A Million Tiny Pieces (19 page)

She
wasn’t sure she would
ever
stop smiling.

PHOENIX
NEVER TOOK his eyes off Mia the entire time she was airborne. She was so
beautiful, even with most of her face covered by her goggles and the helmet
over her head. Her smile… Phoenix would have to admit that her smile was the
most radiant thing he’d ever seen. He was drawn to her in every way, and when
she laughed, he laughed.

Of
course, watching Tarik master the wind was an erotic sight all its own. The man
moved so easily, so effortlessly that Phoenix found himself admiring every
move, every nuance of his facial expressions. The guy was physical perfection.

“He’s
good at this,” Mia said as they watched Tarik take his turn.

Yes,
he definitely was. He was good at a lot of things, Phoenix thought to himself.

It
wasn’t long before those few minutes were up and they were exiting to the main
waiting area where they’d originally been sent.

“So,
how was it?” Tarik asked Mia when he met up with them.

“Incredible,”
she said breathlessly. “Is it really like jumping out of a plane?”

“Not
exactly.” Phoenix glanced down at her as he studied her. “Why? You interested?”

“Maybe
one day,” she told him, her eyes locking with his. “You never know what you
might enjoy until you try it.”

The
underlying meaning of those words hit Phoenix like a twenty-ton hammer. Based
on the way she held his gaze, he knew what she was getting at. He wasn’t sure
he was going to make it through the rest of the day if she kept that up.

The
young man who’d helped them to suit up showed them where they needed to go
next. Once they had removed the flight suit and other equipment, Phoenix led
Mia and Tarik back down the stairs, where they were greeted by the girl who’d
signed them up initially. A few minutes later, Tarik took Mia’s hand and led
them toward the main doors. Feeling incredibly bold, Phoenix decided to take
her other hand, walking alongside them. When Mia didn’t flinch or bother to
look around to see if anyone noticed, he smiled.

Yes,
this was definitely working out better than he had planned.

“So,
who’s the winner?” Tarik asked as he helped Mia into the SUV after they’d made
a run for it in the parking lot. The rain hadn’t let up yet, proof in that he
was getting drenched just standing there.

“That’s
a tough one,” she told him, glancing over at Phoenix briefly. “I’m gonna have
to say Phoenix.”

“I
agree,” Tarik said, grinning from ear to ear as his eyes met Phoenix’s.

They
were standing so close, the rain coming down heavily, and Phoenix could feel
the heat of Tarik’s body, smell spearmint on his breath. Neither of them moved
for a long moment. A foreign sensation simmered inside him, urging him to take
the plunge, to lean in and kiss Tarik right there. The knowing look on Tarik’s
face, the cocky, crooked grin was the only thing that stopped him.

Yes,
he was going to give in, even he knew that much. But for now, Phoenix was going
to make Tarik work for it.

Tarik
turned away, and Phoenix inhaled deeply as he jumped into the car, brushing the
water from his hair and his coat.

“It’s
your turn to pick a place to go,” Phoenix told Mia when Tarik darted around to
the driver’s side.

She
was examining him cautiously, but she didn’t seem put off by the moment he’d
shared with Tarik. Phoenix had absolutely no idea how she would react if and
when he told her that he was as interested in Tarik as he was in her. He wasn’t
sure he was ready for that reaction. If she rejected him, he wasn’t sure he’d
survive it.

“Do
you play laser tag?” she inquired sweetly, still gazing up at him as he tried
to dispel more of the water from his hair.

“I
know how, yes.”

“You?”
she asked, looking to the front toward Tarik, who had jumped into the driver’s
seat and was doing the same thing. His shirt was plastered to his back — the
guy had a passionate dislike for coats, so he’d gone without one, as usual —
and Phoenix did his best not to stare at him as he got situated in the front
seat, flipping the heater on high.

“I’ve
played.”

“Are
you good at it?” She was eyeing Tarik intently as she waited for him to answer,
and Phoenix fought the urge to draw her attention back to him and kiss her.

“I
can hold my own.”

“And
you? Do you excel at that, too?” Mia asked Phoenix, turning back to him once
again.

“You’ll
have to find out,” he stated, putting his thumb on her chin, curling his finger
beneath.

He
couldn’t resist the desire to kiss her, so he leaned in and pressed his lips to
hers. When her small hands came up and rested on his chest, Phoenix leaned in
closer, enjoying the warmth of her touch, the sweetness of her lips, the fruity
scent of her shampoo. The woman affected him in more ways than one, and he
didn’t think he’d ever been quite so aware of another person in his entire
life. Except maybe Tarik.

The
kiss was slow and gentle, a languid melding of lips, an unhurried mingling of
tongues.

“So,
laser tag then?” Tarik called from the front seat, and Phoenix was forced to
release Mia’s lips.

“Sounds
like a plan,” Phoenix responded before returning his mouth to hers.

Pulling
her closer, he slipped his hand behind her neck, cupping her head and tilting
it slightly for a better angle. The leisurely slide of tongue against tongue
didn’t last long, and the next thing Phoenix knew, he was kissing her hard,
driving his tongue into her mouth, desperately wishing they had a little more
room because his hands itched to touch her. He wanted to pull her onto his lap
so he could feel her warmth against his entire body.

“You
haven’t won yet,” she said softly when they broke for air.

Tarik
laughed before backing out of the parking space. If Phoenix had to guess, the
other man had been watching. The idea had Phoenix’s cock hardening even more.

Mia
was smiling, a glimmer of mischief flashing in her brilliant blue eyes.

Hell,
he wasn’t even keeping score, but he wasn’t going to let her know that. At the
moment, getting to spend the day with her made him the automatic winner. If
they made it back to his condo tonight … he couldn’t promise he’d be able to
control himself. “If you say so,” he replied.

“I
definitely say so. We’ll talk more after laser tag.”

Phoenix
laughed, he couldn’t help himself. And then he kissed her again, pulling her as
close as he could, crushing his mouth to hers and tasting her energy, her
excitement.

Half
an hour later, Tarik pulled the Escalade into the parking lot of a place
dedicated to laser tag according to the sign out front. Phoenix had only played
once or twice in his life, and he looked forward to this time. Mainly because
he was thinking about the hidden corners within the place where he could crush
his body to Mia’s and make her beg for mercy.

The
three of them made their way inside, the rain having let up significantly,
which made it easier all around. Tarik put his arm around Mia’s shoulders and
held her close against him. It was obvious to Phoenix that he was trying to see
how far she was willing to go. Phoenix wasn’t complaining, but he damn sure
didn’t want to push her too far too fast. As it was, this unconventional date
had likely taken her by surprise, no matter how well she seemed to be handling
it.

“Scared?”
Mia teased him as Phoenix held the door open for her.

You
have no idea
,
he thought to himself. “Not a chance,” he said out loud.

Tarik
took the lead, heading to the counter and paying for the three of them. The guy
informed them that the place was completely empty and said for them to have a
good time.

Phoenix
assured him that a good time was certainly on the agenda.

Once
they’d donned their gear and made their way into a small arena, Mia seemed
itching to go. He gave Tarik a knowing look, and the three of them wasted no
time splitting up and heading in different directions.

Phoenix
made sure to stay out of sight as he worked his way through the multi-level
arena. He was purposely guiding Mia toward Tarik, and Tarik was doing the same.
A good fifteen minutes had passed before they managed to sneak up on her.
Phoenix tapped her shoulder gently and took a step back. Mia squealed and then
spun around, shooting him and hitting the target on his vest dead center. A
luminous smile lit up her face, but then Tarik returned fire, hitting her and
leaving him the only one not hit. Since they had to wait out the timer that
made their guns useless, there was no one to get back at Tarik.

But
that really wasn’t the point.

Crowding
Mia against the rocky wall after placing both of their guns on a ledge, Phoenix
tipped her chin up so that he could press his mouth to hers. She didn’t
hesitate, kissing him back as she grabbed for his shirt on his sides, gripping
and pulling him. The vests were obtrusive, but Phoenix ignored them, cupping
her face and exploring her mouth with his tongue.

Phoenix
felt Tarik move in, obviously refusing to be left out again. When Phoenix pulled
back, Tarik quietly watched them both. Initially, Phoenix thought Tarik was
going to kiss Mia, and he didn’t blame the man, but that wasn’t what happened.

Tarik’s
hand came up and slid behind Phoenix’s head, pulling him in as their lips
touched. Instinct had him tensing, ready to fend Tarik off, but the gentle
press of his lips had him surrendering briefly. His thoughts were temporarily
obliterated by the demanding slide of Tarik’s tongue against his own. He knew
Mia was standing there, still sandwiched between him and the wall, and that
thought cleared out the haze of lust that had momentarily overwhelmed him.
Pulling back abruptly, he looked down at Mia.

She
was smiling, her cheeks flushed.

He
wanted to ask her if she was okay, but he wasn’t sure that was the right thing
to say. Thankfully, she didn’t give him time to say anything at all when she said,
“This isn’t over yet. You know that, right?”

“Not
by a long shot, love,” Tarik whispered.

Mia
laughed. “That isn’t what I meant, and you know it.”

Tarik
offered Mia his crooked smile and then glanced over at Phoenix.

“Time’s
almost up. You two might want to get ready to lose.” And with that, he
disappeared around the outcropping of fake stone.

“He’s
not gonna win this one,” Mia declared, grabbing her gun and smiling up at him.
She went up on her toes and pressed her lips to Phoenix’s fleetingly before
turning and disappearing in the same direction.

He
started to follow but stopped as he grabbed the laser gun once more and pressed
his back against the wall. He’d join them in a few.

Right
now, Phoenix needed a couple of minutes.

Hell,
he needed a hell of a lot more than that.

»»»»»♥«««««

NEARLY
AN HOUR and a half later, Tarik pulled the Escalade into the parking lot of an
oversized amusement center. The clouds had passed through, leaving clear blue
sky and sunshine overhead, although the temperatures were hovering slightly
above freezing. He’d made a judgment call after they’d left the laser tag place
because their options had increased without the rain to limit them to staying
inside. This was more of a one-stop shop that would keep him from having to
drive all over town.

“By
the time we leave here, we’ll definitely know who the winner is,” Mia informed
them as they climbed out, joining Tarik as he met them.

“Right
now, it looks like we’re in the lead,” Tarik told her.

“The
day’s not over yet,” she challenged.

Taking
her hand in his, Tarik led her inside while Phoenix did the same as he had back
at the indoor skydiving place, taking her other hand in his as though the three
of them together was the most natural thing in the world.
And maybe it was.
Maybe that was what the elation was that Tarik felt. He had them both with him,
and he wasn’t sure he’d ever been happier than he was right at that moment.

His
thoughts drifted back to that kiss he’d shared with Phoenix. The one that had clearly
taken the man by surprise. Tarik’s shock had come when Phoenix hadn’t tried to
push him away. Multiply that by two when he’d pulled back to see Mia staring up
at them, her blue eyes glowing with interest, a satisfied smile tipping her
lips.

Yeah,
she hadn’t been turned off by two men kissing. Quite the opposite, actually.

Which
was a damn good thing, because Tarik intended for a lot more of that later in
the day.

After
Phoenix bought the tickets and they passed through the turnstile, he pulled Mia
to him. Tarik stood close and watched the pair.

“One
more kiss for good luck,” Phoenix whispered against her lips.

Mia
didn’t seem to mind Phoenix’s need to taste her, and had it not been for the
kids running through the place, Tarik figured Phoenix could’ve easily gotten
lost in her for longer than a minute.
But then she pulled away, smiling up at
him.