Millie's Second Chance Read online

“I’m coming.” Millie reached for the broom and began to follow Anna. Then she felt a strong, large hand against her upper arm stop her from exiting.

  “Wait,” Jeremy stated.

  She looked at both Jeremy and Anthony. They appeared uncertain and almost desperate for her to remain there.

  “Don’t go. We’d like to talk to you, get to know you better, and make some plans. Would you like to come over for dinner tonight?” Jeremy asked her. She nibbled her bottom lip. Dinner at the Lewis brothers’ place with possibly all five of them? Oh shit!

  As if sensing her anxiety, Anthony stepped forward, locking gazes with her as he took her other hand. Now both men were touching her again, and damn it, did her body betray her mind’s warning to take things slow.

  “Just dinner, Millie. We really do want to get to know you better. And maybe fool around a little more. Your kisses are going to be addicting, I can tell already,” Jeremy teased, and she chuckled.

  What the hell did she have to lose? It was just dinner and getting to know five sexy, intimidating cowboys.

  “Okay.”

  Both men smiled wide.

  “I’ll pick you up at seven. Is that good?” Anthony asked.

  She nodded her head.

  “We’ll pick you up at seven,” Jeremy chimed in then winked, and she laughed before taking the broom she had in a death grip with her and back toward the rec center.

  Chapter 14

  Millie looked at herself in the mirror. She had chosen a turquoise, A-line sundress that flared slightly above her knees. It accentuated her breasts with scalloped trim along the bustline and straps. She thought she looked really good in it and it was versatile, too. She decided on a pair of white, strappy sandals that had a slight heel.

  After showering and blowing her hair straight, it now appeared long and shiny as it silhouetted down her back to nearly her rear.

  Looking through her jewelry box, she pulled out a pair of earrings and matching necklace that she had handmade herself. It contained light blue stones and matched her outfit perfectly. She sniffed the air, absorbing the smell of her light perfume before twirling around to get a better look at her appearance. In her mind, she thought about everything all at once, but what really stood out were Stewart’s insults. He would frown upon her wearing such a simple dress. He hated the color blue when she loved it.

  Stewart filtered through her mind, nearly bursting her bubble of excitement about tonight’s dinner with the brothers. She swallowed hard. She couldn’t help but think that this was a mistake. She was asking for trouble times five. It could end up disastrous and then what? She liked it here in Pearl. She didn’t want to leave. As a matter of fact, subconsciously it seemed she had made the decision to stay. She forced Stewart’s words out of her mind. She hated him. She hoped that he was miserable right now and that people told him how much of a jerk he was for getting her fired. She looked into the mirror again and smiled. No more thoughts of Stewart or men like him. That was behind her. Tonight was about starting with a clean slate and getting to know the Lewis brothers as individuals and fellow residents of Pearl.

  The sound of a truck pulling up outside made her heart race. This was it. She was going to do this.

  * * * *

  Anthony gave Jeremy an exasperated expression as they climbed the front porch to pick up Millie for dinner.

  Jeremy was getting on Anthony’s nerves. He had been tapping his hands on his lap and fidgeting the entire way over in the truck and Anthony was fed up.

  “Will you calm down?”

  “What?” Jeremy asked with confusion.

  “You’re fidgeting and hopping around like spit in a hot skillet. I can’t take it. It’s not like you’ve never been on a date before.”

  “This is different. Millie is different. I know this.”

  Just then the front door opened and Millie appeared.

  One look at their goddess and Anthony was speechless and felt so damn nervous he should have never reprimanded Jeremy.

  “Hi.” Millie stared at him and Jeremy as if they were crazy or something. He was tongue-tied and so was Jeremy. Millie looked stunning in a blue dress that accentuated her feminine curves like nothing she had ever worn before. The woman looked sexy in a pair of blue jeans and T-shirt, but damn did she look piping hot in a dress.

  “You’re gorgeous,” Jeremy stated then pulled the door open and smiled wide. He leaned forward to press a kiss to her cheek and she blushed.

  “Absolutely gorgeous. Are you ready?” Anthony chimed in then leaned forward to kiss her on the other cheek. She shyly nodded then turned toward the door to lock it, placing the key into her purse she held in one hand.

  They both took an arm and led her down the stairs to the truck.

  “You sit up front with Anthony. I’ll sit in the back seat,” Jeremy told her as he helped her step up into the truck. When the material of her dress parted and showed off her tan, muscular thigh, Anthony felt his cock grow hard and tight. This was going to be a hell of a night trying to keep his lust reigned in. She was perfect.

  * * * *

  The ride over had been pleasant and Jeremy talked a mile a minute, making it easy on Millie as to not force words from her trembling lips. She took the opportunity to absorb the men’s attire, which only added to her oversensitive body. She partly listened as Jeremy spoke.

  “So it looks like the construction is going well with all the cottages. We heard a few more women showed up yesterday looking for a safe place to stay. I think this was a great idea you all came up with,” Jeremy told her from the back seat.

  Anthony looked like he had just stepped out of a men’s fashion catalog. He wore a crisp, white button-down shirt that he hadn’t buttoned fully and exposed some of his tanned, muscular chest. His dark jeans were designer and his boots black and shiny. He looked edible. Millie felt her heart rate increase and then she looked away as Anthony caught her drooling.

  “It’s got to be difficult, being on your own without anyone to help you, never mind if you have children,” Anthony piped in.

  “It is difficult. I’ve seen it many times before in New York. That was one of the main ideas I had for the women’s shelter I raised funds for. It was also to provide guidance and support so eventually the women, and if they had children, the family, could get back out on their own. It’s not an easy process.” Millie looked back toward Jeremy since it seemed Anthony kept glancing at her instead of the road ahead of him.

  Jeremy was dressed in a dark blue button-down shirt, black jeans, and he also had on designer boots. His belt buckle showed off the fact that he had ridden a bull and at one point in time won a medal for his bravery or maybe stupidity. She never understood why anyone would find joy in riding on top of a wild, uncontrollable beast weighing anywhere from one thousand to two thousand pounds of angry muscle. But for some strange reason, the thought turned her on. It was sexy and manly even if she thought it was crazy.

  When they pulled up to their property Millie was stunned. The gates opened electronically and way up the long, winding road was a stunning, extraordinarily large estate made of modern brick and stonework as well as a traditional wraparound porch.

  “Oh my God, your place is huge,” Millie whispered, taking in the sight of the horse stables to the left that matched the same woodwork and stone on the house.

  “Well, there’s five of us living here and we’re big men,” Jeremy chimed in from the back seat and winked at her.

  “It’s stunning.”

  “We built it,” Anthony stated, and Millie stared at him in disbelief.

  “No way! Really?”

  “Yep. We all did and everything inside is custom made. Anthony is amazing with cabinetry and woodwork,” Jeremy informed her, and she glanced back at Jeremy and then at Anthony, who appeared embarrassed.

  “It’s not a big deal.” He grunted. He was modest and humble. She liked that. The truck stopped in a spot along the side of the house. Before she could open her door, Hank was
making his way down the porch steps and she paused with her hand on the handle of the door as Anthony climbed out of the truck.

  Hank looked handsome. He wore blue jeans and a dark sage-colored, collared shirt. He smiled wide as he approached the door. She was suddenly feeling a bit intimidated.

  Slowly, she pushed the door open and Hank was there offering her his hand. She smiled. “Hi,” he whispered.

  “Hi,” she replied and when she began to step from the truck, Hank lifted her into his arms and against his chest. She clutched his shoulders, and as he slowly lowered her, he kissed her on the mouth. It was a soft, gentle kiss that ended way too quickly.

  “Hey, let me outta here,” Jeremy interrupted, and as Hank released her lips he gave Jeremy an annoyed look.

  Hank let her down and took her hand, and Jeremy chuckled. It appeared that Jeremy was teasing his brother on purpose.

  “You look stunning, sweetness,” Hank whispered next to her ear and she felt her belly quiver. He was damn sexy.

  “Damn straight, she does.” Jeremy winked at her.

  His playful side made her feel a little less nervous until she approached the front steps and spotted Dalton.

  * * * *

  Dalton was trying to calm his breathing. He was so fucking nervous his hands were clammy and he was nearly perspiring. He had served in the damn war, yet this woman made him more nervous with anticipation of what may or may not happen. Or perhaps how many things could go wrong or even right. Shit.

  As he looked up toward the open doorway, he saw her standing there, dressed in blue, looking like an angel with the sunlight gathered behind her. Hank held her hand, towering over her as Jeremy and Anthony followed suit. She looked stunning and feminine and every nerve ending in his body felt the need to protect her, possess her, and hold her in his arms.

  As he stepped toward her, ready to take action and claim what was instinctively his, he stopped short. Perhaps she didn’t feel so strongly about him. The thought had him scowling.

  Millie must have picked up on it because her smile faltered and Hank cleared his throat.

  “Welcome to our home. Let’s give you the tour.” Hank practically dragged her across the room.

  “Wait,” Millie whispered and Hank stopped walking. She was a few feet away from Dalton and he watched her intently, wondering what she would say.

  She looked him over from head to toe. He wondered if he had dressed too casually or perhaps he should have worn a different color than black but black was his favorite color.

  “Hello, Dalton.” She reached her hand out for him to—shake it? What? He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her, not shake her fucking hand as if she were the next-door neighbor. What the fuck?

  As he slowly reached for her hand, she smiled just as the electrical current he felt between them in the dojo came crashing forward. An instant later she was wrapped up in his arms and he was devouring her mouth.

  * * * *

  Millie had no idea what the hell was happening, but she was instantly and evenly attracted to the brothers. Initially, she had thought that Dalton may have changed his mind about his attraction to her by the scowl on his face, but then something came over her. She liked him. A lot. She recalled her jealousy toward the other women that found him attractive and flirted with him. She wanted the men to belong to only her. It was a shocking, controlling thought that fed her hunger.

  She poured all of that emotion into their kiss, and before long, he was lifting her up, holding her tightly against his chest and loving her mouth.

  As if realizing that his behavior and response was compulsive and may have frightened her, he began to pull away. His lips slowly left hers and then he smiled down at her.

  “Hot damn, woman, you set my body on fire.” She felt the palm of his hand glide across her ass cheek and squeeze. Her nipples hardened and her body rubbed against him.

  “I think dessert should come before dinner tonight,” Jeremy stated and they all chuckled.

  “Millie.”

  Millie turned from Dalton’s heated gaze to Marco, who leaned against the entryway to another room with his arms crossed. From cowboy boots and Wrangler jeans all the way up to his Western-style black shirt and stern expression, she absorbed him completely. Her mouth slightly opened and she nearly moaned from overstimulation and complete appreciation for the five fine-looking cowboys around her.

  “Come here,” Marco commanded. She widened her eyes in response, but she feared to take the shaky step toward him. She was at a crossroads of sorts at the moment. She had deep feelings for these men. All of them. When she loved, she loved entirely and that had been her downfall twice. First with Frank and then with Stewart. But she did love a man in charge. She wanted one that could take care of her, one she could lean on, and one that could also be commanding in the bedroom but bring her pleasure, not pain. Marco cleared his throat as if she were waiting too long to follow his command. This was a leap of faith. These men had shown her nothing but gentleness and affection. Third time’s a charm, Millie.

  He raised his eyebrows, the cocky, sexy bastard, and she found herself slowly walking the six feet toward him. His eyes sparkled in celebration as she approached.

  “Stop right there,” he whispered firmly and she forced herself to remain still and not take the last two steps and throw herself into his arms for a hell of a hello.

  He uncrossed his arms and looked her over from head to toe. Oh, please don’t say you hate the color blue. Oh, please, don’t tell me what you don’t like about me. She wondered why she was being so critical and worrying about them turning out to be like other men. Give them a chance. She tensed up entirely until Marco spoke in his deep Texan accent.

  “You should dress like this more often. You’re a stunning, voluptuous woman, Millie. I’m going to enjoy removing that dress from your body and exploring every inch of you.”

  Holy Mary, Mother of God!

  She closed her eyes and swallowed the moan she felt nearly slip from her lips.

  That was the hottest thing any man had ever said to her.

  When she felt his arm go around her waist and pull her to him, she opened her eyes and looked up and up until she locked gazes with Marco.

  His mouth descended on hers quickly, leaving no room to prepare for his kiss. He was lethal and thorough as he explored her with his mouth as well as his hands.

  Lost in the sensations and the constant state of arousal, she hadn’t realized that another body was now behind her and two sets of hands began an exploration. As Marco caressed the palm of his right hand up her dress and squeezed her thigh, Anthony moved her hair from her neck on the opposite side of her body and licked and kissed along her skin.

  She lost the ability to stand and Anthony held her up.

  “Whoa, honey, easy now. You taste really good and whatever perfume you’re wearing it is very appealing,” Anthony whispered then continued to kiss her neck. Marco slowly released her lips and she couldn’t control her heavy breathing no matter how hard she tried.

  His hand tapped against her thigh then moved farther up. He held her gaze and his eyes widened probably at the fact that she wore thong bikini underwear. Damn straight she did. If she was going to possibly have sex with five men, she was going to bring in the heavy artillery. She hoped the matching black silk bra was to their satisfaction as well. If they in fact wanted to explore her sexually, she wanted the wrapping to be as good as the present.

  Marco’s fingers pulled the thin material that started at her hip and disappeared between her ass cheeks. She gasped at his brazen move but was so utterly and completely turned on by both him and Anthony she couldn’t move. The pressure from his large hand enticed her body. She felt her pussy clench and she tightened her legs.

  “Your choice, Millie. Dessert before dinner or dinner first?” Marco asked. His hand paused on her skin, singeing it and filling her with lust.

  “Oh, God, this can’t be happening to me.”

  “It sure is ha
ppening to you. We want you,” Anthony whispered against her neck as he held her hips.

  “Why?” she found herself asking in a raspy, sexy tone.

  Marco shook his head as if disappointed at her lack of realization as to why they wanted her. Then he squeezed her to him and held her gaze.

  “Because you are sweet, sexy, and all woman. You make me want things I’ve never wanted before.” She gulped then felt Anthony move his hands from her waist up to her breast and squeeze.

  “And because you’re beautiful and a fantasy come true,” Anthony added then squeezed again.

  “Oh, God.”

  “You feel it, Millie, don’t you?” Jeremy asked as he moved into her line of sight. Hank and Dalton surrounded them now, too.

  She nodded her head.

  “Say it. Say you feel what we all feel,” Hank demanded, and she felt the intensity of his tone.

  She looked at Dalton. “I feel it. I feel it with all of you.”

  “Dessert first,” Jeremy teased.

  “Didn’t someone say something about a tour?” Millie asked, feeling a bit of stage fright.

  She gasped as Marco scooped her up into his arms as if she weighed nothing at all.

  “No better place to tour first than the bedroom.”

  * * * *

  Marco slowly lowered Millie’s body down his until her feet hit the carpeting. He could sense her uneasiness and was glad his brothers held back joining them. They didn’t want to scare her, but they were going to make love to her tonight.

  “Are you scared?” he asked as he cupped her cheeks and stared down into her dark blue eyes.

  She nodded her head.

  “Well, don’t be. Anthony and I are going to take things nice and slow, baby. We want you.” As he said Anthony’s name, his brother took that moment to place his hands on Millie’s hips. She tensed a moment until Anthony kissed the top of her head. Anthony massaged her hips then pulled her back as he stepped forward. Her body was wedged between them both.