wrapped around her waist and hoisted her up against his body. God, she was on fire with such need. She rubbed her pelvis against him and he moaned into her mouth.

  She felt Anthony’s body tense a moment and then he was turning her away from the wall but remained making love to her mouth. Suddenly, she felt another set of hands on her from behind. She froze as those hands rubbed slowly up her back to her sho
ulders and then the utility belt rubbed against her spine.

  “So sweet and beautiful, Millie. I want to feel those lips of yours, too. I can’t let my brother have all the fun.”

  Jeremy!

  Millie’s body seemed to react in a totally surprising way as both men caressed and pet her. As Anthony slowly released her lips, trailing kisses along her neck, she turned to the side only to have Jeremy cup her cheeks between his hands and smile at her.

  “You are gorgeous, woman. I need to feel your lips against mine, darling. I’ve waited too long.”

  He winked at her and she felt as if his aura hugged her. He was a flirt, a jokester, and his brown eyes sparkled with mischief right before he lowered his mouth to hers. On cue, Anthony relinquished his hold on her to his brother and now Jeremy was kissing her, exploring her mouth as his hands firmly traveled along the curves of her body. She kissed him back, absorbing the differences between Jeremy and Anthony. They were similar in height and in body type, but as her hands pressed against his back she felt her fingers reach his hair. She envisioned how he always kept it tied back neatly and it looked shiny and soft.

  Slowly, Jeremy released her lips and pressed soft kisses against her mouth and cheeks before he locked gazes with her.

  “Way better than I fantasized about,” he admitted, and she felt her cheeks blush. Then Anthony gently rubbed his knuckles along her other cheek and she looked toward him and he smiled.

  “Beautiful,” he whispered, and she shyly lowered her eyes then stepped from Jeremy’s embrace.

  “Hey, did you get lost? Ohhh.” Anna smiled wide. “I’m sorry to interrupt. I’ll just leave you three to what you were doing.” She back stepped toward the other side of the building.