"Since it's Stephanie's last night, I'm taking us out."
"That explains the kids racing to get homework done. They didn't even stop to meet Ashlyn."
"Kids! Get back down here," he yells, and there's a pounding down the stairs.
"What's up, Dad?" the boy asks, and I'm struck by the resemblance to Pierce. A pretty young lady comes up behind him.
"You guys hot-footed it through here so fast you missed our guest. This is Ashlyn Rhodes." Darby gestures to me. "Ashlyn, this is Maya and Cole."
"Hi. I love your hair." Maya smiles, my heart warming with the compliment.
"And I love your house!" Cole bounces excitedly. "Dad says I can help sometimes."
"You've seen my house?" I look between him and Pierce. "When?"
"We just left there. Uncle Miller and Dad finished the kitchen."
"Finished the kitchen?" Now I stare at Pierce, totally confused.
"We ripped it out."
"How?"
"Removed the appliances, tore out cabinets, drawers, and countertops. Stripped the trim."
"But no one consulted me!" There's a hitch in my voice, and Pierce's expression changes.
"Didn't you tell Miller yesterday to start with the kitchen?"
"I expected to be there."
"After the plumber and electrician gave their assessments, there was no need to waste time. Miller has all your drawings and sent them over to our designer this morning."
"Yeah, Dad and Uncle Miller say wasting time is wasting money," Cole pipes in.
It's hard to hold on to my annoyance when he puts it that way. "Well, I guess it's a good thing I selected my materials today."
"Those your choices?" Pierce points to the stack of samples on the edge of the counter.
"Yes, I think so. Seeing the shed and this kitchen helped it all come together. I adore Darby's style."
Darby peers up at Pierce with a grin and winks, then looks back at me. "The shed was a group effort, but I had nothing to do with this kitchen. It was all Pierce."
"Really?"
"She had an influence, though I didn't know it at the time," he counters, running his lips across her cheek.
"Yeah, Dad did a lot of things for Darby and didn't realize it," Maya adds.
"Maybe we should stop sharing so much in front of the kids." Darby blushes.
"Not a chance." He tugs her gently to him, closing the inch of space, and wraps his arms to rest on her stomach. There is no doubt Pierce Kendrick idolizes his wife. I catch the vivid shine of approval on Stephanie's face as she observes them.
My chest constricts at the beautiful and silent display of affection. For a brief second, I'm taken back in time to a luxury hotel room in Chicago where I spent two days and nights with a virtual stranger that showed me those same displays of affection.
Memories assault my brain of the way Miller was always close. The way he'd sneak up behind me, curling his arms around my waist, and kiss along my neck. The whispers against my skin to wake me in the morning. What began as a night of sex with no promises turned into the most passionate weekend of my life.
Never had I been with a man so attentive, so attuned to my body and interested in me for me. It was liberating, and I let myself go, knowing Miller was clueless to who I really was.
I was Lily—the carefree, untroubled, and full of life woman I became for a brief time. The lie about my identity was as much for him as for me. He was leaving, and it was supposed to be a fun fling. But I knew the instant that the hotel room door closed and he kissed me, I was in over my head. It came naturally to let down my guard and live in the moment.
I should have known better than to try to escape the shit storm that was my reality.
A throat clears, and I snap out of my head and find all eyes on me.
"You okay?" Stephanie asks wearily.
"Yes, I spaced out. It seems to happen a lot lately. My mind travels to the house, and everything around me becomes invisible." I lie, again, to my friend.
"You don't need to worry. Miller will take excellent care of you," Darby assures me.
"I'm not worried at all." I try to sound indifferent to his name, even though my heart flips in my chest. "Besides, Pierce's intimate knowledge of the perfect kitchen is reassuring."
He shares a glance with Darby and Stephanie that makes my skin prickle.
"This is entirely Miller's project." His tone is serious. "I'll help when I can, but Miller cleared his schedule for this."
I bite my tongue to keep from repeating that Miller told me this was a good time of year for him.
"Yeah, Uncle Miller said he will be wrapped up in you for a long time," Cole throws in.
This time when Pierce glances at Darby, the hair on my arms stands. Something passes between them, and my suspicions hackle when Stephanie coughs to cover up her laugh.
"I think he said wrapped up in the project," Pierce corrects his son, not hiding his smirk.
"Same difference." Cole shrugs.
To a ten-year-old, the meaning goes over his head, but I don't miss the innuendo. My cheeks flame, and by the knowing looks on the adults' faces, they are thinking the same thing.
For about the hundredth time since yesterday, the fact rolls through my mind.
I'm definitely in trouble.
Chapter 3
Miller
I let myself into the house and follow the sound of the music to find Ashlyn in the bathroom with a steamer in her hand. She's singing lightly, lost in her own world, facing the wall and ripping as she goes. Heaps of shredded wallpaper cover the floor.
I lean against the doorframe and rake my eyes over her, taking in the way her body moves with the music. My cock stirs in my jeans, knowing the feel of her hips rocking on top of me. Her tiny tank top and leggings are the exact opposite of the power outfit I last saw her in.
I knew my parting words that Sunday night
