A Million Tiny Pieces

by Nicole Edwards

  “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.” />
  “Why would he think that I even matter?”

  “Did you see the pictures in the article?” Tarik asked. He had, and they certainly depicted the three of them in a very different light. They’d reflected an intimacy that was hard to capture. And if he had to guess, that was something Damien wasn’t used to seeing. Ex-wife or not, the bastard was selfish, and if he thought another man was after her, his territorial side was going to come out.

  Unfortunately, the bastard hadn’t considered Phoenix’s territorial side, never mind Tarik’s. As far as Tarik knew, no one was insinuating they were all three in a relationship. At least not together. The article had danced around the picture of the three of them holding hands and had briefly mentioned him and Phoenix together, although he knew more of that nonsense was probably coming. But he didn’t give a shit about what people said or thought about him. He’d given up on that years ago. His parents had been bad enough, ensuring he knew that no one actually cared about him. Tarik had carried that with him, and the don’t-give-a-shit attitude had rooted deep in his soul.

  “What now?” Mia asked as they made their way back to the street that would lead to the condos.

  “I’m thinking a movie sounds just about perfect right now,” Phoenix stated. “At my place.”

  “As long as you have popcorn, I’ll follow you anywhere,” Mia said happily.

  Tarik liked her resilience. She truly did have an optimistic outlook, which was refreshing. He just hoped they could keep her out of the line of fire in the coming days. Knowing what Damien Landry was capable of, Tarik figured it was going to get worse before it got better.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  MIA WOULD’VE BEEN content to spend the rest of the evening right there, reclining on the black leather sofa in Phoenix’s living room, watching the sun as it slowly slid behind the buildings, listening to Imagine Dragons drifting through the speakers that were hidden somewhere that she’d yet to find.

  After they’d returned to Phoenix’s condo, he’d excused himself when his phone had rung, which had disappointed her somewhat, but after hearing the frustration in his tone, she’d known he was talking business. So, instead of worrying about him, she’d sat down, and shortly thereafter, Tarik had joined her, pulling her against him until they were lying down. They had foregone the movie in lieu of watching the day pass minute by minute. At some point, she must’ve fallen asleep because the room wasn’t nearly as bright as it had been earlier, and that was when she realized Tarik was still there, his eyes closed, his breaths slow and even. She assumed he was asleep, so she tried not to move.

  When the song changed, switching over to “Sleep To Dream Her” by Dave Matthews Band, Mia listened closely, trying to see if Phoenix was still there. She didn’t hear him, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t somewhere close.

  “He went down to talk to his mother,” Tarik muttered quietly, a sleepy rasp to his voice.

  So he wasn’t asleep.

  “Everything okay?” she questioned, hoping nothing had happened.

  “Yeah. She’s just worried about this shit with Landry. He’s trying to calm her down.”

  Mia pushed up onto her arm. She was wedged between Tarik’s body and the cushions on the back of the sofa, her leg strewn across Tarik’s, her hand resting on his chest. She’d been comfortable like that, but her muscles were starting to tighten, a suggestion that she should move.

  Tarik obviously realized what she was doing, because he shifted to his side, facing her and pulling her so that she was on her back, his body partly covering her.

  “You slept for a while,” he said.

  “How long?”

  “About three hours.”

  “Really?” she hadn’t realized she’d been that tired. Then again, she did enjoy a nice Sunday afternoon nap from time to time.

  “Did you sleep?” she asked, her gaze slowly sliding down to his mouth.

  Mia wondered if he would kiss her. She hoped he would kiss her.

  “For a little while.” His golden eyes darkened slightly, and she felt the insistent press of his erection against her hip.

  “You should’ve woken me up,” she whispered, her stomach tightening when his hand slid up to it, slipping beneath her shirt.

  “I thought about it. I thought about a lot of things while you slept.”

  “Like?” Her inner temperature began a steady climb as his hand roamed over her skin, the gentle abrasion making her nerve endings spark and sizzle.

  “Like what it’s like to bury myself inside you. So deep.” The rough rasp of his tone made the hair on the back of her neck stand up, chills working their way down her spine.

  “What’s it like?” she asked, lifting her arms up over her head when he pushed her shirt up higher, exposing her black bra to his hungry gaze.

  “Heaven,” he muttered as he leaned down and pressed his lips to her chest, licking downward between her breasts.

  Mia pushed her chest up, trying to get closer to him. The hand he had on her stomach remained there, holding her in place. His other hand gripped her wrists, holding them above her head as he continued to lick her. She could feel the heat of his mouth through the thin, silky material of her bra.

  “Tarik. Oh, God.” She wasn’t sure what she was trying to say, but the words spilled out as he used his mouth to torment her.

  “We should get you naked,” he said, lifting his head and snagging her gaze.

  “We should,” she agreed, getting lost in the heat in his eyes. The intensity she felt there ignited a blaze inside her, one that quickly started burning brighter and hotter.

  If she hadn’t known better, she would’ve thought their clothes had just dissolved. Tarik stripped them both quickly, wasting no time. He was even prepared, donning a condom that he retrieved from his wallet before joining her on the sofa once more, this time kneeling between her thighs.

  “You’re just lucky I got your clothes off first,” he mumbled against her lips, clearly reading her mind.

  “I’m glad you did,” she said, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him closer, feeling the strength in his powerful body, the heat that caressed her from chest to knee. Digging her nails into his back, she pulled him to her, her mouth reaching for his.

  Their tongues skimmed as his fingers slid into her already slick folds. She moaned against his mouth, pushing her hips up to meet his exploring hands, desperate to feel him inside her. Luckily, he didn’t make her wait before his thick length was pressing against her entrance.

  “Oh, God,” she moaned softly. “Oh, yes.” He felt so good as he made his way inside her. He stretched her so deliciously, her body ready for him as he eased in deep, his hips stilling, leaving her aching for more.

  “Mia,” he breathed against her mouth. “Love.”

  Mia forced her eyes open to look up at him. What she saw on his face had her heart wrenching in her chest. There was so much emotion right there for her to see, she wanted to throw out a net and capture it, to pull it into her so she could hold on to it forever.

  His hips began a leisurely grind as his lips brushed hers softly. Slow and deep, Tarik made love to her in a way she hadn’t known possible. She felt him so deep she was sure he had penetrated her soul. Her hands slid up and down his back as she scrambled to hold on, to ground herself, because she was quickly losing herself to this man, losing herself in his gaze, the way he searched her face as though looking for the same thing he was offering.

  She wasn’t sure if he saw it, but she knew it was there. Right there in that moment, Mia felt some of the remnants of her once-shattered heart mend, pulling together and intertwining with pieces of him.

  “Oh, Mia,” Tarik said quietly, his hand cradling her head, his nose brushing hers as his hips dipped and retreated, driving him deeper into her.

  “Tarik.” His name came out on a strangled moan as her body began to float, every cell, every nerve ending tingling as her climax grabbed hold.

  “That’s it, baby.” Tarik’s thumb br
ushed her cheek as his hips thrust forward. “That’s it. Come for me.”

  His words were but a whisper in the darkened room.

  Mia pressed upward to meet each delicious thrust as he increased the pace. He was driving deeper, an exquisite plunge of his hips causing him to hit her G-spot, making it impossible to hold on.

  “Mia. Baby, I’m gonna come.” He breathed against her lips as her body hummed, her muscles tightening, the tingling igniting into an inferno inside her as it began to trickle outward, making the hair on her arms stand up.

  “Tarik,” she whispered, not wanting him to let her go, because she knew she was about to shatter, and she wasn’t sure, when this was over, that she was going to be the same person she had been before. It felt… “Oh, God, Tarik.”

  A strangled cry escaped her as she thrust her head back, her body bowing as her orgasm ripped through her.

  Tarik’s hips pressed forward, retreated, then again and again before he erupted, a muffled roar escaping him as he pressed his mouth against her neck.

  Mia didn’t move, didn’t breathe as she tried to take stock of herself. She wasn’t sure she was still in one piece. But what surprised her most was that it didn’t scare her.

  Not yet, anyway.

  »»»»»♥«««««

  TARIK SOMEHOW MANAGED to get them both cleaned up and dressed and back on the couch even though his head was still reeling from what just happened.

  Now, he wasn’t some sort of fucking pussy who had sex with a woman and thought he saw stars and shit, but something had just happened. Something that had never happened to him before. Not with a man or a woman. What had transpired between him and Mia in those few minutes was … earth-shattering. So completely different from anything he’d known, including his time with Phoenix — although that had altered his life in an entirely different way.

  The fact of the matter was that Tarik felt something for both of them. Although it was equally strong, it was still different. In a good way. Just like they were different from one another in so many ways.