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.
“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.