A Million Tiny Pieces (31 page)

Phoenix
didn’t answer. At least not with words. He stalked toward her, cupping her face
in his big, warm hands before planting his mouth on hers in a kiss so hungry,
so fierce, she forgot everything that had happened during the last few minutes.

»»»»»♥«««««

“PLEASE
TELL ME y’all are hungry, ’cause I’m starving,” Mia said when he reluctantly
released her mouth.

“Starving,”
Phoenix muttered, his eyes still on her lips.

Mia
slapped his arm lightly. “That’s not what I meant and you know it. I wanted to
surprise you. Then I hoped we could eat lunch.”

She’d
surprised him, all right. Showing up at his penthouse in time to meet his
mother probably wasn’t her idea of a surprise, though.

“I
could eat,” Phoenix told her.

“Thank
God.” Mia pulled away from him, her eyes settling on Tarik. “Please tell me you
like pizza.”

“One
of the basic food groups, right?” Tarik asked, leaning against the wall closest
to Mia.

“In
my
food pyramid, it is,” Mia replied as she reached into her back
pocket, retrieving her cell phone.

“What
are you doing?” Phoenix asked, taking another step toward her, eliminating the
gap she’d intentionally put there.

“Calling
for pizza.”

“Sorry,
but we can’t do delivery,” Tarik inserted, coming to stand in front of Mia,
both of them crowding her.

“No?
Then what do you suggest?”

“We’ll
show you,” Phoenix said. “But first, I think I need a little incentive.”

“Incentive?”
Mia’s thin, silky blonde eyebrows lifted toward her hairline. She looked so
damn cute with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, a pair of jeans hugging her
phenomenal ass and sexy legs and another one of those body-hugging, long-sleeve
T-shirts making Phoenix’s mouth water.

Cupping
her face in one hand, Phoenix nudged his body against hers and then lowered his
mouth until he reached the smooth contours of her lips once again. This time he
aimed for gentle and sweet, but Mia clearly had other plans. She gripped the
back of his head, pulled him to her, and then thrust her tongue into his mouth,
practically devouring him whole as she clung to him, her breasts crushing
against him.

“Holy
fuck,” he muttered when she released him.

“That’s
what I’m thinkin’,” Tarik said, elbowing him out of the way before grabbing Mia
and lifting her easily. She wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him
with as much fervor as she had Phoenix.

“Shit,
woman, I thought you said you were hungry,” Tarik muttered when they broke
apart.

“I
am.”

“Then
you shouldn’t kiss a man like that,” Tarik teased huskily. “I’m tempted to take
you to the bedroom and strip you naked. I could do without food and just feast
on you for a while.”

“What
if I said there was more where that came from
after
we eat?”

Tarik
started toward the front door, still carrying Mia. She laughed, the sweetest
sound Phoenix had heard in a while, and his answering smile was proof that just
being in her presence had already made his day better.

“You
coming?” she asked, looking back at him.

“Something
like that,” he mumbled.

Tarik
lowered her to the floor, and she met Phoenix’s gaze, a twinkle of humor mixed
with heat reflected in the crystal blue. Yeah. His day was certainly looking
up.

MIA
PRACTICALLY SKIPPED into the restaurant when they arrived twenty minutes later.
It’d been a short walk to the pizzeria that she hadn’t even known existed until
now. She felt light, as though all her stresses had been obliterated and she
was left with clouds filling her insides.

Truth
was, she had missed Tarik and Phoenix over the course of the last week. Last
night had been the first time she’d seen them since Sunday morning when she’d
woken up in Phoenix’s bed, crushed warmly between their big, hard bodies.

As
each day had passed, she’d wanted nothing more than to go back to the penthouse
and spend every waking minute with them, but she had forced herself to come up
with an excuse. It helped that they’d been out of town some of the time. The
separation had given her time to think. Having promised herself after marrying
Damien that she would never make an impulsive decision again when it came to
her heart, she had feared that if she spent too much time in their company, she
would want something more from them than either was willing to give her.

The
sex was off the charts, as far as she was concerned, but she also knew that
there was something going on between Tarik and Phoenix, and sometimes Mia
wasn’t sure she fit in there. She wanted to, but she wasn’t sure whether it was
a possibility or not, so she had convinced herself to back off a little. Give
it time.

Then,
of course, her conversation with Alex yesterday had redirected her priorities.
Alex had somehow managed to convince her that she was worrying too much. Mia
hadn’t been able to argue. Especially after reading the article about Damien,
she hadn’t been able to do much other than worry.

Only
Phoenix and Tarik had shown up last night, picked her up and taken her home,
and then made her feel as though she was the most important thing in the world
to them. She couldn’t deny the anticipation that was building inside her again.
She wanted more. From both of them.

“How’s
school?” Phoenix asked when they sat down at a table after ordering their pizza
at the counter.

“Good,
actually. I’m taking psychology this semester, and it’s extremely interesting.”

Phoenix’s
brow lifted slightly. “How so?”

“I’ve
always been a little curious about human behavior.”

“Is
that why you questioned our bisexuality?” Tarik asked casually, as though it
was a common topic of conversation.

Mia
felt her face flame, remembering back to the conversation when she’d been the
one to bring it up. Luckily she hadn’t been taking a drink or she’d probably
have spit it all over Phoenix, who was sitting across from her and Tarik this
time.

Phoenix’s
lips tilted, but he was trying to hide his smile; she could see it in the way
the skin by his eyes crinkled. God, he was beautiful. And he seemed so much
more at ease with the situation, almost as though he’d come to accept it as
much as she and Tarik had.

“Partly,”
she said when she managed to swallow past the nervous lump in her throat.
“Let’s just say I’m not exactly … up to speed on certain things. I was a virgin
when I met Damien.”

She
noticed the way Phoenix’s gaze shifted to Tarik’s and lingered there for a
moment.

The
feeling that something was different about them returned. It’d first come up
when she’d seen the two of them together in Phoenix’s penthouse. Almost as
though they were having a silent conversation between the two of them. Possibly
a memory they shared?

Last
night, she’d been intoxicated and hadn’t spent much time paying attention to
anything more than the pleasure they’d bestowed upon her. But now, as she
watched them, she sensed something
had
changed between them. Something
major. Looking at Tarik and then back at Phoenix, Mia smiled. “Did something
happen between the two of you that I don’t know about?”

An
implacable mask fell over Phoenix’s face.

“It’s
not an accusation,” she clarified, leaning forward and resting her forearms on
the table. “It’s just… Something’s different. The way you’re looking at each
other…”

Tarik
leaned close to her ear and lowered his voice so that no one else could hear.
“Are you asking whether I had my wicked way with him?”

Heat
erupted in Mia’s insides, radiating outward slowly, sinfully. It was a
delicious feeling, combined with the warmth of Tarik’s breath against her ear.
A sudden chill raced down her spine. “If I was?” she taunted.

“If
that’s what you want to know, then I’d tell you. But, little girl, you’ve got
to learn to ask the question if you want to hear the answer.”

Mia
studied Phoenix, noting he was still trying to appear detached from the
discussion, which was all the more telling. She doubted he had any regrets if
something had happened. No, what she saw there was uncertainty. He wasn’t sure
how she would handle the news, maybe?

“Did
you?” she asked, keeping her eyes locked with Phoenix’s but directing the
question to Tarik. Clearing her throat, she spit out the full question. “
Did
you have your wicked way with him?”

“I
did,” Tarik whispered, then nipped her earlobe, making her nipples tighten
painfully and her sex clench. “Maybe later I’ll tell you exactly what
happened.”

“I’d
like that,” she replied, noticing that only when those words were out of her
mouth did Phoenix’s expression soften somewhat.

“Does
it bother you?” Phoenix asked directly.

“Does
what
bother me?”

“That
we had sex without you there.”

Mia
considered that for a moment. Was she upset? She didn’t think so, which was
interesting in its own right. “We never agreed to be exclusive,” she said,
although that was a weak argument, because as far as casual sex went, this was
her first time, and there was absolutely nothing casual about the way she felt
about these men.

“Maybe
not,” Phoenix said, leaning forward, his hands clasped together on the table.
“But as far as I’m concerned, we are.”

As
though reiterating the intensity in Phoenix’s eyes, Tarik once again spoke
directly in her ear. “No other man will touch you, Mia. You understand that? No
one.”

Mia
leaned forward, mirroring Phoenix’s posture and Tarik’s no-nonsense tone. “And
no other woman will touch either of you.” She said the words, initially meaning
them as a joke but quickly realizing she wasn’t kidding. As far as the two of
them together, that was different. Why, she still didn’t understand, but it
seemed a natural occurrence that there would be instances where two of them
would be together while the other wasn’t.

“Just
keep in mind, I plan to have you to myself some of the time,” Phoenix stated as
though reading her mind.

“Ditto,”
she said, smiling.

“You’ll
have to run it by me so I can check your calendar. As luck would have it,
she’ll probably be alone with me when you want her. Sorry for your loss,” Tarik
said with a smirk.

Mia
watched Tarik’s mouth move as the words sank in. She couldn’t help the laugh
that bubbled up from within. The idea of these two men fighting for time alone
with her did crazy things to her. Crazier than normal.

And
then just like that, the tension between them once again cracked and fell away.

“With
that settled,” Tarik added, “I say we get this pizza to go and head back up to
your condo.”

Mia
laughed at Tarik’s joke. At least she assumed it was a joke. Based on the
glimmer in his bright brown eyes, she had to wonder.

»»»»»♥«««««

LUNCH
DIDN’T TAKE long to devour, which they did at the restaurant, not back at the
condo as he’d suggested. All three of them decided they were too hungry to
wait. And when they were finished, Tarik wasn’t ready to go back to the condo
yet, so he mentioned taking a walk.

He
didn’t know why, but he needed to get out, enjoy the sunshine for a little
while. January had proven to be milder than usual, except for the few storms
they’d had. No predictions of snow, and the wind was even absent today. A
perfect day to head down to the lake and walk. He figured Phoenix probably
needed a little fresh air to keep him from thinking too much about the shit
that would be waiting for him tomorrow morning when the real world once more
interfered with this crazy ride they seemed to be on.

“What
is it with you two and exercise?” Mia asked as the three of them strolled
slowly past the few joggers and bike riders who were trying to take advantage
of the warmer midday temperatures.

“This
isn’t exercise,” Tarik told her. “But I can think of something that’ll get your
heart racing.”

“I’m
sure you can.”

The
three of them were silent for a few minutes, and then when Tarik thought
Phoenix was going to say something, Mia spoke up.

“So,
when is someone going to enlighten me?”

“About?”
Phoenix asked.

Tarik
glanced down at Mia. She was between them, her hands in her pockets as she
kicked small rocks on the path every so often. At first he thought she was
referring to Tarik’s claim of having had his wicked way with Phoenix.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t what came out of her mouth.

“I
read Damien’s article. I know what he said about you. And me.”

Phoenix
stopped, causing Tarik and Mia to do the same.

“I
don’t believe it,” Mia said quickly, noticing the anger that contorted
Phoenix’s once-relaxed countenance. “Really.”

The
hard lines of Phoenix’s mouth softened. “It’s bullshit.”

“I
know that,” she said decisively, taking Phoenix’s hand and pulling him along
with her as she started walking again. Tarik put one foot in front of the other
and kept up with them. “I think someone told me once that they preferred to
hear things rather than read them. Was I mistaken?”

“No,
you aren’t mistaken,” Phoenix confirmed.

Tarik
hadn’t been privy to that conversation, obviously, but he understood her
meaning.

“Once
I got over the shock of his lies, I actually found it amusing. My mother,
however, didn’t.”

“Your
mother knows about us?” Phoenix exclaimed, once again coming to a jarring halt.

“My
mother knows everything. If I had to guess, she’s got Google alerts set up for
my name and probably gets an email notification, so I figured I’d get in front
of it. I went to see her yesterday. We talked. She asked about you.”

“Shit.”

“It’s
fine,” Mia said. “Quit stopping. We’ll never get back to the condo if you don’t
keep moving.”

“What
did she say?” Phoenix questioned.

“She’s
worried. She doesn’t like Damien, but she doesn’t trust anyone else, either.
Especially guys who own hockey teams.”

Tarik
couldn’t help but laugh when Phoenix stopped yet again. Tarik had heard the
humor in Mia’s tone, but clearly Phoenix was too worried to notice. Granted,
Tarik knew nothing about Mia’s mother, but he couldn’t imagine that she wasn’t
at least bothered a little by the article.

“I’m
kidding. Good grief. I told her it was all a bunch of crap,” Mia said, yanking
on Phoenix’s arm again.

“Did
she believe you?” Phoenix asked, once more falling into step with them.

“Probably
not,” Mia said, chuckling. “But I managed to turn the tables on her. I found
out she has a boyfriend, and I exploited that to throw her off. I figured there
really wasn’t anything to tell. I don’t know about Damien’s business, or
yours.” Mia glanced at Phoenix. “I’m nothing in the grand scheme of things,
just a tool for Damien to use to get his way.”

Tarik
was the one to stop. He’d heard something in her tone that he didn’t
appreciate. “The article might be bullshit, Mia, but you don’t give yourself
nearly enough credit. Damien’s an asshole. He never deserved you in the first
place.”

Phoenix
moved to stand behind her as people continued to pass them on the trail.

Sliding
a stray piece of hair that had fallen from her ponytail behind her ear, Tarik
used that as an excuse to keep touching her. Mia looked away.

He
figured that showing her would mean more than words, so Tarik took her hand and
began walking. Phoenix did the same, and he was proud when she ignored the
people who looked at them, confusion on their faces.

“I
will tell you this,” Phoenix began, “whatever Landry’s up to, we’ll get it
figured out.”

“What
is he really after?” Mia asked, looking over at Phoenix.

“Money.
My father’s not here to defend himself, and if Damien has proof that my father
backed out of the deal as he claims he does, then I’ll have to pay out
something. He’s tacking on more pain and suffering to increase the dollar
amount.”

“Oh,
God.” Mia sighed but didn’t stop moving. “He’s using me to extort money from
you?”

“No,”
Phoenix stated adamantly. “However, I do think he believes he’s got leverage.
And using you is going to be the way he gets to me.”