A Million Tiny Pieces (15 page)

Then
Phoenix’s mouth was on his once more, one hand coming up to grip his hair,
holding his head still. “I’ve dreamed about this, Tarik.” Phoenix’s words came
out in a harsh whisper, the desperation in his tone making Tarik’s dick pulse
and throb.

Phoenix
slid his other hand into Tarik’s sweatpants, gripping his cock firmly, stroking
slowly.

“Fucking
hell,” Tarik muttered.

“I’ve
thought about what it would be like to put your dick in my mouth. To suck you
until you come down my throat.”

Tarik
didn’t say anything. He couldn’t. The pleasure was too much. The way Phoenix’s
firm grip wrapped around his cock, every muscle in his body was strung tight.

“I’ve
never done that before,” Phoenix admitted. “I’ve had men blow me, but I’ve
never returned the favor.”

Tarik
opened his eyes and met Phoenix’s hard gaze, his honesty like a brutal slap to
the face. He’d never…? Tarik knew, based on what Phoenix had told him, that he
hadn’t had intercourse with a man, but he’d never…?
Holy fuck.

“I
want to feel what it’s like for you to fuck my mouth. I want your hands in my
hair, holding me still while you drive your dick down my throat.” The rough,
aroused tone of Phoenix’s voice made Tarik’s cock jump in Phoenix’s hand.

His
thoughts were all over the map, but Tarik couldn’t produce words. For all the
time he’d known Phoenix, he’d never known the man to relinquish control. But
what he was telling him now was exactly the opposite. Had he been waiting all
this time for Tarik to take the control from him?

As
tempting as that was, Tarik needed Phoenix to give himself to him first. As
Phoenix had said before, one night would never be enough. Never.

“What
about Mia?” Tarik asked.

“I
want her just as much. I’ve fantasized about my cock sliding into her warm,
slick heat while you fuck my ass.”

Tarik’s
breath got stuck in his throat. Phoenix’s hand was still stroking Tarik’s dick,
faster now. He wasn’t going to last much longer, he knew that much. If Phoenix
didn’t stop, he was going to come in his fucking hand.

“I’ve
imagined her sucking your dick while I’m fucking her from behind. Sliding my
cock into her warm, wet pussy.”

Tarik
understood everything Phoenix was saying — he’d had the same fantasies. But he
knew what the problem was. Mia was too sweet for that. No matter how many times
he tried to envision it, they were simply fantasies. When he attempted to match
it to what little he knew of the woman, it never worked. She was too innocent
to give herself over to two men.

He
had to wonder whether Phoenix realized that, too. Was that why he was finally
giving in?

Suddenly
Phoenix’s breath was no longer on his mouth; his hand disappeared from inside
his sweats. Tarik tried to take a deep breath, ready to accept that this wasn’t
going to happen, but then Phoenix dropped to his knees, yanking Tarik’s sweats
down his legs.

“Oh,
God,” Tarik groaned, dropping his head against the wall when Phoenix engulfed
his dick, taking him all the way in his mouth. He resisted the urge to fist his
hands in the man’s hair. He could so easily do it, so effortlessly take
control, but he needed Phoenix to finish what he’d started. And not because Tarik
forced him to. Because Phoenix wanted to.

Looking
down the length of his body, Tarik watched as his cock disappeared inside
Phoenix’s mouth, the way his lips wrapped around him, stretching tight.

“That’s
it,” Tarik encouraged, his hands balled at his sides. “Take all of me, Phoenix.
Suck my dick. Damn, that’s good.”

Phoenix
laved his dick with his tongue, using only his mouth to pleasure him.

“I’m
gonna come down your throat,” Tarik told him. “I want to watch you take all of
me.”

Phoenix
groaned, the vibration sending shockwaves of pleasure straight to Tarik’s
balls. He wasn’t going to last, not while he watched the one man he’d wanted
for so damn long on his knees sucking his dick with so much eagerness. It was
more than he could bear.

“Faster,”
he instructed. “Take me deeper. Oh, fuck, Phoenix. I’m gonna come.”

No
sooner did the words leave his mouth than Tarik exploded, his dick pulsing,
spurting into Phoenix’s throat as he sucked him dry.

Any
other time that he’d had his dick sucked, Tarik would’ve been satisfied. He
would’ve been able to breathe easier for just a little while. But as he helped
Phoenix to his feet, pulling him in for another kiss, tasting himself in
Phoenix’s mouth, Tarik knew that this wasn’t going to be easy. Nothing about
Phoenix Pierce was easy. It didn’t matter that he’d finally given in to
something they’d both wanted for a long damn time.

There
was still someone else. Someone they both couldn’t stop thinking about.

THE
WEEK FLEW by without incident, something Mia was incredibly grateful for. The
reporters had all but disappeared. Mia wasn’t sure if that was a fluke, but she
didn’t question it, grateful not to have to endure overly pushy people who
wanted their questions answered regardless of what it was they were asking.
Whoever might’ve been following her — if her imagination hadn’t merely been
playing tricks on her — hadn’t been back, either. Then again, Phoenix had
insisted that his driver take her to school and pick her up on Wednesday and
Thursday. He’d said he would’ve done it, but he was out of town on business.

Initially,
when Phoenix had informed her that he and Tarik would be gone for a couple of
days, she’d been disappointed but made sure she didn’t show it. The last thing
she wanted was to appear needy, although she’d somehow developed a bit of a
crush on both men, despite her frequent denial.

In
fact, her curiosity had been the reason she’d made an attempt to speak with
Phoenix’s driver, whose name she had learned was Gus, on Wednesday morning when
he’d taken her to school.

“Do
you drive many women to school these days?” she asked, keeping her tone light,
despite how much she wanted to know the answer to that question.

“Never,”
he answered straightforwardly. “Well, no one other than Ellen from time to time,
but I doubt she’s the type of woman you’re referring to.”

The
glint in his perceptive brown eyes told her he’d definitely understood her
inquiry.

“Sorry,”
she said absently. “I don’t mean to be nosy.”

The
older man gifted her with a knowing smile, and Mia fidgeted slightly. “Ms.
Cantrell, I can tell you that you’re in good hands with Mr. Pierce and Mr.
Marx. They’re good people. I started out working for the elder Mr. Pierce,
which means I’ve known Coach for most of his life.”

Mia’s
cheeks burned at the memory of how she’d learned who Coach really was.

“Phoenix
and Tarik are close, huh?” she asked, glancing out the window at the passing
scenery.

“Very.
Probably closer than they even realize.”

Mia
had attempted to decipher Gus’s last statement after he’d dropped her at
school. She’d noticed they were closer than a mere employer/employee
relationship. A lot closer. And that realization had only led to a myriad of
questions pummeling her brain.

She
had tried to convince herself that she was only interested in Phoenix, but
there was something about Tarik that had her curious. And nervous. Truth was,
Tarik
made
her nervous. Not because she feared him, but he did
intimidate her. Whether it was his size or the look of sheer determination
etched on his chiseled features, she didn’t know. However, her anxiety had been
abated yesterday when he’d surprised her.

“Hello?”
Mia greeted the caller, not recognizing the number.

“Mia?
It’s Tarik.”

Mia’s
heart leaped into her throat when she recognized his voice. “Hi.”

“Meet
me for lunch,” came his next request.

“Today?”

“Yes,”
he said with a gruff chuckle.

“Okay.”
The answer came out far easier than she’d anticipated. “My next class isn’t
until two.”

“I’ll
pick you up in five minutes.”

Fifteen
minutes later, Tarik was leading her to a table in the back of a small café not
far from campus. They were handed menus and then left alone while the waitress
scurried about, helping the other people already seated.

“I
thought you and Phoenix were out of town,” she said after scanning the menu
quickly and deciding on what she wanted.

“We
got back this morning.”

“Where’s
Phoenix?” she asked, hoping she didn’t sound as though she wasn’t happy to be
there with him.

“Home.
He had a conference call. I thought I’d take advantage and get you alone for a
bit.”

Mia’s
heart skipped a beat — maybe two — as she stared into his golden eyes. The guy
really was incredibly handsome. His hair was darker than Phoenix’s, his skin a
little lighter, not quite as bronzed as Phoenix’s. She wasn’t sure why she was
making a comparison between the two, but as she stared back at him, she saw so
many differences, and not only in their appearance. Enough that Mia was even
more intrigued by him right then than she had been before.

When
Tarik had called her cell phone and asked her to lunch on Thursday, Mia had
nearly swallowed her tongue, but somehow she had accepted. She’d felt a little
guilty, as though she were cheating on Phoenix, but she had reminded herself
that she and Phoenix were only friends. That kiss — although mind-blowing —
couldn’t happen again. Without a doubt, Mia knew she wouldn’t survive another
relationship with a man like Phoenix.

Unfortunately,
after that incredibly comfortable lunch where she and Tarik had talked about
everything from where he was born to what classes she was taking at school, Mia
had been even more confused than before. She’d given in to the idea that she
was physically attracted to Phoenix and enjoyed his company immensely. But
she’d had a very similar reaction to Tarik.

And
that was the main reason Alex was on her way over. Mia needed a sounding board,
and she hadn’t had a chance to talk to Alex. So much had happened since the
night of the charity ball.

But
the waiting was over, because she was about to get a chance to chew Alex’s ear
off, and she hoped her friend was ready.

As
far as she was concerned, there was nothing better than a bottle of wine shared
between friends on a Friday night. She’d take that over going out to clubs any
day of the week. Uncorking the wine, Mia took the bottle to the living room and
set it on the small wooden coffee table along with the two glasses she’d placed
there earlier. The music was playing softly, an upbeat playlist that Mia had
been listening to for the better part of the afternoon in anticipation of her
friend’s arrival.

The
doorbell chimed, and Mia smiled as she skipped to the door, flinging it open
and coming face-to-face with a cheerful Alex.

“Girl,
you’re lucky you invited me over, because I was getting ready to crash your
condo,” Alex said as she walked in, hugging Mia briefly before looking around.
“Holy shit. This place looks fantastic.”

“Thanks.
You wouldn’t believe what bargains you can find online if you search long
enough.” Mia smiled to herself as she thought about the other things she’d
uncovered when she’d been searching the Internet over the last few weeks.

“I
love it.”

Alex
hadn’t been to the condo since the day Mia had moved in. As was usually the
case, Alex’s schedule was tight, and their girls’ nights generally had to be planned
well in advance just so Mia could see her. Granted, back when Mia had been with
Damien, they’d crossed paths more frequently at various functions, but now that
Mia had reverted to a commoner, those encounters were less frequent. The blame
certainly couldn’t be laid at Alex’s feet, though, and Mia felt a twinge of
guilt for not spending more time with her closest friend.

“Sit,”
Mia suggested as she motioned toward the sofa. “I’ve got wine.”

Alex
walked toward the couch, still looking around the condo as she did. “I really
like this, Mia. It seems so … you.”

“As
opposed to?”

“That
prison Damien calls a home,” Alex said bluntly. “I never liked the fact that
you weren’t able to put your stamp on it. This is cozy and fun.”

“Thanks.
It definitely suits me.”

Alex
dropped to the sofa after kicking off her flats, then curled her feet up
underneath her. “So tell me about school. How’s the new semester going? What
you thought it would be?”

“I
don’t know that I had any expectations,” Mia admitted as she poured the wine
into one of the glasses, then handed it off to her friend. “Quite frankly, it’s
boring. But I love it.”

“I’m
glad you decided to go. I’m so proud of how in control of your life you are.”

Mia
laughed as she took the other glass once she filled it. “I wouldn’t say I’m
necessarily in control. These days I feel anything but.”

“Spill,”
Alex said, her eyes meeting Mia’s when she lowered herself to the other end of
the sofa, pulling her legs up so she could face her friend.

“I’m
not sure there’s anything to spill,” Mia said, gauging her friend’s reaction
but unable to hide her grin.

Just
as she’d suspected, Alex smirked, a knowing smile that told Mia far more than
she wanted to know. Alex had always been able to read Mia like a book. “Well,
let’s see if I can figure it out. You know I wanted to be a private
investigator in my past life.”

Mia
chuckled. She did know that. Alex prided herself on being a super sleuth,
attempting to solve every mystery she came up against.

“I’ll
rewind back to the charity ball. If I recall correctly, you were sandwiched in
between two incredibly sexy men. I also have it on good authority that the
seating arrangement wasn’t an accident.”

“
What?
”
Mia leaned forward, holding her wine away from her body to keep from spilling
it on her shirt. “What do you mean it wasn’t an accident?”

“You
know I’m friends with a member of the board. She told me that someone
specifically requested — at the very last minute, mind you — a change to the
table arrangement.”

“Are
you serious? Why?”

“Well,
at first I thought it was because someone smarter than the person who put the
seating chart together realized they’d put you at a table with Damien.”

Mia
frowned. She hadn’t known that.

“But
from what I remember, the two men who were flanking you couldn’t seem to take
their eyes off you.”

“That’s
not true,” Mia said defensively.

Alex
chuckled and sipped her wine. “Oh, honey, trust me. I had the perfect view. The
way Phoenix Pierce was looking at you … I thought a couple of times you might
go up in flames.”

Mia
looked down at her hands, her face heating from her embarrassment.

“And
the other guy… Crap. What’s his name? He’s the PR guy for the Austin Arrows.”

“Tarik
Marx,” Mia said quickly, realizing a second too late that she’d fallen right
into Alex’s trap.

“That’s
exactly what I thought. So, of course, me being the overprotective friend that
I am, I did a little investigating of my own.”

“I
take it you’ve figured it all out?” Mia teased, hating that Alex knew her so
well.

“I
guess you haven’t seen the tabloids, huh?”

Mia
shook her head. She’d purposely been avoiding recent events on the online
gossip sites, and she did her best never to read the magazines at the grocery
store. After her research spree, she’d found enough information to keep her
busy for a lifetime without having to delve into things that had happened in
the last few days.

“Let’s
just say you’ve looked pretty happy in the pictures they’ve snapped of you over
the last couple of weeks. But what’s with them walking you to school?”

Mia
leaned forward and poured more wine into her glass. “It was only one day. On the
Monday after the charity ball, when I left for school, I swear someone was
following me. They’d never done that before, so it kinda freaked me out. I ran
into Phoenix — literally — around the corner, and he insisted on walking me to
school. He insisted that his driver took me the other days.”

“Are
you sure it was nothing?” There was concern in Alex’s stern tone.

“I
never saw anyone, so I figured I was being paranoid. If there was someone, I’m
sure it was a reporter, anyway.”

“Never
assume, Mia,” Alex said gravely. “You’re a single woman now, and that’s a
widely known fact. You need to be careful. There are some serious nut jobs out
there.”

Mia
waved her off. “I’m careful, I promise. And Phoenix and Tarik aren’t letting me
go far without one of them with me.”

“So,
tell me more about them. By the way, I think it’s incredibly hot that you’ve
got two guys catering to your every whim.”

“It’s
not like that,” Mia stated cautiously. “We’re just … friends.”

“Yeah?
So why’re you blushing?”

Mia
didn’t say anything, but she couldn’t wipe the smile off her face.

“Did
you kiss them?”

“What?”
Mia exclaimed. “No! Well, not
both
of them. No.”

“Which
one?” Alex’s curiosity caused her to lean forward, her eyes fixed on Mia’s
face.

“Phoenix.”

“How
was he?”

“Oh,
God, Alex, it was … incredible. I’ve never in my life been kissed like that.”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Mia realized how she sounded.